Whose Fault?

             Whose Fault? (Sonnet 21)
Our Lord was brought to face the angry crowd,
And Pilate said, “I find no fault in Him.”
Not satisfied, they cried with voices loud
And made demands to pass a sentence grim.
No fault in Him at all - His life was pure.
Though tempted sore, He would not yield to sin.
Without a flaw, His innocence is sure,
A guilty charge impossible to win.
Why die condemned when Jesus had no fault?
He died for faults, ‘tis true, but they were mine.
Incapable of meeting sin’s assault,
With frequency I broke the law divine.
Though I’ve offended with transgressions rife,
He shed His sinless blood to give me life.

I am thinking once more of the Savior and of what He means to me. His sacrifice is really more than I can comprehend. He was entirely innocent, yet rather than fight or protest, He quietly endured the false accusations. He faced the anger and hatred of the crowd, and He went to a cruel death that He did not deserve.

While Christ's acceptance of suffering and death is in itself mind-boggling, it is even more amazing when I consider that He did it for me - and for every other sinner in the world. He took the place of those who had violated His law, and He died for those who were opposed to Him.

What makes this sacrifice so special is the power that it has to achieve results. Through Jesus' death and through my acceptance of His gift of love, I can be reconciled to God. I was His enemy, but He makes me His child. My sins are forgiven and my faults forgotten as I enter the family of God. I am now able to enjoy a wonderful relationship of close friendship with the One to whom I caused such unjust pain. How can I fail to love such a Savior? How can I fail to dedicate myself to living for and serving Him?

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NASB)