A Paradox

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It is a paradox of unparallel proportions that peace can come through the pain of a cross. I love the title in my Bible for the second part of Chapter 1 of Colossians. It reads: “The Incomparable Christ” (NASB, 1995, published by World Publishing), and truly there is none like Him. In these verses, the Apostle Paul offers believers a picture of what happened when “the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” and creator of all things chose to “reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (vs. 15-20). The cross meant a painful, humiliating death that none would willingly pursue, but God put on flesh and chose to hang there in order for us to have an opportunity to be considered holy and blameless before God (vs. 22). It is only through His blood sacrifice that I can be a fragrant aroma—otherwise, the stench of sin and death hang upon me and make me repugnant to Him. It is a paradox, but it is one I willingly embrace during this Easter season as I remember His gift to me that came through death on a cross.

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