The punishment that brought us peace was on him

Peace. It is something that humanity is longing for. But only in Christ can true peace be found.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

“Whoever does not have a godfather is not baptized”

A long time ago I heard this spanish saying that, despite how little I like it, is terribly accurate.

There is a lot of talk about how we are in a society of meritocracy, that it doesn’t matter so much who you are or the degrees you have, but what you are able to do with what you have, and blah, blah, blah.

But the truth is that if you look at those who are at the head of many companies, entities or organizations, the decisions they make, or the statements they make, you have no choice but to question all of the above.

Some examples.

If you want something to sell well, you have to get the celebrity to promote it. If you succeed, it won’t matter whether the product is good or bad. The point is that it will sell, at least for a while.

In electoral campaigns, it is not important the quality or solvency of the political program, but to give a good image in front of the camera, and to get the support of the right people.

And if you don’t want to be messed with, try to make friends with someone important. Because if you have good allies, no matter what you do, they will always find a way out for you. Unless you steal more than you should.

So, unfortunately, in this society, those who do not have a godfather is not baptized, and those who have a godfather is.

This is the terrible message that is being transmitted to society and that is permeating to the bone.

Is God a father or a godfather?

And this is causing even those who believe in a God to see that God as something similar. So they come to think that, if they manage to win God’s favor, they will be able to live their lives in their own way and at ease.

This is what, in a way, Greeks and Romans did at the time of Christ. They presented offerings to please the gods so that they would be propitious to them. Or at least to leave them alone and not pursue them with calamities.

Then they would go back to their usual lives to do what they thought best.

And as I was saying, there are those who think that the same can be done with God. They give more or less substantial donations, show up at a church from time to time, and that’s it. With that they already believe they have earned heaven.

God is holy

But there is a problem. God is Holy. And nothing that is not holy will be able to stand in his presence.

If we go to the Old Testament we will see that the offerings that had to be presented to God had to be perfect, otherwise they would be rejected.

And since there is no such thing as a perfect human being, no one will be able to stand in the presence of God by his or her own efforts.

Well, there was indeed a perfect human being, someone who stood before God and took the punishment for our sins and the payment for our deliverance: Jesus.

Let’s see what the book of the prophet Isaiah tells us, in chapter 53 and verse 5:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Christ paid the price for our peace

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. There is no gift large enough to pay the “fine” for our offense to God, nor any action so high that it can make us forget our sin.

The only one who could pay the price was Christ. And He did it for love.

And if we accept Christ’s sacrifice, die to ourselves and begin to live for God, we have the certainty that God’s hand will always be upon our lives.

In this way, their guidance, care and protection will accompany us throughout our days. And we will have the confidence that, whatever we live, it will always be God’s perfect plan for us.

Christ paid for our rebellions and assumed our sins. This is the only thing that opens access to God. No one who is not justified by Christ will be able to remain in his presence for all eternity.

But, in addition, Christ won God’s peace for us and we were healed by Him.

This implies that the days we live on this earth we can live secure and confident, in spite of the circumstances, and with the certainty that our days here will not end prematurely, no matter how much attack our adversary launches against us.

Christ is the example of true meritocracy. If today we can live in peace with God, it is because Christ won it for us through his surrender and death.

So, we no longer need godparents, because in Christ we are made children of God, and now we have a Father who loves us.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Ben Allan on Unsplash