I Strayed, Jesus Paid

We live in a world that desperately needs hope. Turn on the news any day of the week, and you'll find reasons to despair. Political divisions, moral confusion, and a general sense that something is deeply wrong with our world. But what if the diagnosis—and the cure—is simpler than we think?

The prophet Isaiah, writing approximately 700 to 750 years before Christ was born, penned these remarkable words: "But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes, by his wounds, we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Seven centuries before the event occurred, God revealed the solution to humanity's deepest problem. This prophecy alone demonstrates the supernatural nature of Scripture and God's eternal plan for redemption.

 The Universal Problem: We Have All Strayed

The metaphor of sheep going astray is both humbling and accurate. Sheep are known for wandering off, getting lost, and finding themselves in dangerous situations. They need a shepherd. Similarly, the New Testament confirms what Isaiah prophesied: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

This is not a popular message in our culture. We prefer to think of ourselves as basically good people who occasionally make mistakes. We use softer language—"errors," "lapses in judgment," "poor choices"—anything but the word "sin." But this linguistic gymnastics prevents us from accessing the solution. You have to call it to confess it.

The reality is stark: God cannot look upon sin. When Jesus hung on the cross, there came a moment when He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This wasn't theatrical drama. This was the Son of God experiencing separation from the Father as He took upon Himself the sins of the world. If God had to turn away from His own Son when Jesus bore our sins, what makes us think we can stand before a holy God with unforgiven sin?

Romans 5:12 explains the origin of our predicament: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned." We were born into this condition. Even the oldest person who ever lived—Methuselah at 969 years—eventually died. Death is the universal human experience, the consequence of sin.

First John 1:8-10 confronts our self-deception head-on: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The path to forgiveness begins with honest confession. Not to a priest or another person, but directly to God. We must acknowledge what we've done, call it what it is, and ask for forgiveness.

 The Divine Solution: Jesus Paid

The bad news about sin is overwhelming, but it's not the end of the story. Romans 6:23 contains both the diagnosis and the cure: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

The payment for sin is death. But—and this is the most beautiful "but" in all of literature—the gift of God is eternal life. God didn't leave us in our hopeless condition. He provided a way out.

Romans 5:8 captures the heart of the gospel: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus didn't wait for us to clean ourselves up. He didn't require us to prove ourselves worthy. While we were still messed up, still lost, still wandering like sheep, Christ died for us.

This is radical love. This is love that doesn't make sense by human standards.

First John 2:1-2 explains Jesus's role: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Jesus is our advocate, our defender, our atoning sacrifice. The old system of animal sacrifices could never truly satisfy God's justice. Only the perfect, sinless Son of God could make atonement for humanity's sins.

 The Unbearable Weight He Carried

Second Corinthians 5:21 reveals the exchange that took place on the cross: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Think about this for a moment. Jesus, the only sinless person who ever lived, took upon Himself the sins of the entire world. One missionary described helping workers clean out a community dump in a hot climate. The smell was putrid, the sight was disgusting, and everyone was dry heaving as they scooped up maggots and rotting garbage. Afterward, collapsing in exhaustion, the missionary heard God say, "I wanted you to see just a piece of what I went through on the cross."

If handling one small dump's worth of physical garbage was that overwhelming, imagine taking upon yourself the moral and spiritual filth of every human being who has ever lived or ever will live. Every lie, every act of violence, every betrayal, every dark thought, every broken promise—Jesus carried it all.

That had to be the hardest part of the crucifixion. Not the physical pain, excruciating as it was, but the spiritual weight of becoming sin itself.

Remembering the Cost

When we take communion, we're not performing an empty ritual. We're remembering. The bread represents Christ's body, broken for us. The cup represents His blood, shed for us. Jesus instituted this practice at the Last Supper, saying, "Whenever you do this, do it in remembrance of me."

Remembrance leads to gratitude. When we truly grasp what Jesus did for us—the cost He paid, the suffering He endured, the love He demonstrated—our hearts overflow with thanksgiving.

This is especially appropriate as we approach the Thanksgiving season. Before we give thanks for family, food, and material blessings, we should give thanks for our salvation. Everything else pales in comparison to the gift of eternal life.

 The Question That Matters

The world doesn't need another political solution, another self-help program, or another philosophical system. The world needs Jesus. He is the only answer to sin, the only path to peace with God, the only hope for eternity.

The question each of us must answer is simple but profound: Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Have you confessed your sins and received His forgiveness? Are you saved?

It's not about being perfect or having all the answers. It's about recognizing your need and accepting God's gift. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

I strayed. Jesus paid. That's the gospel in four words. That's the message that changes everything. That's the hope our world desperately needs.

Have you received it?