READ: 1 PETER 2:22-25

It seems so unfair, how Jesus was taken to the cross. He is perfect. He never did anything wrong, much less anything deserving of death. It seems so confusing that He would allow it to happen. Jesus had all the power. He is God the Son—He could have gotten away at any point.

But He didn’t.

Instead, Jesus fulfilled God the Father’s plan for Him. He was to be the Savior of the world, and that is what happened on the cross. Jesus died, and by doing so, He took our sins upon Himself. The Bible says that Jesus is the way, and the only way, for us to know God and have eternal life. Without His sacrifice on the cross, we would not have the hope of heaven.

But because Jesus was willing to take the unfair treatment and punishment of the cross, we are made alive and free. When we put our trust in Jesus, we receive forgiveness, and we can know that we are fully forgiven because Jesus took our sins to the cross with Him.

He was placed in a tomb after His death, and just three days later, He rose to life again. His death on the cross was not the end. Jesus was not controlled or defeated by those who put Him to death, but He knew just what was going to happen, and He did it to give us life. • Bethany Acker

• When we consider Jesus’s death on the cross, sometimes it’s easy to forget how amazing it is that God-in-flesh allowed people to put Him to death, but also that He had a plan to rise again. When you picture Jesus’s crucifixion, do you see His love? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for taking your sins.

• If you want to know more about what Jesus accomplished for us through His death and resurrection, and what it means to put your trust in Him, check out our "Know Jesus" page. And if you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 26:49-56; Luke 22:41-44; Colossians 2:14.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT)