It would have been enough!

Matthew 27:33-56
• 33 ¶ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
• 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted of it, he would not drink.
• 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
• 36 And sitting down they watched him there;
• 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
• 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
• 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
• 40 And saying, You that destroys the temple, and rebuilds it in three days, save thyself. If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
• 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
• 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
• 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
• 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
• 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
• 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
• 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elijah.
• 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
• 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.
• 50 ¶ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up The Spirit.
• 51 And, at the same time , the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
• 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
• 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
• 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
• 55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
• 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

Reading this passage over and over, the phrase "it would have been enough!" jumps out at me! The passover story that every Jewish child recites once a year on this same night that Jesus is enduring the most horrific and und just death in recorded history has a section that repeats this refrain, "It would have been enough!" It is a 'sing song' emphasis of the depth of thankfulness each person feels at the reception of the gift of the passover. It starts with a simple statement "If only God had delivered us out of the hand of the Egyptians (the world,) It would have been enough!" But no, He also passed judgement up on the cruel torturers. Then once again, "if he had only passed justice on those who were so cruel, it would have been enough;" but no He also destroyed the idols that were central to their torture. Then again, "if He had only destroyed the idols, it would have been enough;" but no He smite their first born! If only He had smitten the first born, it would have been enough;" but no he sent them out with the wealth of Egypt. Then again "if only he had rewarded the children of Israel with the wealth of Egypt, it would have been enough; but no he also sent them out on dry land!

This sequence continues sometimes with up to fifteen additional reasons to be thankful for the great grace of Passover and all that it represents in each individual life. The parallel is the same with our Passover Lamb; Jesus the Righteous! It would have been enough that the sinless one died in my place, but no, he was scourged with 40 lashes less one! This earned in addition to our eternal salvation, complete healing of all the diseases listed in Deuteronomy 28; the result of man's disobedience to the laws and ordinances listed previously in the Law. It would have been enough that by his stripes we are healed; but he also was sold for the price of a common slave, that we might be free to serve God in spirit and truth. It would enough that we experience freedom because of His death on the cross, the hill that He was slain upon covered the secret crypt that hid the same "mercy seat" from the original temple; so that the blood mixed with the rain water and washed down the crevices of that hill washing upon the mercy seat so that the complete requirement of sprinkling of the blood on the mercy seat was fulfilled for the final "Passover!" Incidentally the annual sacrifice of animals were no longer needed and after approximally seventy years ceased to be made. In addition to these every single prophesy ascribed to the Messiah of Israel and every last detail of the "types and shadows" was fulfilled in the Passion story!

Thinking of this striking parallel of the Passover celebration that is celebrated to this time between the Dayanu of 4000 years ago and the passion of 2000 years ago and the re-enactment of the holiday in 2012 brings tears to my eyes and heart, to think that in so may details Jesus completely fulfilled the propitiation (Rom 3:25' IJohn 2:2) of every sin that could ever be committed against the righteousness of God! In no way did he "come up short in this sequence of time." How great is the salvation He has purchased for us.