On Easter - The Cosmic Nature of the Cross

    I find myself asking this question a lot lately:  What was the nature of what happened on the cross of Christ?  I know for some this question is irrelevant because the historicity of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is questionable by some standards.  But for those of us that believe that it happened and that it was the folcrum point of history, the question remains, what exactly happened?  It's easy to say things like, "sins were forgiven" or "man was made to be in right standing with God", but I am asking something deeper, questioning the very substance of the transformation that happened.  I question this because many of the people I see that claim to believe that man was made in right standing with God because Christ took on himself the sins of the world are the ones I see who live as if a further sacrifice is required.  Put simply, when Jesus uttered those words, "It is finished" (John 19:30), was something finished?  Now, I am well aware of the long history and tradition of theology that has been mined from the ancient scriptures regarding this concept - but I am asking this question based on one thing: observation.  Why do we behave as if the words of Christ were, "It is nearly done if you can simply stop sinning and make sure people know you disapprove of (insert sin of choice)."  This behavior seems to indicate that for some, nothing was finished at all.  They are no different than the ancients, needing to offer one more sacrifice so that the gods can be appeased. 

    My point is that Easter represents the finish line for me.  Something changed the day Jesus rose from the dead, for everyone for all time.  I make no exceptions to that idea, regardless of anyone's interpretation of scripture.  I can't say I know what changed at the core of the substance of the universe, or if that is even something that happened at all.  It is simply beyond my comprehension.  But, I can say that something has changed in me.  I lived most of my life as a religious person offering sacrifices on the proverbial altar in hopes that God's wrath would be appeased, but now I have come to see that when Jesus said it was finished, he meant it.  Nothing is required, all is at an end.  As Tolkien wrote, "Now comes the dawn..."