In the sixth month of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-four, a cosmic catastrophe unprecedented in scope ruptured the heavens. Astronomers viewing the event through the newly launched Hubble telescope, observed some two dozen pieces of a shattered comet called Shoemaker Levy 9, slamming into the surface of Jupiter. The impact was such that for days, debris covering a region larger than the Earth stayed suspended in Jupiter's clouds.

Physicists contend that if all the nuclear power on planet earth could be harnessed and released at one time, it would still fall short of the energy explosion that occurred that day when scraps of Shoemaker Levy 9 walloped Jupiter. The largest fragments of the comet were perhaps half a mile in diameter and weighed about a billion tons, one piece alone carrying the force of a million hydrogen bombs going off all at once.

If this seems incomprehensible, consider the sheer enormity of energy at the disposal of El Shaddai -- God, the Almighty. Ponder the staggering idea that the full scope of God's strength, the essence of dunamis broods within the being of Jesus, His Son. What does this mean? What might awaken us to the wonder of this kind of power, or send us to our knees before its Source?

The answer Paul would give might surprise us, for he points not to Christ as Creator, Conqueror, or King, but to the Cross where He hung in horrifying disgrace as the greatest display of supernatural strength (1 Corinthians 1). This is foolishness, a mystery beyond our grasp, a paradox we will never understand until we see with spiritual eyes the magnitude of the cosmic catastrophe that put Him there.

When sin invaded this world through Adam and Eve, it was a violent act, an assault against the very holiness of a transcendent God. Shattering the pristine purity of creation, this one decision to disobey the Almighty left nothing the same. So horrid was its effect that God immediately removed His presence from the stench of sin's smoldering remains in the heart of humanity. The very beings God had created to shine forth the beauty of His essence, now appeared as rotting carcasses, useless and defiled.

Through one man sin entered into the heart of all, and now we, fallen by our very nature, cannot even begin to grasp the intensity of anger that sin elicits from an infinitely pure God. Though it carries a punishment of death, this is not sufficient to display the extent of His wrath. One man's death, indeed millions of deaths would never be enough, so great is God's righteous revulsion.

If we want to see the true catastrophic nature of sin, we must look to a hill called Calvary. Christ crucified was the power of God unleashed -- unmitigated blasts of holy indignation against sin. With every stripe, in every blow, in the ping of hammer against nail, in each drop of blood and agonizing cry, we see God pouring out upon His Son His wrath against your sin and mine. To vindicate the holiness of His name, God had to employ the full force of His power, exacting through Calvary a punishment that would fit the cosmic crime of the citizens of planet earth.

Christ crucified was the power of God displayed. When the Father laid on Him the iniquity of us all, Jesus felt in every way the full horror of our depravity, the haunting hell of hearts ripped apart by shame. He who knew no sin, became sin itself. No human force could have kept the holy One there to endure such torment, no energy on earth could have held Him in such misery. All the power of His infinite Deity was brought to bear in those final moments as the Father stood by while the Son paid a price we may never comprehend, given our humanness.

It is sometimes said by way of comfort, that if I were the only one to have sinned, Jesus would still have died, so great is His love. This seems a useless discussion, given the reality that all have sinned. But the truth remains that if I could have been the only one, indeed had I committed only one offense in my entire life, it would still carry infinite weight before the Holy One, demanding punishment proportionate to the deed. So despicable to the heart of holy God is even the most benign sin, no payment could ever suffice, short of the Son's bloody battle on Golgotha. For your sin, and for mine, there is only Jesus, the power of God to salvation. To Him be honor and glory forever.

The place in which we see the most magnificent display of divine force is on the Cross, wherein Christ crucified became the power of God. Do you normally think of the Cross as a place of power? What does this mean to you now?

Our redemption is made possible by the power of God that was unleashed to enable Christ to pay the price for our sins. This power enables us to know God, who has called us by His own excellence and glory. Everything we need for life and godliness is thus granted to us. Spend some time pondering the weight of sin that caused a holy God to die such a violent death. Have you seen your own sin as acts of aggression against Him? Why or why not? Contemplate His purity and your iniquity. Write a prayer of response.