When I look at this photo from The Passion of the Christ, I have to turn my head. It's too hard to imagine. His death was not pretty. So many renditions of the scene don't show the true horror of death by cruxificion. I think it's important to remember what He suffered. I have to look at this photo and see the true physical suffering Jesus endured for me.
My sins put Jesus on the cross. And probably the worst part for Him was enduring my shame and my guilt. The physical torture He suffered must have been nothing compared to carrying the weight of all of our shame and guilt for every sin humanity has ever done. He took our place. We deserved that death and torture. But by His wounds, we are healed.
Thank You, Lord Jesus.
http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM - Living He loved me, Dying He saved me by Casting Crowms
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| He took my place. |
http://youtu.be/Gt0WluTpFTg - My Savior My God -Aaron Shust
When I think about how much Christ did for me, I can't help but worship Him. Acknowledging my specific sins and failures helps me to realize how much He has forgiven me. If I simply say to God, "forgive me of my sins", without feeling the weight of those sins and experiencing the brokenness of realizing that I, like David, have sinned against the LORD, then I don't think I can appreciate the full weight of what Christ did for me. He took my punishment and shame and nailed it to the cross on my behalf. He took my place.
When I think about my past sins especially, it's very hard because I realize how much I hurt the people I love with my careless actions. The pain of that realization is great. That pain that I feel for my sins, that's what Jesus took on Himself. He had to experience my guilt and my regrets. I put that on my Savior! And He willingly took it away from me and gave me in its place, His righteousness. He took my guilt and shame on Himself and wrapped me in His robe of goodness and mercy so that I can now stand before our Holy God, spotless, without blemish.
I'm forgiven because of what Jesus did. He is worthy of all my adoration, praise and devotion.
1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Philippians 2:6-9
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3-12
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserve.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Revelation 1:18
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 5:12
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
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