JESUS AND ME

I watched Mel Gibson’s masterpiece tonight. It is horrific and soul wrenching yet so full of the truth of what Christ did for us. My friend asked me today why did He have to suffer so much – why was He beaten and scourged, wasn’t crucifying Him enough? I didn’t have the answer then but after watching the torture He went through I could see that each punishment, each lash was our sin being laid upon Him.

I watch this show once a year to be reminded that our sin is like that, torture for our Heavenly Father and only leads to eternal death. He did this for us, of His own free will, John 10:14-18 says, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” 

In the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus and His disciples would go to talk and pray, Jesus’ suffering began. He was afraid, and asked God to take this cup from Him. He sweated blood according to Luke 22:4. Mark says He left the disciples to go pray before He was arrested and when He was out of their sight, “He fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him, Mark 14:35. He prays to His Father, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will”, Mark 14:36. He knew what was coming and He let them take Him anyway.

Good Friday seems like such a contrary name for a day of such horror. The day our Lord took all of our sin upon Himself. When you look at Good Friday as the day He died to free us from sin, to give us eternal life, and to show how deep His love is for each of us, it really is a Good Friday. 

So in two days when Easter, the day Jesus rose from the grave to eternal life, is here, maybe it won’t be just about bunnies, egg hunts, and new Easter dresses. The Messiah’s return won’t be about being freed from the oppression of Roman rule. It will be about something much more, saving us from our sin and an eternity without Him. Come Lord Jesus, Come!