Pictures of Christ hanging on a cross, statues, crucifixes, and the like, fail to represent or portray the horrific agony and excruciating pain that Jesus endured as payment for the sins of mankind. I think every person on earth should have to witness, first hand, the crucifixion of Jesus, were it possible.
A time machine we don’t have, but we do have the Bible, which paints a vivid, descriptive picture of the inhumane torture that Jesus suffered. Too many people in today’s modern society fail to allow themselves the wonderful privilege of Godly stimulus that can satisfy the deep longing in their soul. They would rather yield to fleshly stimulation instead of surrendering their will to the true, living God.
Humanistic pitfalls, self-will, and procrastination cause those that are running from God to not read the Bible. Even God fearing Christians fail to read God’s Word as they should. The desire to understand the depth of God’s love and the sacrificial gift that He gave for humanity take second place to personal will.
It is shameful how the death of Jesus is taken so lightly in a world of busy, non-caring people. The searing of one’s conscience and having few regrets regarding their appetite for pleasure encourage foolish choices. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is weakened and a wholesome reverence for God is compromised, because of greed, vanity, and pride, to name a few.
I cannot imagine having to watch my child die for something someone else did; taking the blame as payment for their wrong doing. God did this very thing. He watched as His son; innocent and a perfect man in every way was beaten without mercy, spit upon and stoned as Jesus carried the cross on the road to Golgotha.
Jesus was beaten so viciously with fists and a whip that He was unrecognizable as being a human being. His visage was torn and mangled by the jagged implements of iron or bone that were embedded in several straps of leather. They ripped and shredded His flesh as Jesus was flogged. Just one glimpse of His dear face and mutilated body would tell the story of God’s amazing love for humanity.
They yanked out the Lord’s beard and shoved a crown of thorns into His head and brow. Finally, they drove spikes through His hands and feet to secure Him to a rugged cross, while people jeered and mocked Him as He hung suspended between heaven and earth.
(Matthew 27:39-42), “And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads” vs.40 “and saying, “‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’” vs.41 “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,” vs.42 “‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel
Jesus was despised and rejected of man, yet He willingly gave His life for them anyway. He could have called ten thousand angels to save Him, but chose to please His Father in heaven. God gave His only son to die for you and me before we first loved Him. How remarkable is that? His love for sinners kept Him on the cross, because He knew there was no other way to be saved from hell except through Him.
We need to stop what we are doing and take just one glimpse of Jesus’ face to indelibly imprint in our mind the magnificence of God’s sacrifice. It took the shedding of blood to pay the price for our sins; not just any blood; the blood of God Himself who is perfect and without sin. God robed Himself in human flesh and was born of a virgin. Jesus Christ was God incarnate.
(Matthew 1:23), “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’”
It was God dying for sinful man, because of our degradation, rebellion, and hatred.
(John 14:8-11), “Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” v.9 “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’” v.10 “‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.’” v.11 “‘Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’”
We have the Bible that communicates, exceedingly well, the disturbing crucifixion of Jesus, yet multitudes of uncaring and hell bent people don’t give it a second thought. They are unconcerned and far removed from God’s generosity and love. They prefer momentary pleasure over a lasting relationship with the Lord.
(Hebrews 6:6), “if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame.”
It is bad enough when non-Christians sin, but each time Christians fail to resist Satan’s temptations, it grieves the Holy Spirit and Jesus is crucified afresh.
Just one glimpse of Calvary , by way of the Bible, opens the mind to the truth of our actions. If a person yields their will and members to immorality, they are giving themselves over to Satan.
When those in the faith, sin, the devil spits in the face of Jesus one more time and plucks out another hand full of facial hair. Satan pulls out another whip and three more spikes when sinners and Believers, alike, turn their back on the blood of Jesus and trample it underfoot to disobey God’s commandments.
Sinning causes yet another spear to be thrust into the side of innocence at the moment a person refuses to take just one glimpse of the Lord’s emaciated body before willfully turning their back on Him and stepping away from the cross of Calvary .
Just one glimpse makes the difference. Let us resist the devil and protect our position in Christ as children of God lest we, like the lost souls of this world, suffer irreparable damage to body and soul. Jesus is our Savior in the present, but one day He will be our judge if we persist in disobeying God and crucifying Jesus again and again.
We must look deep into the eyes of the Lord and behold His mercy and love. May we stand firm in faith and commit our allegiance to serving Jesus only, and stop contributing to ongoing crucifixions.
Just one glimpse in Jesus’ direction strengthens our inner spirit and helps us to resist the temptation to sin, while quenching the fiery darts from hell. Jesus rebukes the enemy of our soul when we acquire just one glimpse of His face.
Let us turn our eyes His way and ask to be forgiven of our insensitivity and lack of concern. When we do this, God will smile and say, “I forgive you my child. My grace is sufficient for all of your needs.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9), “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…’”
(Philippians 4:19-20), “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” vs.20 “Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.” Amen.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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