A very wise pastor told me once that when nothing else will come to you and you are having trouble figuring it out in your mind, look to the cross. There are a wide range of topics to choose from for these articles, but every once in a while, I need to step back and look up. Look up with me. Look up to the cross.
What if you were going to do a job and before you did it, you knew that it would wind up in your death? Would you go through with it? Soldier and/or police officers go out for the day and they realize that it is possibly that they might not return home that evening: there is a possibility of death. What if you were certain death was imminent? Would it make it a little more iffy whether you were going out that day or not? Add to that the reason you are going. In a police officer’s case, at least in smaller towns, they are going out to serve people that they normally serve and probably know, or at least are familiar with. In the case of larger cities they are meeting and trying to serve people they do not know, but they are part of the area that they serve.
If you look at Christ, he came to serve people that were complete strangers. Not only to serve, but to give his life that these people could come to know him as their Lord and Savior. He came, and he had known since the beginning of time that he was going to come. It was recorded around 700 years before he came, by the prophet Isaiah, that it would happen. He even recorded what would happen.
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
“He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”
“And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:3-12
Just think, he knew all this in advance and he came anyway. He came to a bunch of ungrateful, undeserving people. He came anyway. For you and for me he came. Are you ready for his return? He already has it scheduled, and no one knows when, we just know it is soon. Look at that empty cross. Are you ready?
AE
and continuing…
One of my favorite books growing up was Pilgrim’s Progress. If you’ve never read John Bunyan’s epic tale of adventure it is definitely a must read. Every child should hear this story multiple times. It begins with the journey of a man named Christian, who realizes that he is carrying a burden, and once he knows he carries this burden it becomes a staggering weight that overwhelms him with exhaustion and grief. A man who is called Evangelist comes to him, and points him in a direction that changes everything. Christian starts his journey toward the cross where his burdens will roll away. He finally feels that amazing lightness and joy from having his burdens gone. His journey is just begun, and he continues on a treacherous pilgrimage until he finally reaches the Celestial City.
This book is a beautiful allegory representing the lives of every individual. If you read through Pilgrim’s Progress you will see yourself mirrored in the life of at least one of the characters in the book. I highly recommend that you read it if you haven’t yet done so, and maybe even reread it if you have. Definitely take the time to read it to your children.
My very favorite part of the book is where Christian finally after many struggles and painful missteps reaches the foot of the cross. His burden, which has grown larger and heavier every step of the way, rolls from his back and is gone. How beautifully true this is for every Christian who bows low at the foot of the cross, and accepts the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.
I love reading allegories, especially with children because the narrative is always so thrilling. As an adult…I love so much more to read the true historical accounts of what actually happened. Right now, I’ve been reading through the book of John with my children each morning. We just recently read John 19. It’s better when you read the entire gospel of John. You can learn to understand and appreciate the life that Jesus led, and begin to know and understand a bit more his character. Who was Jesus really, why did he come, why did he allow himself to die when he {being God} could have saved himself? What was it about his death that allowed for death to be conquered? There are so many amazing questions that the gospel of John will answer, and there’s so much depth that every time you read it you will find something you missed the time before!
I will attach the entire account of Christ’s crucifixion on the cross for you to read through, but I strongly encourage you to find your Bible and read through the entire gospel of John.
Jesus willingly laid down his life for each and every one of us. So often we take his sacrifice for granted, and never stop to really appreciate what he did for us. Christian, take time to really allow your heart to break over your sin that caused our Saviour so much agony. He did not die so that we might continue in our sin, but that we might have victory over our sin through him. Stop and think about what you need to change in your life to more closely resemble our Lord.
If you have never taken time to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin and to be Lord of your life don’t delay. Today is the day of salvation. Time is running out to make this decision. Don’t hesitate. Ask him to forgive you, and turn you heart and life over to him. Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
John 19
1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
GA
Voice of the Introverts 