Imagine Yourself There...
Posted by WBFJ | | Posted on 9:52 AM
Imagine yourself there...
The crowd is large and they are buzzing with both excitement and malice. They want blood and they will not back down.
You look to the front and you see a man who you know as Yeshua. He is man who commanded people to "repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.(Mark 1:15)" He was the One who taught on the Mount of Olives saying, "blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(Matt 5:3)" He also spoke with authority about the law of Moses and the holy scriptures (Matt 7:29).
Yeshua, the One who was known for feeding thousands with a handful of bread and fish (Mark 8). He healed the leper (Matt 8:3) and raised the dead (John 11:43-44).
He was also the One who claimed to be God (John 8:58; 10:30) and spoke against the Pharisees and their hypocrisy (Matt 23:15). This is why He is now standing before Pilate, because the religious leaders are threatened by Him and say that He is blaspheming the Lord because He claims to be God. This is why they stir the crowds...this is why they are now calling our for Pilate to crucify Him.
"But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to the them again, 'What then do you want me to do with him whom you call the King of the Jews?' So they cried out again, 'Crucify Him!' Then Pilate said to them, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they cried out all the more, 'Crucify Him!'" Mark 15:11-14
Imagine yourself there...
After hours of questioning, mocking, and beatings Yeshua is lead to the Place of the Skull known also as Golgotha (Matt 15:22-23). Though he has been beaten and tortured to the point of disfigurement He still carries His cross until He can no more. As He marches up the hill to where He will be crucified thousands in Jerusalem are sacrificing lambs for Passover unaware that the Lamb of God is about to be sacrificed for the sins of all mankind (John 1:29).
Imagine yourself there...
Yeshua is on the cross now and crying out for God to forgive those who are even now murdering Him (Luke 23:34). What kind of love would cry for the forgiveness of such evil? Who can cleanse the sins of such wretched people...like the Pharisees...like the crowd...like myself?
22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26
The Messiah, Yeshua, is close to death. The pain and the suffering on His face are almost too much to bear. He has just cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" Who can imagine the pain being put upon the Messiah who is at this moment bearing the sins of ALL mankind. The physical pain can only hint at the immense suffering of the Lamb of God who is at this very moment enduring your sins (as well as my own) so that we may be made righteous in the sight of the Father (Colossians 2: 13-15).
"IT IS FINISHED!"
The hilltop is now shaking and rocks are breaking open all around me. One of the religious leaders is crying out that the curtain in the temple has been torn from top to bottom...is that even possible? Does this mean that we no longer need priests? Yeshua is now our great high priest? Indeed He is (Heb 4:14).
A soldier is staring up a Jesus, his face is ashen and he is saying, "Truly this was the Son of God. (Matt 27:54)" Others are weeping and mourning, for the Messiah, the precious Lamb of God is now dead. But it is said that He will return. Yeshua Himself said that He would endure all this only to be raised again on the third day (Mark 10:33-35).
In three days our Lord, our Messiah, our King will step from the grave and show His power over death and hell (John 20). He will offer forgiveness and grace to all those who humbly repent and trust in His sacrifice for salvation.
He alone is worthy of praise. He alone is worthy of our worship. He alone is God.
And one day He will return.
imagine
post comes from Deke's personal blog - crump
great article, really made me think