When
Adam sinned in the garden six thousand years ago man was separated
spiritually from God. There was now a wall there that no human effort
can break or climb or go around. The only hope man had was a promise
made by God that he would make a great nation from Abraham's
descendants and from that nation a Saviour, a Christ. Four thousand
years later man is still waiting for the fulfillment to that promise
even though they never did anything to deserve it. Then, at God's
perfect time, a Saviour came down to man and subjected himself to the
worst possible living conditions, His name was Jesus. Now let me tell
you what he went through here on earth. When his mother was about
ready to give birth they were away from home and could not find a
hotel room, if you will, and a citizen of that city was kind enough
to let them stay in his barn. That night the baby was born, wrapped
in swaddling clothes, which were rags used to wipe down newborn
calves I believe, and placed in a manger which was basically a
feeding trough. growing up as a carpenters son, he didn't exactly
have the best things in life. He had nice sized family with a few
brothers and an unknown number of sisters. When twelve years of age
he went with his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover
feast. After the feast was complete his parents went home guessing he
was in the group of people they were traveling with. Once they had
gone a days journey they started to look for Him. When they could not
find him, they returned to Jerusalem and found him in the temple
talking with the priests. He then went home with them and even though
he was God in the flesh he submitted himself to their authority and
became obedient to them. Once grown he was baptized by his cousin,
John the Baptist, and then went into the wilderness for a forty day
fast. While fasting he tempted greatly by the devil himself but came
out with the victory. During his three and a half year earthly
ministry he faced physical hunger and fatigue, was rejected and
scorned of all men including friends and family. He was criticized
and questioned many times by the hypocritical upper class of
religious rulers. Then He was rejected a final time, taken to court
illegally and sent around to different royal governors and officials.
Finally Pontius Pilate, trying to make himself look good decided to
give them their wish and condemned Him to be crucified on a cross. He
was then whipped, mocked, slapped, spit on, and had his beard torn
off. Then they placed a crown of thistles with thorns 3 inches long
on his head and beat them down into his skull. When they finished
that they put a cross (three rather large wood beams nailed together)
on his shoulder and told him to walk up a hill. when they saw he was
just to weak to do it, they called a guy of the street named Simon
and told him to carry it up the hill. Once at Golgotha they layed the
cross on the ground, put Him on it, and began to secure Him to it.
They drove one big spike through one hand and into the wood, another
big spike through the other hand and into the wood there, and one big
spike through both His feet and He was nailed to the cross. While,
then they picked that cross up with him in it and dropped the bottom
of it into a 4 foot hole; dislocating every bone in His body. Then
they watched, for six, long hours they watched him suffer. Blood
pouring out of his wounds. Then He died. After thirty-three years of
suffering, He died. After a while the Roman soldiers came by to see
if the prisoners were dead. Usually the manner was, to make sure they
were dead you broke their legs. They did that to the other two
crucified men, but when they got to Jesus they saw he was dead so
they they didn't do the normal thing. No, they stabbed him in the
side with a spear. Then they took him off the cross and layed him in
a borrowed tomb. There He lay. The promised Messiah, the Christ, the
Saviour of the world in a tomb sealed with tape and guarded by
soldiers. But that's not the end. No, not by a long-shot. Three days
later he appeared outside the tomb with the keys of death and Hell in
his hands. No longer was he a dead man laying in a grave. He was
alive! Then He took the blood that He shed on Calvary and placed it
on the mercy seat in heaven and I can picture him saying these words
of life; "This is the sacrifice for mankind. From this day
forward a wicked hell-bound sinner can come to me and receive life
eternal in heaven to reign with me forever." That is love
untold, ladies and gentlemen. That God did all that for you and me is
just unfathomable for the mortal mind. We will never be able to
understand just how much He loved his dear creation even though we
could never pay him back for it. That is Amazing Grace.
Was it for me He bowed His head,
Upon the cross, and freely shed
His precious blood—that crimson tide
Was it for me the Saviour died?
It was for me...yes all for me...
O love of God.. so great, so free...
O wondrous love...I’ll shout and sing...
He died for me...my Lord and King!
—J. Danson Smith
Was it for me He bowed His head,
Upon the cross, and freely shed
His precious blood—that crimson tide
Was it for me the Saviour died?
It was for me...yes all for me...
O love of God.. so great, so free...
O wondrous love...I’ll shout and sing...
He died for me...my Lord and King!
—J. Danson Smith
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