Pierced! Crushed! Only For Us! Lord Jesus suffered to earn salvation

[longtimeago 0]

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)

The whole world is under bondage to Satan. Many are racing towards eternal hell every minute. Repentance and salvation alone can deliver them from peril. Jesus Christ alone can bring this deliverance and He did this by giving Himself up. Jesus underwent bitter pains for us. He poured, for you and me, the lifeblood from His sacred veins. He paid a costly prize to save you and me from eternal hell. Indeed there is no other Saviour who loves us better.
Today let us meditate more on the suffering that our Lord Jesus underwent to earn this salvation for us. Salvation is free to all for the Bible says,

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But salvation also has a cost. Lets see how much our Lord Jesus suffered to earn this salvation. He lost his beauty and majesty. His face was disfigured beyond recognition due to physical torture and mental agony. He was despised by everyone, even by the guards and servants. He was oppressed.

He was crushed in spirit. He was afflicted in His body. He was rejected by His own people for whom He came down from heaven. In the gospels we read that He was flogged severely many times. He was humiliated. When He was overwhelmed with fatigue and suffering, He was made to bear a heavy rugged cross on His bruised shoulders and He was made to walk upon mount Golgotha. Finally, He was pierced by three strong nails and was hung on the cross in between two thieves. He was numbered among the transgressors! He was ridiculed by the passersby! What shame! What a disgrace!

Dear friends, have you ever pondered over the suffering of Christ? Have you ever meditated on the passion of Christ? Take time and bring to your mind the scene of Calvary.
Edited March 30, 2008 by jlhaslip
add quote tags per Report (see edit history)

[Watermonkey 0]

Awe crap.

I forgot to watch Passion of the Christ this Easter... Wait a minute... The actual time of the crucifixion isn't really in Spring anyway, is it? When is it historically? My soul may yet be redeemed and reclaimed, perhaps I didn't miss the time I've set aside to watch Passion. (Forgive me if you aren't up on American Hollywood and movies in general) Seriously. Do you know when The Christ was actually crucified?

For informational purposes only: (Don't "crucify" me for telling the truth!)

From: https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/what-are-the-real-origins-of-easter

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, in its entry "Easter," states:
"The term ‘Easter' is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch [Passover]held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast . . . From this Pasch the pagan festival of ‘Easter' was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity" (W.E. Vine, 1985, emphasis added throughout).

That's a lot of information packed into one paragraph. Notice what the author, W.E. Vine—a trained classical scholar, theologian, expert in ancient languages and author of several classic Bible helps—tells us:

Easter isn't a Christian or directly biblical term, but comes from a form of the name Astarte, a Chaldean (Babylonian) goddess known as "the queen of heaven." (She is mentioned by that title in the Bible in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19, 25 and referred to in 1 Kings 11:5, 33 and 2 Kings 23:13 by the Hebrew form of her name, Ashtoreth. So "Easter" is found in the Bible—as part of the pagan religion God condemns!)

Further, early Christians, even after the times of the apostles, continued to observe a variation of the biblical Passover feast (it differed because Jesus introduced new symbolism, as the Bible notes in Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Moreover, Easter was very different from the Old Testament Passover or the Passover of the New Testament as understood and practiced by the early Church based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles.

And again, Easter was a pagan festival, originating in the worship of other gods, and was introduced much later into an apostate Christianity in a deliberate attempt to make such festivals acceptable.

Edited March 30, 2008 by Watermonkey (see edit history)

[OpaQue 15]

Dear friends, have you ever pondered over the suffering of Christ? Have you ever meditated on the passion of Christ? Take time and bring to your mind the scene of Calvary.

I agree to this x 1000.

[electriic ink 1]

How can you support a religion which condones a father (God) letting others brutally kill his son (Jesus)? Is this to suggest that we are to copy God's example and do the same? Surely, God could have forgiven our sins some other way - after all he is God.

[Watermonkey 0]

I think it's like the difference between being handed everything in life without having to actually work for it versus working for it. If God just gave it to us, it wouldn't be the same. martyrs are necessary sometimes.

[byronarnold 0]

I don't understand how one man's finite torture and pain during a set duration can make up for an almost infinite number of people's* infinite pain for an unlimited duration? (By an almost infinite number of people, I mean every person who died unsaved since at least the alleged Resurrection, if not since the alleged Creation) It would be like a man who has never murdered dying in place of every person on death row for murder (assuming, of course, the government would allow it! (Which it NEVER would!!!)I do not mean to offend anyone. Maybe someone could explain it to me?Peace to all, and have a really good evening!!!

[KansukeKojima 0]

It would be like a man who has never murdered dying in place of every person on death row for murder (assuming, of course, the government would allow it! (Which it NEVER would!!!)

Actually, that is essentially what it is.

 

I guess I'll try to explain this to you...

 

Alright, before Christ died for our sins, people would offer lambs without any blemishes to repent for their sins.

 

Essentially, Christ is that spotless lamb. He was the perfect human. Therefore he alone could atone for all of our sins.

 

https://gotquestions.org/ may be able to help you if you have any more questions... and they'll be answered far better than I will be able to.

 

And now... time for a debate with electriic ink. ... (also, lets keep this as friendly as possible)

 

 

How can you support a religion which condones a father (God) letting others brutally kill his son (Jesus)? Is this to suggest that we are to copy God's example and do the same? Surely, God could have forgiven our sins some other way - after all he is God.

Indeed He is God, He is capable of all things. However, God is also Holy. But more to my point: sin=death, and sin requires payment. Because God is Holy, sin cannot exist in His presence. He does not allow sin in his presence at all!

 

There is only one way to pay for sin, and that is death.

 

Now, you asked,

How can you support a religion which condones a father (God) letting others brutally kill his son (Jesus)?

Let me quote some scripture...

 

John 8

28So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."

I must say, the question that you asked, really puts the crucifixion in a negative light. What if you were to look at it this way. God loves us so much, that He was willing to sacrifice HIS SON, so that we could live! Jesus was 100% willing to do what his father willed. Before the crucifixion Jesus prayed that if there was any other way for us to have salvation, that the crucifixion would not happen. Well, it did happen, so thats obviously the only way .

[thecolorchangingfedora 0]

How can you support a religion which condones a father (God) letting others brutally kill his son (Jesus)? Is this to suggest that we are to copy God's example and do the same? Surely, God could have forgiven our sins some other way - after all he is God.

Let me correct you on something: he didn't "let" others kill his son; that's what Jesus was sent for. You make it sound like it just happened for no rhyme or reason, and God just sat back and did nothing. And he did do something, didn't he? Jesus rose from the dead. It wasn't "okay die now plz".

Also, it was exactly easy on God. If you were a parent, or could at least see from their point of view . . . you could see that any loving parent would rather kill themselves than their child.

 

Er, and all the other important bits were said in the post above me.

[Carson 0]

For anything a non-Christian says it would seem there is always some new reason a Christian will give to prove the non-Christian wrong. A new reason meaning a new version of what supposedly happened over 2000 years ago, and these reasons often contradicting each other. Just an observation. In the first post you mention the suffering of Jesus, the humiliation, what he went through. Being nailed to a cross and killed by his own people. I'm sure most of you have heard about the earthquake in China which has killed over 30,000 people now. And 10's of thousands of more still trapped waiting to die. Can you imagine that? Being trapped inside rubble knowing you are going die. All those thousands of people. I saw one particular news report where a woman was hopeful her family would be saved from a building. Later the firefighters decided to give up, deeming the building too unsafe to leave all those people inside. The mother of the hopeful woman was trapped inside and she had to stay there knowing her mother is alive just meters from her, and is going to die. They showed her break down in tears screaming. What the hell would you do? I know most of you wont be happy when I say this, but who the hell cares about one death compared 30,000? Not me! I really can't take someone saying that one death is a greater lose 30,000, and the belief of that one death being of faith. Lets be honest, why do you believe in Christianity? I'd say in most cases it was from your parents. If a man beats his wife in front of his child, that child will obtain that culture. He will think okay, this is how things work. If a child's parents prey nightly, and give a Bible for their children to read, that way of life will continue in that child. Its the only life they know, its a form of brainwashing(But that is true in every family, be in Christianity or Atheism or what ever) That is why so many Christians will think I'm crazy and probably be a bit angry(I mean no offense), because they are 100% certain of their beliefs. And if my parents parents were Christian, so would I, im sure. A while ago a saw a documentary on tv where a woman was critically injured and needed a blood transfer. I'm not sure which religion her father was, but he told the doctors that it was against their religion to have a blood transfer. The daughter was out and had no options. The father made the decision for her not to have the blood transfer, and the daughter died. I'll never forget seeing that, and how that man could let his own daughter die. Just because of a pathetic belief! How messed up is this damn world? Surely life is more important. That woman could have grown up to be anything in the world. But her entire life, hopes and dreams. Destroyed.

[thecolorchangingfedora 0]

For anything a non-Christian says it would seem there is always some new reason a Christian will give to prove the non-Christian wrong. A new reason meaning a new version of what supposedly happened over 2000 years ago, and these reasons often contradicting each other. Just an observation.

If you're trying to make a valid point, examples would be nice.

 

 

In the first post you mention the suffering of Jesus, the humiliation, what he went through. Being nailed to a cross and killed by his own people.

 

I'm sure most of you have heard about the earthquake in China which has killed over 30,000 people now. And 10's of thousands of more still trapped waiting to die. Can you imagine that? Being trapped inside rubble knowing you are going die. All those thousands of people.

 

I saw one particular news report where a woman was hopeful her family would be saved from a building. Later the firefighters decided to give up, deeming the building too unsafe to leave all those people inside. The mother of the hopeful woman was trapped inside and she had to stay there knowing her mother is alive just meters from her, and is going to die. They showed her break down in tears screaming. What the hell would you do?

 

I know most of you wont be happy when I say this, but who the hell cares about one death compared 30,000? Not me! I really can't take someone saying that one death is a greater lose 30,000, and the belief of that one death being of faith.

Here you seem to be showing a lack of insight as to what Christianity is, and as to why his (the Christ's) death was.

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/sinless-jesus-faq.htm

 

 

Lets be honest, why do you believe in Christianity? I'd say in most cases it was from your parents. If a man beats his wife in front of his child, that child will obtain that culture. He will think okay, this is how things work. If a child's parents prey nightly, and give a Bible for their children to read, that way of life will continue in that child. Its the only life they know, its a form of brainwashing(But that is true in every family, be in Christianity or Atheism or what ever) That is why so many Christians will think I'm crazy and probably be a bit angry(I mean no offense), because they are 100% certain of their beliefs. And if my parents parents were Christian, so would I, im sure.

Actually, most of the testimonies I hear are from former drug abusers, prostitutes, street children, etc. Christians who grow up in Christian homes make up only a minority in the Church. Children who grow up in Christian households tend to take Christ for granted. ie, think they can do anything, or walk away from Christ completely.

 

 

A while ago a saw a documentary on tv where a woman was critically injured and needed a blood transfer. I'm not sure which religion her father was, but he told the doctors that it was against their religion to have a blood transfer. The daughter was out and had no options. The father made the decision for her not to have the blood transfer, and the daughter died. I'll never forget seeing that, and how that man could let his own daughter die. Just because of a pathetic belief! How messed up is this damn world? Surely life is more important. That woman could have grown up to be anything in the world. But her entire life, hopes and dreams. Destroyed.

You're confusing me; that is nowhere in the true Christian. You didn't even state what religion it was--from what I can tell, it must be a cult. This does has nothing to do with your point.

[KansukeKojima 0]

(Note: I've left out some of your post, because the issues had been addressed in the post above me.)

 

A while ago a saw a documentary on tv where a woman was critically injured and needed a blood transfer. I'm not sure which religion her father was, but he told the doctors that it was against their religion to have a blood transfer. The daughter was out and had no options. The father made the decision for her not to have the blood transfer, and the daughter died. I'll never forget seeing that, and how that man could let his own daughter die. Just because of a pathetic belief! How messed up is this damn world? Surely life is more important. That woman could have grown up to be anything in the world. But her entire life, hopes and dreams. Destroyed.

I definitely agree with you. That is utterly wrong and disgusting. However, I believe the point you are trying to make by saying that, is beliefs in general are bad. That is untrue. Not all beliefs are bad.

 

Also, you asked the question: "How messed up is this damn world?"

I agree with you, this world is incredibly screwed up. The reason why it is screwed up: sin.

 

Lets be honest, why do you believe in Christianity? I'd say in most cases it was from your parents. If a man beats his wife in front of his child, that child will obtain that culture. He will think okay, this is how things work. If a child's parents prey nightly, and give a Bible for their children to read, that way of life will continue in that child. Its the only life they know, its a form of brainwashing(But that is true in every family, be in Christianity or Atheism or what ever) That is why so many Christians will think I'm crazy and probably be a bit angry(I mean no offense), because they are 100% certain of their beliefs. And if my parents parents were Christian, so would I, im sure.

I agree with what was said in the post above about this issue, but I will answer the question you posed: "Lets be honest, why do you believe in Christianity?". First, I'd like to point out that I have no faith in the religion itself. What I do have however is faith in Christ. Now since that is cleared up, let me rephrase your question: "Why do you believe in Christ?".

 

I think that this is actually a hard question to answer, as there is quite a lot of ground to cover in the answer. Due to this, I will give you the simplest answer that I possibly can. The reason I believe in Christ is that He is God. God created us to love Him/be loved by Him, and to give Him honor and glory. That is the entire reason of the existence of anything, even God Himself (in other words, God exists to honor Himself). So why do I believe in Christ? That is my purpose in life.