This year, partly through the teaching that I've heard, and partly because I'm older now than I've been in previous Aprils, I've been seeing a lot more about what actually went on in these last days of Jesus. I always knew that Jesus had died for our sins, I'd always known that He must have been greatly suffering physically, but I never really was convicted of the tremendous over-all affliction that He went through.
The first time that I really started thinking of this was while I was singing in the car. I was listening to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, and in that I realized the actual suffering that Jesus went through to give us something that we don't deserve.
I started really thinking about this on Palm Sunday as I was listening to a children's ministry worker give a short sermon to a class. There isn't any children's ministry on Easter, so they were giving the full account from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection. They were at the point just before the Crucifixion. Jesus was being beaten, mocked and scorned by the soldiers. I'd never realized this, but as he was talking, I realized that, yes. Jesus was suffering. Mentally as well as physically. He was being mocked, being asked, "Who is it that struck you?" (Luke 22:64) In His human state, He didn't know. When they put Him in robes of purple and a crown of thorns (John 19:2-3), they were insulting His existence as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was being demeaned. His deity meant nothing to these people, and they were hurting Him in every way they possibly could.
On Good Friday, I was singing in the choir, and I almost began to cry on the stands as I listened to the words that I sang. "Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary. They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me. Before the throne my surety stands. My name is written on His hands." He bled and died a terrible death so that we could have life through Him and have Him in our lives. I don't deserve to join Him in eternity.
On Easter we celebrated Christ risen. The sermon was about the hope that we now have in Jesus through His resurrection. If He had not risen, we would still face death, because death would not have been defeated as it is now.
Yesterday, our pastor continued a sermon series in Mark. It happened to be in Mark 14, in the Garden of Gethsemane. The subject was "Complete Surrender," and was about what actually happened in the garden on the evening before the Crucifixion. Jesus went and prayed to God to take away His suffering. We all know that Jesus went to pray, but what was He really praying for? His human side didn't want to suffer. He didn't want to feel the separation from God the Father that He would feel as He was there upon the cross. His God-self had already given His life for us, but Jesus the man had yet to accept His death. He knew that He had to, but still He prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me." However, He finishes His prayer, "Yet not what I will, what you will be done." (Mark 14:32-42) He does what He does not wish to do so that we pitiful sinners can join Him in glory and life.
Jesus, the Last Adam, completed what the first could not. In His manly form, He obeyed God unto His death and ultimate resurrection. The first Adam was told not to eat the fruit, but he chose to disobey. The Last Adam was told to give Himself for the world, told to die so that we wouldn't have to, and He did.
"Behold the Man upon the cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life-
I know that it is finished."
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