If it can be reasonably believed that God raised Jesus from the dead, according to the Old Testament prophets and according to His own words, suddenly we have for us the existence of God, the reality of divine miracles, and we have divine vindication of things that Jesus said about God, about Scripture, and about Himself. ~
Know the Truth About Carrying the Cross by J.C. Ryle
Christ would have all who profess and call themselves Christians reminded that they must carry the cross. They must lay their account to be despised, afflicted, and tried, like their Master.
He would have no person enlisted on false pretenses. He would have it distinctly understood that there is a battle to be fought, and a race to be run – a work to be done, and many hard things to be endured – if we propose to follow Him. Salvation He is ready to bestow, without money and without price. Grace by the way, and glory, in the end, shall be given to every sinner who comes to Him. But He would not have us ignorant that we shall have deadly enemies – the world, the flesh, and the devil – and that many will hate us, slander us, and persecute us if we become His disciples. He does not wish to discourage us, but He does wish us to know the truth.
On the cross, Christ suffered eternities of hell that we might enjoy eternities of heaven.
Dustin Benge
"His wounds, horrific as they were when inflicted on the innocent Son of God, are...rich in meaning and significance: wounds that have not vanished on his resurrected body."
Randy Alcorn
humility is one of the relational realities that God wants to develop in our lives so we can live daily by the grace of God.
PR.
Jesus didn't die to make the Father love us; Jesus died because the Father loved us.
Dustin Benge
The Cross has been & will always be the primary instrument that Jesus uses to draw people to Himself
JESUS SAID, “when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”John 12:32
As moths are drawn to a light, so guilty sinners are drawn to the crucified Savior
Jason Powell
“God always has my best interests in mind even when His way for me is painful, unclear, frightening, seemingly unfair, emotionally difficult, or mentally challenging. I need to trust, to believe that God does all things well.” —
Nanci Alcorn
Christ is much more powerful to save than Adam was to destroy.
John Calvin
We don’t know what happens in the next chapter, but Christian, we do know what happens in the last chapter. Jesus comes…
Rev Kev DeYoung
Jesus, after he had finished his work, slept in a costly grave; for now, his Father loved and honored him, since his work was done.
~C.H. Spurgeon~
In the Cross, sin is cursed and canceled. In the Cross, grace is victorious and available.
~G. Campbell Morgan~
Father, forgive them.
—Luke 23:34
The dialogue that Friday morning was bitter.
From the onlookers, “Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!”
From the religious leaders, “He saved others but He can’t save himself.”
From the soldiers, “If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.”
Bitter words. Acidic with sarcasm. Hateful. Irreverent. Wasn’t it enough that He was being crucified? Wasn’t it enough that he was being shamed as a criminal? Were the nails insufficient? Was the crown of thorns too soft? Had the flogging been too short?
For some, apparently so.
Peter, a writer not normally given to using many descriptive verbs, says that the passersby “hurled” insults at the crucified Christ.
They didn’t just yell or speak or scream. They “hurled” verbal stones. They had every intention of hurting and bruising. “We’ve broken the body; now let’s break the spirit!” So they strung their bows with self-righteousness and launched stinging arrows of pure poison.
Of all the scenes around the cross, this one angers me the most. What kind of people, I ask myself, would mock a dying man? Who would be so base as to pour the salt of scorn upon open wounds? How low and perverted to sneer at one who is laced with pain. Who would make fun of a person who is seated in an electric chair? Or who would point and laugh at a criminal who has a hangman’s noose around His neck?
You can be sure that Satan and his demons were the cause of such filth.
And then the criminal on cross number two throws his punch.
“Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
The words thrown that day were meant to wound. And there is nothing more painful than words meant to hurt. That’s why James called the tongue a fire. Its burns are every bit as destructive and disastrous as those of a blowtorch.
But I’m not telling you anything new. No doubt you’ve had your share of words that wound. You’ve felt the sting of a well-aimed gibe. Maybe you’re still feeling it. Someone you love or respect slams you to the floor with a slur or slip of the tongue. And there you lie, wounded and bleeding. Perhaps the words were intended to hurt you, perhaps not; but that doesn’t
matter. The wound is deep. The injuries are internal. Broken heart, wounded pride, bruised feelings.
Or maybe your wound is old. Though the arrow was extracted long ago, the arrowhead is still lodged . . . hidden under your skin. The old pain flares unpredictably and decisively, reminding you of harsh words yet unforgiven.
If you have suffered or are suffering because of someone else’s words, you’ll be glad to know that there is a balm for this laceration. Meditate on these words from 1 Peter 2:23.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Did you see what Jesus did not do? He did not retaliate. He did not bite back. He did not say, “I’ll get you!” “Come on up here and say that to my face!” “Just wait until after the resurrection, buddy!” No, these statements were not found on Christ’s lips.
Did you see what Jesus did do? He “entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” Or said more simply, he left the judging to God. He did not take on the task of seeking revenge. He demanded no apology. He hired no bounty hunters and sent out no posse. He, to the astounding contrary, spoke in their defense. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”2
Yes, the dialogue that Friday morning was bitter. The verbal stones were meant to sting. How Jesus, with a body wracked with pain, eyes blinded by his own blood, and lungs yearning for air, could speak on behalf of some heartless thugs is beyond my comprehension. Never, never have I seen such love. If ever a person deserved a shot at revenge, Jesus did. But he didn’t take it. Instead, he died for them. How could he do it? I don’t know. But I do know that all of a sudden my wounds seem very painless. My grudges and hard feelings are suddenly childish.
Sometimes I wonder if we don’t see Christ’s love as much in the people he tolerated as in the pain he endured.
Amazing Grace.
By Max Lucado, from No Wonder, They Call Him The Savior
“Our blessed Lord had to endure at its worst the deceit and faithlessness of a favored disciple; let us not marvel when we are called to tread the road which is marked by his pierced feet.”
~C.H. Spurgeon~
Comments