The Sacrifice of Christ

by Mardy Pearson, Elder
Gardiner Community Church

In the Book of Acts 26:23, it says that Christ would suffer, that He would be first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the gentiles.  This is easily read and understood - that Christ suffered.  Have we ever understood what that really meant to Him?

Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of The Christ" surely brought out the word suffer that was mentioned in that verse.   Few of us knew how much He suffered.  Many felt it was too violent - I didn't want to see it ever again.  I do now, because I know that in my shock there were parts that I missed.  Mary, wiping up His blood from the stones in the street.   How terrible.  She was His mother - the blood of her blood.  She thought she may never see Him again.  She knew He was God, but how could she understand the brutality of His sacrifice.

Jesus had to suffer for every sin that had been committed up to His time, and also for all of our sins, and for the sins of our children and grandchildren and on down the line.  His punishment was brutal - as brutal as our sins - and of those around us.  This was God's plan, and the Father was pleased with His Son.  He carried out His Father's plan for us.  He surely loves His Son, but He loves us too, and Jesus demonstrated how very much.

But all of that terrible violence, the crown of long thorns pounded into his scalp.  The slapping, the spitting, the whips fitted with hooks to tear His flesh.  The nails in his hands. 

My sins!  Are they that bad?   Have I ever said something that made someone feel useless and desperate?  Yes.   Probably I have.  I have a quick temper.  Did I ever take something that wasn't mine?  Yes.  I have broken all of the ten commandments - by thought or by deed.  That is why God sent Jesus for us.

The blood of Jesus.  What does it mean to me - to you?  What is the importance of it all to Christians?  Without the shed blood of Christ we cannot be Christians, can we?  His blood was spilled on the stony streets of Jerusalem and around the foot of the cross on which He was nailed so that we can be forgiven.  He is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins, and we are too delicate, too refined to view His suffering.  Too removed to understand Mary's horror, grief, and her loss.

But . . . we need only to ask . . . and we are forgiven.  Hallelujah!  Praise God!

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