The pain of the cross

The pain of the cross

Bible: Isaiah 53

Reading

[Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death
—even death on a cross! (PHILIPPIANS 2:8).

Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sin in full so we could come back to God again. He saved us by His death and resurrection. Knowing about it is one thing; fully understanding the terrible pain He went through is another. The worst thing for Jesus wasn’t the mocking, the beating, the whipping, the nails, the suffocation on the cross or even death itself. It was His separation from God the Father. That was a pain beyond anything else. In one book I read, a Christian author shared some thoughts that can help us think about what Jesus did for us. He wrote, “We have perhaps unwisely and sometimes unintentionally glamourised the cross. Crosses around our necks and church buildings can be pretty—but they forget the real story of Jesus’ death. It was the most painful method of public death in the first century. The victim was placed on a wooden cross. Nails were driven into the hands and feet, and then the cross was lifted and jarred into the ground, tearing the flesh of the victim and ripping his body with unbearable pain. Historians remind us that even the soldiers could not get used to the horrible sight, and often took strong drink to numb their senses.” With a fresh understanding of what Jesus went through for us, let’s thank Him and quietly think about just how much He must love us. He was willing to go through all that for you. To Him, having you in heaven was worth all that pain.

HAVING YOU IN HEAVEN WITH HIM
WAS WORTH THE PAIN OF THE CROSS TO JESUS.

Youth Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries