He Did It For You
by Nancy Harry
He did it for you! Jesus’ life was one of complete sacrifice. It didn’t just happen as he gave up his life. First he was willing to give up his place in heaven as a member of the Godhead to take on human form with all its weaknesses. – He became poor so we could become rich.
Second, he led a life without sin even though he was tempted in every way just like we are. If you consider the array of sins that have been committed by mankind through the ages down to your own, you will realize the strength of character, the self control, the purpose, the focus, the closeness to the Holy Spirit, the love that consumed this young man.
Third, he died for you and me. How cliche that phrase has become. It has lost the intensity of the moment. He didn’t first spill his blood at that last moment, but it started when he prayed that fateful night on the Mount of Olives; sweating drops of blood - knowing what was to come. The anguish of it all overwhelmed his mind and heart. Later, as he was beaten unrecognizable by misled soldiers, blood ran from his beaten and slashed body. He was forced to walk, with wounds oozing and dripping his blood along the way, to Golgotha which means The Place of the Skull; the place his spirit would finally leave his body. As they nailed him to a cross, blood ran from fresh wounds. As the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all mankind, he couldn’t black out and lose consciousness; he had to endure it all. He was only thirty-three years old!
Fourth, his love for God and his love for mankind drove him to endure such atrocity. He lived his life offering love, healing, wisdom and knowledge, and representing God wherever he went. During his last
hours on earth, how was he repaid? – By the betrayal of one of his closest friends and treasurer for his ministry, by the masses calling for his death instead of the death of a known murderer, by the taunts of soldiers and crowd watchers who didn’t realize this was the one that came to save and redeem them from a life of sin and death, and offer them instead, a life of forgiveness, righteousness and life eternal with a loving God. Here was the Savior, the Messiah that the world had waited for, but they didn’t recognize him. Jesus didn’t just suffer terribly physically, but he suffered severe emotional pain. Have you ever felt unappreciated, unloved, misunderstood, and rejected? He felt the intensity of all this inner turmoil during this terrifying time.
Sin calls for the death penalty – the shedding of blood, because a loving God who hates sin will have to judge it. And so in previous times there were the animal sacrifices - that looked forward to the final sacrifice of the Messiah, the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of sin. So fifth, to top it off and complete the plan to save humanity by enabling them to be freed from sin and its penalty - - the world’s sins were placed on the shoulders of Jesus/Yeshua as his life continued to drain from him. As if this wasn’t enough, when he was covered with the darkness of mankind’s sins, God turned his back on this young man - his son, and looked away. And Jesus was truly alone to bear it all ---- for you!
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