Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Demolishing the Wall

Do you remember a time when you have taken the blame for someone to save them from getting punished? Have you ever spoken up for a friend who was in trouble and say, "nope that was my fault", just to save them? Does that ever happen? I know someone that did that.

Read Isaiah 53:4-12
These verses predict that Jesus will take the punishment others deserve. Whose blame does he take?

Jesus had never sinned. He deserved no punishment. Yet he chose to suffer for OUR sin:pierced for our evil, crushed fro the wrong we did/do.Jesus was perfect, yet he took God's punishment for sin-death-so we wouldn't have to.

He did what that friend did but many BILLION times better.
Jesus died for everyone, but God requires each of us to accept that fact personally. See that friend who you were trying to save needed to tell the truth, just like we need to take responsibility for our sins. READ CAREFULLY: YOU CAN DO THAT BY PRAYING, "God, I've sinned. I've broken your rules and disappointed you. God, I know that Jesus died in my place." That's what being a Christian is all about.
If you accept the fact that Jesus suffered your punishment, you stick tight with God now and forever:"When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death. But God gives us a free gift-life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 6:23)Christ demolishes the wall of sin between us and God. Not a brick stands!Not a pebble is left-not even a speck dust. It's all been washed away by Christ's blood.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's weird how taking the blame for someone can be related to what Jesus Christ did for us? But imagine how you felt in that situation when you took up for someone and it wasnt your fault; can you even fathom how Jesus felt? It's so mind-boggling to me that he paid the price for all of us, and in return we're still sinning! and in taking responsibility for our sins we can pray. prayer is a wonderful thing that takes little effort; your putting little in but your getting ALOT out of it!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the song By His Wounds We are Healed. I love it. It brings me to tears almost every time when I think about that fact that someone so innocent and perfect died for me! I feel so blessed :)

lsprkr said...

It amazes me everytime I think about what Jesus did for me. For us. Mel Gibson was talking about his movie, The Passion of the Christ, and when asked why he wanted his hands to be the ones shown hammering the nails into Jesus' hand he said, "Because it was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins that put him there."

How profound.

-lisa

lsprkr said...

Oh, I also have a great story to go with this but it would be better coming from my brother. Let me get his version and I'll share it with the rest of you. Here is a teaser, it involves a youth pastor, a student, cops, and handcuffs. Stay tuned...

Anonymous said...

wow ive been through alot in these past few days and this was just what i needed. i never thought of it in that way that Jesus "took the blame" for all of us. i mean ive done that for some friends and didnt think it was that bug of a deal but what he did for all of us was a HUGE deal. Jesus made it so much easier for us to pray to God and have all of our sins basically erased! it such a hard concept for me to grab sometimes that someone was so perfect would die for so many imperfect people. its AMAZING to me that it works that way