Sweat blood in the garden
Soldier struck Him across the face for His silence
Betrayed by friends
Soldiers mocked Him
Palace guards passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him across the face
Battered
Bruised
Dehydrated
Exhausted from a sleepless night
Blindfolded and Blasphemed
Falsely accused
Dressed up to be made fun of
Stripped, hands tied to a post, whipped, and scourged
Crown of thorns pressed into His scalp.
Trades life for a death sentence of a murderer
Forced to carry a heavy beam of the cross tied to His shoulders
Stumbles and Falls
Nails driven through the wrists and arches of His feet
Cramps and lunges for Oxygen
Hung between two criminals
Insulted for saving others, but not for being able to save himself
Cursed by a criminal
Spear driven through His ribs, into the heart
Death
Is there any way you could say no to this man? Consider the suffering and pain Jesus went through leading up to His death on the cross, yet we gain so much because of His death. "Why should I gain from this reward? I can not give an answer." Thankfully, I can say I have life because of His death. Have you experienced true life, life with Christ as your savior? "How can you look in His tear stained eyes, knowing it's you he's thinking of? Could you tell Him you're not ready or give Him your life? Could you say you don't think you need His love?" I am so thankful that God showed us His love while we were still sinners and weak to allow Christ to die for us (Romans 5:6-8). Now I have been made strong through the power of God because Jesus conquered death. There is not a more beautiful story in this world that we can tell outside of our salvation and God's love for us!
