Dear TVCC Students,
It was sobering to be brought through the crucifixion last night as we were in John 19. It is so incredibly important that we continually revisit the Cross and are reminded of the agony that our Lord went through on our behalf. It was also encouraging to be reminded that Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about Himself that was proclaimed in the Old Testament. What a great God we serve! Here is a recap from last night...
~John 19:16-18: Jesus was led away to be crucified. The Romans had perfected the process of crucifixion to make sure that the one dying experienced the most excruciating pain for the most amount of time and stayed awake to experience all of it. The nerve that is hit when we hit our "funny bone" was pierced with thick nails and this pain was so horrific that it prevented the person from passing out. The one crucified would eventually die of asphyxiation (suffocation) because the way they would hang on the cross would prevent air from getting to the lungs. In order to get air, they would have to push down on the nails in their feet but could only do this for a second or two because of the horrific pain in their feet. They would, after many hours of unbearable pain, eventually not be able to stand the pain of pushing on their feet and would suffocate.
With all of this said, it is so sobering to remember that the physical pain was not the main concern of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42)- His main concern was experiencing the full wrath of God that He would be paying for the penalty of sinners. This spiritual pain would be more than He would ever experience physically. He did this for us- that we might be forgiven and our penalty would be paid.
~John 19:19-24; 28-29: Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy about Himself when He died on the Cross. We looked last night at Psalm 22 and 69 and how King David was prophesying of the coming death of the Messiah. Isaiah 53 is another great passage of Scripture that foretells the death of the Messiah. To see a list of all of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, click here. Even the smallest detail was completed as Jesus the Lord GAVE UP His life for us. How incredible is our Lord!
~John 19:25-27: Jesus, in the midst of unfathomable agony, makes sure that His mother is going to be taken care of after His death. This is simply amazing. His whole life was characterized by serving others and we can see this even in His death.
Q: We are called to walk in the ways of Jesus. Philippians 2 calls us to live humbly and selflessly as Jesus did. Is your life characterized by selfless love for others or do you continually think about your own comforts and satisfaction?
~John 19:30: "It is finished." The most amazing three words. Our forgiveness was completed. Matthew 27 reminds us that Jesus yelled in a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. We must always remember that His life was not taken from Him. HE GAVE so that we might be credited with His righteousness. Sonny gave the analogy of a plane breeching the sound barrier when explaining this scenario. Just as a plane experiences extreme turbulence as it is approaching the speed of sound and then experiences overwhelming peace after the sonic boom and the speed of sound is breached, so too with the Cross. Until the death of Jesus, mankind was in a state of turbulence- waiting for the coming freedom that the Messiah would bring when He would die for His people. After Jesus uttered those words, "It is finished," indescribable peace was offered to all who put their faith in Him and His sacrifice. In this peace we are able to live continually as He died once and for all and canceled the certificate of debt that was against us by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14).
Q: Are you living a life of thankfulness to the Lord who gave His life for you? He experienced the most horrific physical and spiritual torture so that you might be credited with His righteousness. How is that affecting your daily life?
Dear students,
We pray that the Cross will continue to change all of us- that we would live lives of thankfulness to the One who was crucified on our behalf. We pray that you will evaluate your lives this week to see if the Lord is calling you to make any changes in your life so that His glory might proclaimed in you. Remember that this life is so short and temporary. Just as Jesus was able to look beyond the cross to the glory that was coming after (Hebrews 12:1-3), so we need to remember that this life is so short and what really matters is us living with eternal mindsets. Please spend time with your King this week, meditating on His Word and asking to be molded daily into His image. We love you and are praying for you!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
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