** POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING! GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS! **
Could you imagine if your son or daughter committed murder?
They went on trial and were found guilty. They got the death penalty.
But the law stated that their death was not by lethal injection or anything peaceful or humane. No, the law stated that they had to be publicly stripped and brutally beaten beyond recognition. After that, they would be hammered through their hands and feet with nails onto a beam and hoisted up in public, for all to gawk at while they hung there, suffering unspeakable agony for hours, until they eventually died.
What if the court said, since your son/daughter is still young and has their whole life ahead of them, if you want to, you can choose to take their punishment for them. We will let your child live if you are willing to take their place.
No matter how terrified you’d be, wouldn’t your love for your child, your flesh and blood, make you take their place? Don’t you love your child so much, that you couldn’t bear to see them humiliated, tortured and killed?
Most parents would say yes and sacrifice themselves in their beloved child’s stead. And that’s coming from a place of limited, human love for your child. Imagine how infinitely more your Father in Heaven and Jesus loves you. Human beings aren’t even capable of loving to the extent that God is.
Now, imagine that you went ahead and took your child’s place. Imagine that after you were horribly tortured and died, your son/daughter was set free and lived a happy life. Good, that’s what you wanted. However, what if they were so free and happy in fact, that after awhile they actually forgot what you did for them?
They went on with their busy lives, never acknowledging again what you did for them. Not only did they eventually forget, but when other people reminded them by telling your child about your sacrifice, they now refused to believe it was even true! They no longer believed that it ever happened in the first place! But you know it’s the absolute truth because you were there! You were the one who suffered excruciating, unspeakable, unfathomable pain for the sake of your child!
And now your child acts like it never happened. Heck, they act like you never even existed. No matter how much you love your child, the longer their insolence went on, don’t you think you’d be angry?
Jesus hung on a cross for each and every one of us. He CHOSE to take our place because He LOVES us that much. Scripture says that the penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) And Jesus took that price upon Himself. How do you think He feels now? Don’t you think we all owe him an apology? Doesn’t He deserve our utmost respect and adoration, and for us to turn away from our carefree, careless ways and get to know Him? Shouldn’t we at least thank Him for what He did for us?
God created us as eternal beings. So when our fleshly bodies die, our souls will be going someplace to spend all eternity. God’s Word says, the ONLY way to Heaven is through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the One who died to save you, so that your soul has a safe place of rest to go to after this life. (John 14:6) Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you today. He will. Get to know Him today, because none of us are guaranteed another breath.
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