“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
Lent is an amazing time, a time when we focus on Christ more than we normally do, and for good reason as well. After all He did die on a cross, go to Hell and defeat sin death and the power of the devil so that one day we could all join Him in Heaven.
Sometimes I think that we discount what Christ really did for us, somehow we forget that he was not only the perfect God, but also perfect man. Man being the key word in this phrase here, we forget how much he really struggled with what he was about to do for us through the journey of what is now called Lent. Take a moment to really meditate on the word shame above in the verse from Hebrews, think about what this word means to you yourself. Think of a time you have felt shame in your life. No really take a moment, ill wait………
The shame that we have felt is nothing compared to what our perfect God and yet perfect man had to experience in the time leading up to His death. The walk to the hill called Golgotha, placing the sign “King of the Jews” above His head, constant mocking spitting and attacking of His perfect Holy self.
What about the Pain? If you look in the next verse in Hebrews it says “in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood”. Guess what, Christ did! In Gethsemane Christ so full of stress and anxiety knowing what was going to happen to Him that He literally started to sweat blood. How many of us can say that has ever happened to us. That does not even begin to explain the pain that He must have experienced from the Roman guards and numerous other people who were ordered to beat Him to as close to death as possible.
In the movie “The Passion of the Christ” Mel Gibson gives one of the most realistic pictures I believe, we have ever seen into what Christ’s journey was to Golgotha. It was a journey of blood, sweat, tears, and shame. Every Good Friday I watch the movie, there are numerous times through it, that I have to shut my eyes, and even leave the room. It is an extremely powerful picture of what Christ went through to rescue His beloved.
This Lenten journey I would challenge you to really think of what Christ’s Sacrifice was. It was a journey of blood, sweat, tears and shame. Shame that He took on for us, so that we will join Him one day in an amazing place called Heaven. Blessings on you and your family’s Lenten Journey.
Through Him alone,
Ryan Strehlow
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