we might live." How true, we have much to thank all the veterans for; many gave their lives
for our freedom. However I can't help but think of another man who gave His life for our
freedom, Jesus Christ, God's precious Son.
Our veterans fought the enemy to secure freedom for their fellow countrymen. Jesus fought
the enemy to secure freedom for His enemies.
Romans 5:6 - 8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
I don't know about you, but I would find it very hard to die for my enemy, yet that is just
what Jesus did. He left Heaven's glory to come to this sin-cursed earth, to live among
people who would reject Him, and die for those that hated Him. This is a love that we
cannot fathom; it is a pure Godly love...directed at us, His enemies.
He came to earth for one purpose. He was born in a manger, with the cross His destination.
There's a song that is song at Christmas, called "Born To Die," the third verse goes like
this;
From His throne Jesus came, Laid aside Heaven's fame
In exchange for the cross of Calvary;
For my gain suffered loss, for my sin He bore the cross,
He was wounded and I was set free.
Born to die upon Calvary,
Jesus suffered my sins to forgive;
Born to die upon Calvary,
He was wounded that I might live.
Ron Hamilton
Do we really understand the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf?
First of all, leaving the splendor of Heaven and the presence of His Father is some
thing we cannot understand. It would be like us going to live in the garbage dump,
with no one with us...ever!
I often wonder what it would have been like to witness first hand that terrible day,
when the Lord, the perfect Lamb of God, became the sacrifice for us on that horrible
Roman cross.
Matthew 27:33 - 37 "And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha,
that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with
gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink. And they crucified
Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, they parted My garments among them, and upon My
vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched Him there: and set
up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
My Pastor has mentioned different times, that this is not "The Green Hill Far Away."
Golgotha was a place outside the city walls, it was a place of blood, gore and death.
The cross upon which our beloved Savior hung was stained with His blood. He was
surrounded by a mocking, jeering crowd who celebrated the torture the Roman
guards were inflicting upon Him. The pain, humiliation, separation from His Father,
was all because of His love for us. Can we really comprehend this sacrifice for us,
for our sin? He was paying the price for our sin. He who knew no sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
Those that were witnesses that day to the crucifixion of Jesus, thought that the Romans
had killed Him...but may I tell you they were wrong! No one killed my Lord and
Savior!
John 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is
finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost."
The Lord Jesus Christ was at work on that old cross, He shed His blood for the
payment for our sin. When He had fulfilled salvations perfect plan, He GAVE
up the ghost. He laid down His life, no one took it from Him. This was the
completed plan of salvation that had been put into play when time began. All
through the Old Testament the Saints of God looked forward with faith TO the
same cross that we now look BACK to.
There were different reactions that day at the foot of that cross. There was a
sense of a job accomplished I'm sure from the soldiers. The chief priests, scribes
and elders were relieved that He was dead; one of the centurions and those with
him were afraid; the cheering crowd were elated to see Him die. But there was
a group which stood watching afar off, these were those that loved Jesus. They
watched the events unfold that day and did not understand what they were seeing.
They watched in horror as their Master died before them. They were in mourning.
Three days later we find two of them traveling.
Luke 24:13 - 17 "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And
they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to
pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew
near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not
know Him. And He said unto them, What manner of communications are
these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?"
I love this account of these two sad mourning disciples of the Lord. These poor
dejected souls were trying so hard to understand what had just transpired, but
they just couldn't wrap their heads and hearts around the events that they had
witnessed. Then along comes the Master and joins them in their journey, but
they don't recognize that their Savior, whom they are mourning, is right beside
them.
Aren't we like this? Sometimes we act like our Savior is still dead. We are over-
come with the circumstances that we find ourselves wallowing in and we don't
see that the Savior is walking along right beside us!
They told Jesus all that had happened during the course of the last few days, and
we find His response in verse 26, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into His glory?" It goes on to say that He then started with
Moses and then the prophets and told them of all the scriptures that pertained
unto Him. But it wasn't until He was eating with them in the evening, and He took
the bread and blessed it, that they saw it was He, their Lord and Savior. He
disappeared when they knew Him for who He was, and they said to each other,
"And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while He
talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?"
Is your communion sweet with the Savior? We need burning hearts today. Hearts
that are receptive and tender to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Today
as we remember those brave men and women who so readily laid down their lives
for the freedom that we enjoy, lets also remember the greatest sacrifice ever made
for mankind. Jesus Christ died and rose again...He is alive today...let your hearts
burn within you, as you commune with Savior today!
with no one with us...ever!
I often wonder what it would have been like to witness first hand that terrible day,
when the Lord, the perfect Lamb of God, became the sacrifice for us on that horrible
Roman cross.
Matthew 27:33 - 37 "And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha,
that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with
gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink. And they crucified
Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophet, they parted My garments among them, and upon My
vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched Him there: and set
up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
My Pastor has mentioned different times, that this is not "The Green Hill Far Away."
Golgotha was a place outside the city walls, it was a place of blood, gore and death.
The cross upon which our beloved Savior hung was stained with His blood. He was
surrounded by a mocking, jeering crowd who celebrated the torture the Roman
guards were inflicting upon Him. The pain, humiliation, separation from His Father,
was all because of His love for us. Can we really comprehend this sacrifice for us,
for our sin? He was paying the price for our sin. He who knew no sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
Those that were witnesses that day to the crucifixion of Jesus, thought that the Romans
had killed Him...but may I tell you they were wrong! No one killed my Lord and
Savior!
John 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is
finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost."
The Lord Jesus Christ was at work on that old cross, He shed His blood for the
payment for our sin. When He had fulfilled salvations perfect plan, He GAVE
up the ghost. He laid down His life, no one took it from Him. This was the
completed plan of salvation that had been put into play when time began. All
through the Old Testament the Saints of God looked forward with faith TO the
same cross that we now look BACK to.
There were different reactions that day at the foot of that cross. There was a
sense of a job accomplished I'm sure from the soldiers. The chief priests, scribes
and elders were relieved that He was dead; one of the centurions and those with
him were afraid; the cheering crowd were elated to see Him die. But there was
a group which stood watching afar off, these were those that loved Jesus. They
watched the events unfold that day and did not understand what they were seeing.
They watched in horror as their Master died before them. They were in mourning.
Three days later we find two of them traveling.
Luke 24:13 - 17 "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And
they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to
pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew
near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not
know Him. And He said unto them, What manner of communications are
these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?"
I love this account of these two sad mourning disciples of the Lord. These poor
dejected souls were trying so hard to understand what had just transpired, but
they just couldn't wrap their heads and hearts around the events that they had
witnessed. Then along comes the Master and joins them in their journey, but
they don't recognize that their Savior, whom they are mourning, is right beside
them.
Aren't we like this? Sometimes we act like our Savior is still dead. We are over-
come with the circumstances that we find ourselves wallowing in and we don't
see that the Savior is walking along right beside us!
They told Jesus all that had happened during the course of the last few days, and
we find His response in verse 26, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into His glory?" It goes on to say that He then started with
Moses and then the prophets and told them of all the scriptures that pertained
unto Him. But it wasn't until He was eating with them in the evening, and He took
the bread and blessed it, that they saw it was He, their Lord and Savior. He
disappeared when they knew Him for who He was, and they said to each other,
"And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while He
talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?"
Is your communion sweet with the Savior? We need burning hearts today. Hearts
that are receptive and tender to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Today
as we remember those brave men and women who so readily laid down their lives
for the freedom that we enjoy, lets also remember the greatest sacrifice ever made
for mankind. Jesus Christ died and rose again...He is alive today...let your hearts
burn within you, as you commune with Savior today!
Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.
"Father, forgive them!" thus did He pray,
Even while His life blood flowed fast away;
Praying for sinners while in such woe,
No one but Jesus ever loved so.
O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Thru years unnumbered on Heaven's shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.
Blessed Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding, dying for me.
Avis B. Christiansen-
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