The lamb of gOD
Jesus Christ, Our Burden Bearer
By Hannah Goodwyn
CBN.com Producer
CBN.com
– In the midst of excruciating pain, Jesus of Nazareth willingly hung to wooden posts. Below Him, onlookers mocked, while others wept. What a gruesome sight it must have been for those faithful few as they watched their Messiah, their Savior, die in such a way.
A mere mortal, I can’t presume to know what went through Christ’s mind at that very moment. His spoken words as recorded in the Bible do give believers a glimpse.
Let This Pass from Me
Jesus’ conversation with God while praying in the Garden in Gethsemane shows his reluctance to commit himself to the pain of the Cross.
“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Mark 14:36 (NLT)
In an act of obedience to God’s will, Jesus suffered so we could be forgiven. As the rusty nails held Jesus’ warped body on the Cross between two common criminals, He cried out to Heaven.
Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing." Luke 23:34 (The Message)
The Father Turned His Face Away
Jesus’ greatest pain must have been the fact that He was taking on the world’s sins. His own Father could not look upon Him in that moment. Even more than the physical pain Jesus went through on the Cross, He was momentarily burdened with our sin on His shoulders. He paid them by dying, and then rose again blameless offering us a chance to be blameless before God through His shed blood.
When I’ve committed a sin, I often get this sick feeling to my stomach as I realize how my actions have wronged God. I can only imagine how gross our sin felt upon the heart of God as He died for us on that old rugged tree.
He personally carried our sins in his body on the Cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.… 1 Peter 2:24a (NLT)
In those moments before His death, Jesus faced the sins of each one of us, whether we are murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars, religious hypocrites, or unbelievers. He foresaw the atrocities Hitler would commit against His Chosen People. On the Cross, He saw the pain and devastation in the Sudan at the hands of ruthless fighters.
Wrap your mind around this: He saw the depth of our evil, and still held His arms wide open allowing His body to be broken for us. Jesus Christ sacrificed His pure life to carry the burden of our unholy sin.
The Good News
Jesus’ death was temporary. Three days after He was crucified, and after the payment of our sins was satisfied, Jesus woke up.
Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now, He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2b (NLT)
Nothing has changed God’s heart about sin. It still grieves Him and he can’t abide it. The difference now is that we, as sinners, are able to fellowship with God because of Jesus’ sacrifice. When we come before Him now, God does not focus on the filth of our sin. If we accept Jesus’ sacrifice, we are forgiven. Our Heavenly Father sees our repentant and obedient hearts and the blood of His precious son, which cleanses us.
And the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7b (NIV)
That's the best news I've ever heard.
Looking for Answers? Find peace and freedom in God.
 Hannah Goodwyn serves as a producer for LivingTheLife.com and CBN.com. She also writes for these sites. For more articles and info, visit Hannah's bio page.
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