And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. - Matthew 27:50-51
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, - Luke 23:44
From these passages I don't think we see the scope of the entire situation. This is the climax if the movie. The part where they put all their cards on the table. I don't think all that happened in the environment was that darkness came, a curtain ripped and a rock broke.
In my mind I see a much more dramatic scene. I mean, it is fitting, right? The death of the son of God needs to be epic. Grand. Awesome.
Here is how I picture it...
The dark spirits swirled around the son of God as the sky darkened to almost twilight. Then as the time came they bombarded him The onslaught was constant. One spirit after another came upon him. And each spirit was the sin of one man.
Jesus took on the sin... one spirit at a time... until he had taken on the sin of the entire world, and the only way to release it was in death.
The man who took on the sin of the world must have suffered greatly. An overwhelming amount of suffering. No normal man could endure it. But he did.
Sometimes the sin of just one man is too much to bear, but the sin of the world? Everyone born and everyone who ever will be born? Can you imagine it? Unimaginable suffering.
Only a divinely supernatural person could take this torture. But Jesus didn't tell his father no. He didn't tell him he couldn't handle it.
Jesus said BRING IT ON!
After all, it was why he came.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
And then I wonder about the two men on the cross on both sides of Jesus. After seeing such a sight, how could the other man, the who rebuked Jesus not give his life? Why was he so stubborn? Jesus was offering him eternal life. Life everlasting.
But I guess he is like so many of us. We have to see it to believe it. And sometimes even seeing isn't enough. My prayer for you is that you believe in spite of not seeing. If you're having trouble, if you're in pain, turn to the one who can heal you now and forever.
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. - John 20:29
2 comments:
Love this, Toni! Keep up the good work. Lori McDonnough
Thanks Lori! I'm learning a lot as I write a new inspiration each day.
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