The Passion of Jesus Christ “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11). Mocked and ridiculed. Spat upon. Beaten with fists—and with whips. His back ripped to ribbons. His brow bruised and bloody from the crown of thorns pressed into His flesh. A sword piercing His side. Nailed to a cross and condemned to a most brutal and agonizing death. This was the Passion of Jesus Christ. The word passion comes from a Latin word meaning “to submit to suffering.” That’s exactly what Jesus did. But why did He submit to such awful suffering? Why did He allow Himself to undergo such torture and misery? In a word, sin. Not His—ours. Jesus Himself was without sin. He did nothing wrong—ever! He never had an evil thought. He never told even a “white” lie. He was perfect, spotless, sinless. But we are not. The Bible tells us that every one of us is a sinner. Each of us has ignored the commandments of our Creator, rejected His authority over us, disobeyed His law, and failed to live up to His holy standards. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is no one righteous, not even one . no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11). Sin has a hefty price tag: death. The death of our bodies, but more importantly our spirits. We were given immortal souls, designed to live forever. We were meant to experience a deep and meaningful relationship with the One who created us. But nothing sinful or imperfect can ever enter the presence of God. All wickedness is utterly abhorrent to Him. So when we choose sin rather than God, we are choosing eternal separation from Him. But in His infinite mercy, our Creator made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place—to take the punishment for us, to pay the penalty for our sin. Why would He do such a thing? In a word, love. Love for you. Love for me. Love for the whole human race. “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). The Bible tells us that the crucifixion was no surprise to Jesus. He knew what was coming all along. From the beginning He understood what He would suffer. And yet He deliberately chose the path that would lead to the cross. He willingly laid down His life to save us. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punish- ment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The blood of Jesus was shed for us. That day on the cross, He paid the ultimate price in order to reconcile God and man—to make peace between the two. What appeared to be a tragedy born of hate was in fact love’s greatest triumph. And the crucifixion was not the end of the story. Death had no legal claim on Jesus—He had done nothing to deserve to die. So death could not keep Him in the grave. On the morning of the third day, He rose again in power and glory. And now He lives forevermore! Because He lives, so can we. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25). Because of the suffering that Jesus endured, because of His death on the cross, because of His resurrection, the power of sin has been broken. Death has been conquered. But only those who believe in Him will receive the hope of heaven, the gift of eternal life. Do you believe? Will you receive this precious gift, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ? You might pray something like this: Dear Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I know it was my sin that sent You to the cross. You took the punishment in my place. Thank You for sacrificing Your life for mine. Thank You for saving me from death and giving me eternal life. Help me to live each day in the knowledge of Your death and resurrection, forgiven and eager to honor You. Amen. (c) Christin Ditchfield, Take It To Heart Ministries, Inc. 2004. For more information, please visit www.TakeItToHeartRadio.com .