MAY 27

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

Romans 5:8

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Nahum 1:6

“Who can stand before His indignation?  And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?

His fury is poured out like fire,  and the rocks are thrown down by Him”

1 Peter 2:24

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 3:18

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”

Isaiah 53:4-6

“Surely He has borne our griefs  and carried our sorrows;  yet we esteemed Him stricken,  smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was pierced for our transgressions:    He was crushed for our iniquities;  upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,  and with His wounds we are healed.   All we like sheep have gone astray;   we have turned—every one—to his own way;  and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

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We will be reading from a book by Erwin Lutzer, President of Moody Bible Institute.  It’s a short book about Christ’s sacrifice for us.  It’s called simply, “For Us.”

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Matthew 27: 45-46

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

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“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

No longer does Jesus say, “Father.” Into the thick, unnatural darkness that covered the land during the last three hours of His dying, He cries out to express His pain at separation from God.  But still He says, “My God,” trusting even through despair.

This was the moment when the full weight of our sin dropped squarely on His shoulders.  Imagine the punishment for the sins of even one life. ……

Now try to imagine the punishment for millions of lives ~ for crimes too disgusting even to name!  

Jesus lived through an eternity of hell compressed into three short hours.  But the worst part was the separation from His Father’s love and company, which was eternally His greatest delight.  The physical darkness mirrored the darkness of His soul cut off from the Light.

This is what Christ willingly suffered so you and I would be spared.  What else can we do but stand amazed at such mingled horror and grace?

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