How severe was Jesus Christ’s punishment for your sins and mine? Why did He suffer for us? How does His death bring forgiveness?
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered the human race (Genesis 3:6).
Since then, every person has sinned (Romans 3:23), breaking the holy relationship between God and humanity.
But because of His great love for us, God made a way to restore that relationship. He gave Christ as the ultimate sacrifice to pay for our sins (John 3:16).
God required two things: that Christ live a perfect, sinless life—and that He take the punishment for sin on our behalf. The Apostle Peter wrote:
“Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds.” (1 Peter 2:24 NCV)
Christ’s beatings, torture, and suffering became the healing for our sin wounds. The Apostle Mark described it this way:
“Pilate—after having Jesus beaten with whips—handed Him over to the soldiers to be crucified. They put a purple robe on Jesus and used thorny branches to make a crown for His head. The soldiers beat Jesus on the head many times with a stick. They spit on Him and mocked Him by bowing on their knees and pretending to worship Him.” (Mark 15:15, 17, 19 NCV)
Isaiah prophesied about Christ’s suffering centuries before it happened:
“Many people were shocked when they saw Him. His appearance was so damaged He did not look like a man; His form was so changed they could barely tell He was human.” (Isaiah 52:14 NCV)
So why would God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit endure all this for people who reject Him, for those who don’t fully appreciate the sacrifice?
The answer is simple: God loves us and desires an eternal relationship with us. All we have to do is believe and trust that this is the truth.
Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, and you know the rest of the story—He was buried, He rose again (the reason we celebrate Easter), and He will return to claim those who believe, trust, and follow Him.
Yes, it can be a stretch for some to believe. However, if Christ is not your Lord and Savior - who or what will be?
That’s Amazing Grace. We don’t deserve it, yet God, in His love, did everything necessary to restore us to Himself.
LORD, help those who struggle to believe—believe. Help us all to be truly grateful for Your saving grace. Help us walk closely with You as believers in Jesus Christ. Help us possess what we profess.
IJNIP, Amen. ❤️
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