Silence of the Lamb

Today is Good Friday...the day we remember Jesus' crucifixion. This had me thinking a lot about the suffering Jesus went through. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

I was talking to my daughter about the physical trauma he went through the night before and the day of his crucifixion. First things first, he was operating on zero sleep. Sadly, his disciples were pretty well-rested after napping in the Garden of Gethsemane, but not so the Master.

Then there was the crown of thorns that they drove into his head. To me, that was his payment to set me free from any mental torment, anxiety or attack in my soul. But he didn't respond to the pain..He remained silent.

Then there were the beatings. In Luke 22, it says the soldiers blindfolded him, struck him on the face and then mockingly asked him to prophetically tell them who was beating him. But he didn't respond to the beatings..He again remained silent.

And then there was the scourging. The Romans soldiers beat Jesus with a cat 'o nine tails, a whip with strips of leather embedded with nails, glass and bone. This instrument of torture literally ripped Jesus' back open. The Bible says he was beaten so badly, he was unrecognizable. This is the payment for my sicknesses. By His stripes, we are healed.

They mocked him; they stripped him of his clothes, they robbed him of his dignity. But he didn't respond to the torture... Still, he remained silent.

All that and Jesus hadn't even made it to Calvary yet.

There were the nails that were driven into his hands and his feet. Crucifixion in that day was preserved for the most wicked of criminals, yet here was the most innocent, guiltless, sinless man that ever walked the face of the earth being accused and treated like a heinous criminal. But he didn't respond to the shame...He still remained silent.

The pain yearned for him to cry out, to say something, to scream, to acknowledge its existence. The accusations cried out for him to justify himself and come to his own defense...Yet, the Lamb of God came to the slaughter...in silence.  

The mockings continued. They jeered him, taunted him, saying, "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Save yourself." But he answered not a word. He still remained silent.

His disciples ran from him, the Jews lied about him and rejected him, and it took a thief hanging beside him to recognize his innocence and kingship. It took a Roman soldier to realize that "surely, this must be the Son of God."

Beaten beyond recognition, full of agonizing pain, his spirit separated from his heavenly Father and in a seemingly weakened state, his strong spirit prevailed and with one of his last breaths, filled with supernatural love and forgiveness, the Lamb spoke, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

You see, Jesus didn't acknowledge the beatings, the shame, the pain, the torment.

But we must.

We must acknowledge the sacrifice Jesus made. We must acknowledge that he is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin, our shame and our pain, because it was our sin, our shame and our pain that nailed him to the cross. And it was his love and his forgiveness that kept him on the cross.

You know, we could never repay Jesus back for Calvary, but he does not ask us to do so, either. 

What he longs for is for us to accept his willing sacrifice and for us to acknowledge him and say, "Jesus, that should have been me on that cross. I am the sinner. But I thank you for paying the price for my sin. Thank you for being my Savior, my Redeemer, my Healer. Thank you for rescuing me from Hell's grip. You are the Lamb of God who takes away my sin."

Everyone needs to know that Jesus died for all. 

Don't keep silent about the Lamb.

Blessings, 
FLF

From Isaiah 53:4-7

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

   But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."