His Passion

The movie, "The Passion Of The Christ," has sparked a lot of interest and questions concerning Jesus and Christianity. I have seen this movie and it truly is awesome, life changing, and anointed by God. If you haven't already, I encourage you to go see it.

The first scene of "The Passion Of The Christ" shows Jesus praying to His Father, God, in the garden of Gethsemane. In this section of the movie, I see how Jesus was truly God and man. He was all powerful and infinite yet He still felt emotions that we mere humans experience today. I'm glad that I serve a God who knows what I feel like and truly understands what I go through because of His experience!

After the closing of His prayer He crushes a snake's head. Sounds kind of weird, huh? Actually, that was a symbol of a prophecy that He was about to fulfill. Remember early in the book of Genesis how Adam and Eve committed the first sin and God knew about it? After this God told Adam, Eve, and the serpent (who tempted Eve because he was possessed by Satan) the consequences of their sin. God said unto the serpent (Satan), "I will put my enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15). God's enmity was His active, mutual hatred toward Satan and the One who was going to crush Satan's head and defeat him was God's Son, Jesus Christ. This was this first prophecy ever given concerning Jesus and after hundreds of years, He was about to fulfill it.

As the movie goes on we see the physical suffering of Jesus. Stripes were on Him and blood poured from His body because of the beatings he had taken. I'm thankful that He willingly took the suffering upon Him for the good of everybody, every soul. "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" (Isaiah 53:5 - a prophecy of Jesus given hundreds of years before He came to earth). "The blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Since the days of old it took an innocent and perfect sacrifice to cover over sin. God finally sent His perfect, holy, innocent Son, Jesus, to be the ultimate, final sacrifice for everybody's sin. When Jesus went to the cross, He took our sin upon Him. He also suffered spiritually because God, His Father, had forsaken Him (see Matthew 27:46). (A holy God can not dwell with one who has sin.) Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us. 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus' "own self [bore] our sins in His own body on the tree..."

Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin because "the wages of sin are death" (Romans 6:23). When we should have died, He died for us. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) but Jesus and God loved us so much that they redeemed us! But the story doesn't end with Jesus dying on the cross. Out of His infinite power He defeated Satan, death, hell, and the grave; He rose from the dead three days later. Jesus is alive forevermore and because He lives we can live...spiritually and eternally. In this life, Jesus and God will be our faithful friends who will help us, guide us, and forgive us if we sin. The Holy Spirit (God - God's Spirit - The third person of the Trinity*) will also befriend us, live in us, and help us in every way while we're here on earth. When we die, we'll be safely and immediately carried home to Heaven, where Jesus has a place prepared for us (see John 14:2-3) and we'll live with Him forever and ever! Praise God!

Christianity may be classified as a religion, but it isn't religion...it's a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It's the same with the Bible...it isn't just a rule book; it's God personal words of love written straight to us.

God loves you and the only way you can have His richest blessings and forgiveness of sins is by accepting His Son, Jesus, into your heart.

Let them in your life right now -- right where you're at. They truly want you and your fellowship. If you feel like you have to clean yourself up, please don't. Just come as you are and let Jesus' blood cleanse you. Come now and experience the greatest love.

All you have to do to start walking with God is say this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I'm ready to truly start living. I'm ready to experience Your love. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins because You loved me. But because You're God, I believe that You were raised from the dead three days later. I believe that You are alive forevermore and You want to reconcile me to God, the Father. So come into my heart. I know I'm a sinner but I'm sorry for my sins and I ask You to forgive me. Help me to live for You from now on. I give myself, my life, and everything of me to You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to do good for You. Thank You, Lord, for what You've done and what You are going to do for me! In Your Name, Amen.

Good Scriptures To Remember:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16, 17).

"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

* The Trinity: The Father (God), The Son (Jesus), and The Holy Spirit. They are three people yet they are one and they are the same God.