AWAITING!! Watching & Praying

John 11:25  Jesus said unto her,  I am the Resurrection,  and the Life:  he who believes in Me,  though he were dead,  yet shall he live.

The most Holy time of the year is upon us and once again the world is running around like the famous "easter bunny"  buying eggs, food coloring,  lots of candy and preparing for their annual egg hunt.

May I remind everyone of the true meaning of Easter,  it is all about HIM, our Redeemer and Savior!  Yes,  we should all celebrate,  but not as the rest of the world.  Those of us who have repented and believe the Gospel should give God all the Praise and Glory this Sunday morning for giving us His only Begotten Son,  Jesus,  the Author and Finisher of our Faith!

Remember,  HE SUFFERED FOR YOU!

Mt. 27:22-23 Pilate saith unto them, Whether of the two will you that I release unto

you? They said Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus

which is called Christ? They all say unto Him, Let Him be crucified. 27:26 Then

released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scouraged Jesus he delivered Him

to be crucified.

Each time I read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the reality of His pain He endured

causes great sorrow in my heart. I feel great shame come over me for all the times I

have complained over persecution. Our Lord Jesus endured such trials of anguish

and torture that is beyond human comprehension. For He did it voluntarily, He took

it upon Himself to redeem lost man back to God. How can we as Christians ever

thank Him enough?

His suffering began when He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.

Luke 4:16 His own people, the very ones who knew Him for about thirty years

rejected His message and rose up and threw Him out of the city and led Him to the

top of a hill where they might throw Him down to His death. By the power of God,

He escaped them and never returned. Jesus suffered in His Spirit when His own

disciples believed not. He often rebuked them for their unbelief. Mary and Martha in

John 11 came before Him weeping for the loss of their brother. vs.33 says, Jesus

groaned in the spirit and was troubled. vs.35 Jesus wept. His tears had to do with a

far greater degree of misery than they knew.

Our Lord Jesus Christ would next enter the Garden of Gethsemane. These are the

hours when tremendous pressure came upon our Lord. As I read in Matthew 26

tears form in my eyes as I think about Jesus crying out to God to take this  "hour"

away from Him. Verse 38 says, Then said He unto them, My soul is exceeding

sorrowful, even unto death vs.39 And He went a little farther and fell on His face,

and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:

nevertheless not as I will but as You will. How many of us are willing to say and

truly mean that? Jesus knew He was about to bear the sin penalty of the whole world

upon Himself and feel the separation from The Father while He hung on the Cross.

Jesus prayed a second and third time the same prayer while Peter, James, and John

slept. They could not even stay awake and pray with their Master, knowing what was

about to come upon Him. Whom may I ask can Jesus depend upon to watch and

pray in these last days we live in? They came and arrested Him and the Bible says,

Then all the Disciples forsook Him, and fled. To be left standing all alone in the

midst of evil and wicked men is a tragedy in itself. How many of us forsake our God

when persecution arises or yet how many forsake your own friends when you see

them in trouble?

They took Jesus to the High Priest where the "AWFUL" suffering of our Master

would begin. They spit in His face, blind folded Him and hit Him with their fist.

Others smote Him with the palms of their hands. Translated, "Smote him with rods.

The Prophet Isaiah said, 52:14 As many were astonished at You; His visage was so

marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. Pilate willing

to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he

had scouraged Him, to be crucified. They led Him away and clothed Him with

purple, and platted a crown of thorns and put it about His head. In mockery they

began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! They smote Him on the head with a

reed, which was a stiff object that would have driven the thorns deep within His

scalp. They spit upon Him and bowed their knees before Him in mockery. Mark

15:25 tells us, it was the third hour (9am) and they crucified Him. As He hang on the

Cross people still railed on Him. The Word says they walked by wagging their heads

and reviling Him. Then we get to verse 34, the saddest,  heartbreaking,  tear jerking

verse in the Whole Bible!  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,  saying,

Eloi, Eloi, lama, Sabachthani?  Which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why

have you forsaken Me? You see, during this three hour period of time He bore the

sin penalty of mankind, on which the Heavenly Father could not look upon.

Jesus paid the ULTIMATE PRICE, He Sacrificed Himself, because that was the

Father's Will. He sacrificed Himself to pay the ugly, horrible sin debt that was upon

the whole world due to the Fall. He voluntarily went to the Cross, knowing He would

not feel the Presence of God for a time. That had to be the most horrifying

experience He had felt during His time on Earth. "Why have You forsaken Me?"

Think about it, cry and weep, because He endured that tremendous suffering and

agony in His Soul so YOU could be saved. How dare anyone ever take the name of

my Lord in vain ever again. Forgive me for getting upset, but even right now I feel

an even greater awareness of what Jesus went through to give me Eternal Life. How

dare I ever take that for granted! Jesus I love you so much and feel so humbled in

your Presence, for I know I stand, by Thy Mercy and Grace.

I will go back one more time if anyone out there still cannot "feel His suffering."

Isaiah 50:6 I gave My back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them who plucked off

the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Jesus loved and had

compassion but they hated Him with a passion. They severely whipped Him and

pulled His beard from His face and spit on Him. I will now close with this thought.

God is Omniscience, all knowing! Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour knew before

He came into the world what would happen to Him. Jesus knew the pain He would

endure. Guess what? He came ANYWAY!

I would like to close with this Passage of Scripture.  I believe it is very appropriate for anyone to read in this Holy Season we are in.  May you find peace and have God's Joy abiding in your soul.  Celebrate Easter knowing God sent the Lord Jesus to set you free from the power of sin.  Yes,  the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the Law of sin and death.  And my friend, it is all because Jesus went to the Cross!!  This Easter Sunday, if you have not already,  give you heart and life to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and have Faith in the Finished Work at The Cross, for that is your Victory!!

Romans 8:32-39  He who spared not His Own Son,  but delivered Him up for us all,  how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?  It is He who justifies.  Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died,  yea rather,  Who is risen again,  Who is even at the right hand of God,  Who also makes intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation,  or distress, or persecution,  or famine,  or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written,  For Your sake we are killed all the day long;  we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us.  For I am persuaded,  that neither death,  nor life,  nor Angels,  nor principalities,  nor powers,  nor things present,  nor things to come,  nor height,  nor depth,  nor any other creature,  shall be able to separate us from the Love of God,  which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.