December 8th, 2024
By: Amanda Allums
As Christians and believers in Christ, we have heard the story of Jesus sacrificing Himself by being crucified on the cross, and if you read your Bible or attend church on a regular basis, we have heard that story a lot. I could add that even people who aren’t a practicing Christian or a regular church-goer have heard that story before whether it be at Easter, Christmas, or a grandmother growing up. We tend to get used to the story as if it was just another thing Jesus did. However, the very act of Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross is the only reason I can sit here today and write this blog. It is at the very core of our existence and our hope for eternity. When I say “Jesus died on the cross for my sins”, I should say it with reverence and not flippantly like yesterday’s news. There have been many heroic acts that we read about or still speak about to this very day that command respect when we mention them, however, those acts are over and the benefits from those heroic acts had a beginning and they will have an end. When Jesus died for us, His death made a way for anyone who believes in Him to not just have a life with purpose and meaning, but to have eternal life! Not only has the story of Jesus’ death on the cross carried on for thousands of years, it transcends time.
The definition of sacrifice is to “offer as a sacrifice; to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end; to sell at a loss; to advance (a base runner) by means of a sacrifice bunt; to kill (an animal) as part of a scientific experiment.”
The definition of crucify is “to put to death by nailing or binding the wrists or hands and feet to a cross; to destroy the power of; to treat cruelly.”
These definitions tell me that Jesus gave His life (“to suffer loss of, give up”) to destroy Satan’s plans (“to destroy the power of”) and to give us a chance at eternity (“to advance by means of a sacrifice bunt”). This gives us something to celebrate! Not just for a day, or once a year, but every single day for all of eternity. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5.
Knowing the story of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we always have something to be thankful for. I always say, as long as you have breath in your lungs there is always hope. I can say the same for being thankful. As long as you have breath in your lungs you have something to be thankful for because life is precious and Jesus gave His life for all of us. As I write this blog, I am encouraging myself and whoever has read this to the end, that we can follow Jesus’ example and crucify our flesh and live a life of sacrifice for Him. If you read your Bible and believe what it says, you will know that it is possible because He tells us in Matthew 19:26 “for God, all things are possible”.
As Christians and believers in Christ, we have heard the story of Jesus sacrificing Himself by being crucified on the cross, and if you read your Bible or attend church on a regular basis, we have heard that story a lot. I could add that even people who aren’t a practicing Christian or a regular church-goer have heard that story before whether it be at Easter, Christmas, or a grandmother growing up. We tend to get used to the story as if it was just another thing Jesus did. However, the very act of Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross is the only reason I can sit here today and write this blog. It is at the very core of our existence and our hope for eternity. When I say “Jesus died on the cross for my sins”, I should say it with reverence and not flippantly like yesterday’s news. There have been many heroic acts that we read about or still speak about to this very day that command respect when we mention them, however, those acts are over and the benefits from those heroic acts had a beginning and they will have an end. When Jesus died for us, His death made a way for anyone who believes in Him to not just have a life with purpose and meaning, but to have eternal life! Not only has the story of Jesus’ death on the cross carried on for thousands of years, it transcends time.
The definition of sacrifice is to “offer as a sacrifice; to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal, belief, or end; to sell at a loss; to advance (a base runner) by means of a sacrifice bunt; to kill (an animal) as part of a scientific experiment.”
The definition of crucify is “to put to death by nailing or binding the wrists or hands and feet to a cross; to destroy the power of; to treat cruelly.”
These definitions tell me that Jesus gave His life (“to suffer loss of, give up”) to destroy Satan’s plans (“to destroy the power of”) and to give us a chance at eternity (“to advance by means of a sacrifice bunt”). This gives us something to celebrate! Not just for a day, or once a year, but every single day for all of eternity. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5.
Knowing the story of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we always have something to be thankful for. I always say, as long as you have breath in your lungs there is always hope. I can say the same for being thankful. As long as you have breath in your lungs you have something to be thankful for because life is precious and Jesus gave His life for all of us. As I write this blog, I am encouraging myself and whoever has read this to the end, that we can follow Jesus’ example and crucify our flesh and live a life of sacrifice for Him. If you read your Bible and believe what it says, you will know that it is possible because He tells us in Matthew 19:26 “for God, all things are possible”.
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