IT IS FINISHED!

Judas had walked with Jesus, knew He was no ordinary man, but for the love of money, sold Him to the Pharisees to be killed. When he realized he’d betrayed an innocent man, Judas returned the money and then hung himself.

Pilate saw that he couldn’t win over the angry crowd, so he washed his hands publically and gave Jesus to the cruel, godless Roman soldiers to be punished. The morning following His arrest, Jesus was beaten as no man had ever been beaten—and lived. Few people today even realize the brutal torture that our Lord endured to save us from hell! Artists and Hollywood give us the impression that Jesus was merely hit and mocked and then sent to the cross, but the Bible tells us that the punishment Jesus took on was the epitome of human brutality—and that was before He was nailed to the cross.

The Roman guards took Jesus to the Praetorium and called their whole garrison to join in. There, they threw a scarlet robe over Jesus’s back, forced a reed into His hand, slammed a crown made of 6-inch thorns down on His head, and pretended to worship Him. Afterward, they spat on Him and dressed Him in His own clothes.

Then they took Him to the courtyard where they beat Him beyond recognition. He was struck on the head with the reed, parts of His beard were torn off, He was punched repeatedly in the face and chest, and His body became their human punching bag. Afterward, they flogged Him, using their whips of many tails, each made up of crushed stone that ripped his body to shreds, sending pieces of flesh everywhere. They whipped Him 39 times because 40 was noted as sheer death, and they wanted Him to be alive so they could crucify Him, fulfilling their greatest desire for brutal torment.

Then they nailed our Lord to the cross, where He hung naked and in absolute agony. But before Jesus died, He cried, “It is finished!” He had suffered the punishment for our sins, and the second He breathed these last words, He died and went to hell. How could a Holy Christ go to hell? Jesus was pure and, upon His death, would have instantly returned to Heaven, but He took on OUR SINS, and it was OUR SINS that took Him to hell.

Mary, His mother, was at the Lord’s feet, watching Her son die this horrendous death. Yet, in her heart, she knew He was the Messiah, her Savior. She knew that Jesus had fulfilled what He came to do; it was Finished! Jesus had paid the price for OUR sins, and anyone who will accept it will be saved! But it didn’t end here because, as we know, the grave couldn’t hold Him.

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Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day, and keep smiling because God loves YOU! … ronnie