I Died For You To Live For Me

May 21, 2022 Spiritual Nugget

John 19: 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Yahshua and led him away.

We know the story of the crucifixion of Yahshua. He was unjustly tried, beaten and hung on a cross where he died for the sins of the world. But have you ever really understood the horror of what they actually did to our Savior before he took the long walk to the cross? Let’s take a look at what he actually suffered for you and for me on that fateful day!

Yahshua was beaten, mocked, shamed and humiliated.

It began when he was taken by the Sanhedrin’s to the Pharisees and beaten.

Matt 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands (buffet means to strike as with the hand or fist; smote means to strike hard especially with the hand or with a weapon)

Matt 27:26 He released Barabbas unto them, and when he had scourged Yahshua, he delivered him to be crucified. (scourge means whipped)

Matt 27:30 and they spit upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head (a reed is a stiff wood like object)

Then Pilate ordered Yahshua to be scourged by the Roman soldiers. The torture weapon used to beat him would have been the flagrum, a multi-tailed whip with pieces of bone or lead shot in the thongs which would have added to the effectivity of the whip and would tear flesh from the body. It is one of the most painful torture instruments invented. Many would have passed out through the pain, but they were not whipped to death. They were kept alive for the main event, the crucifixion!

Throughout the whipping and the crucifixion, Yahshua was stripped of his clothes. Not that torture and death was enough for the Romans, but exposing the body mad the humiliation complete.

The humiliation of Yahshua is not forced upon him but is voluntary. He has allowed himself to be humiliated and tortured for us, for our welfare and for our healing. Isaiah prophesied this.

Isaiah 53:5 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.

Would you die for me?

Many of us have read or heard about the crucifixion of our Savior, our Redeemer, Yahshua Ha Mashiach. But do you really understand exactly what his body endured for you, me and the whole world? Let’s hear the real ugly details about what he suffered as he hung there on the cross.

Someone nailed to the cross with their arms stretched out on either side could expect to live no more than 24 hours. Seven-inch nails would be driven through the wrists so that the bones there could support the body’s weight. The nails would sever the nerve, which not only caused immense pain but would paralyze the victim’s hands. The feet were nailed to the upright part of the crucifix, so that the knees were bent at around 45 degrees. To speed up death, the executioners would often break the legs of their victims to give no chance of using their thigh muscles as support (but Yah would not allow any of Yahushua’s bones to be broken). Once the legs gave out, the weight would be transferred to the arms, gradually dragging the shoulders from their sockets. The elbows and the wrists would follow a few minutes later. By now the arms would be six or seven inches longer. The victim would have no choice but to bear his weight on his chest. He would immediately have trouble breathing as the weight caused the rib cage to lift up and force him into an almost perpetual state of inhalation. Suffocation, loss of body fluids and multiple organ failure would take place. The lack of oxygen in the blood would cause damage to tissues and blood vessels, allowing fluid to diffuse out of the blood into tissues, including the lungs and around the heart. The lungs would become stiffer and make breathing even more difficult, and the pressure around the heart would affect its ability to pump.

This method of torture was reserved for the most serious of criminals, and yet our Savior was without sin. He never committed a crime. He voluntarily gave his life for you and me! He chose to suffer the torture of the cross to take on our punishment and pay the ransom for the sins of the world. He chose to save you and me! It was his destiny!

Yahshua voluntarily died a horrible death for us! He paid the ultimate price for the sins that we committed! He understood his assignment that he was the only chance that we had to be redeemed back to the Father. He was the only chance that we would have to receive salvation and eternal life in heaven. He could have said no, I won’t do it, they aren’t worth it. Instead, he said to Yah “not my will, but thy will be done! He knew that it was the will of Yah, and therefore it was his love and obedience to the Father that he sacrifices his life for you and me!

Take some time today and get in a quiet place and read this nugget again. Try to picture all that Yahshua went through on that day. Then ask yourself this question, who else would do that for me? Would my family, my friends, my husband or my wife sacrifice their life in that manner for me? What do I love more, in this world, than the man who suffered and gave his life for me on a tree?

Have you made the ultimate sacrifice for Yahshua? That is to surrender your life for him? If not, why not? Was his suffering on the cross still not enough to show you how much he loves you? If so, are you as faithful to living for him as he was faithful in dying for you?

Time is winding down on this world. The drawing Spirit of Yah will soon become quiet and the wrath of Yah will become loud! Take the time today and ask Yahshua to forgive you of your sins and create in you a clean heart and renew the right spirit within you. Ask Him to wash you, to cleanse you, and to purge you of all of your iniquities. Ask Him to restore you back into the kingdom of Yah and to erase all that is within you that is not pleasing in his sight. Ask Him to save you and sanctify you holy. Ask Him to baptize you in His Holy Spirit that you may be a light in this dark world. Ask Him to let the light of His glory shine on you, in you and through you that you may be able to draw someone else out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. And most of all I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Yah, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Yah, which is your reasonable service. HalleluYah!!