Inspirational Article From Joanne Lowe Index of Writings by Joanne Lowe on Gospel Web

HE COULDN’T MOVE

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah: 53: 4 - 6 King James Version

Over the last two years, I have received several emails from people who told me that when they were in pain and hurting that they would go and sit in their recliners. I do the same thing because sometimes the pain from my arthritis is so intense that I feel like I am going to pass out. Even if it is summer and very hot and I have my air conditioner on, I still put my afghan over my legs because the heat helps the pain. Nothing could have helped the pain that Jesus endured while He hung on that cross of horror and agony for you and for me.

Oh dear people, our precious Saviour while hanging on that cross for us was in more agony and in more pain than anyone has ever experienced but He couldn’t go sit in a recliner because He couldn’t move. He took all of our sins on Him and He endured all of that pain for us. He couldn’t put an afghan over His legs to help the pain.

There are no words that come close to adequately describing the pain, the loneliness, the rejection and the heartaches that He endured for you and for me. What a precious, what a compassionate and what a loving Saviour we have and what a price He paid for us, His very life!

He paid the price for our sins because we couldn’t pay it. Our Heavenly Father is a Holy God and He can’t look on sin. Jesus was sinless so He was the only one who could satisfy the requirements of a Holy God. Our precious Saviour willingly hung there on that cruel cross of horror and pain for us. No one forced Him to die for us. He died for us out of obedience to His Father and out of a heart of love because His heart is filled with unconditional love and compassion for us.

He endured all of this pain and all of this agony for us. Yet we can’t even shut off the television and call people who are hurting. Especially don’t ask us, Jesus, to turn off the television during the football season and call people. May God forgive us for being so selfish and self-centered! How we must break the heart of our dear Saviour when He sees the way we treat one another. Remember, Jesus said “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Are you making Jesus happy or are you making Him sad by the way you treat your family and your loved ones and a world that is hurting and desperately needs to know that someone cares about them? When Jesus comes back for us, will He look at you with a smile on His face or will He look at you with sadness in His eyes because you didn’t love Him enough to turn off the television and call people and tell them that Jesus loves them?

Joanne Lowe

November 28, 2007

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