THE CUP OF SACRIFICE

Hengky Chiok

In our daily life we know people that we probably call, " an angry person," "a generous person," "a merciful friend."

We attach such labels to them not because once in a while they are angry, or they are generous every now and then.

Instead we call them such because they consistently displaying such attitudes. An angry man is someone who is angry most of time.

We call her a generous lady because she shows generosity frequently.

One of the titles given to Jesus in the Bible is "a man of sorrows."

Furthermore, He is introduced to us as someone who is acquainted with grief. Here is our Savior. He is introduced to us not as a glorious King, but as someone who is familiar with grief and suffering.

This title tells us the kind of life that Jesus has while He was on Earth. His was a life of sufferings.

1. Jesus suffered physically

He is the infinite God, yet while on earth Jesus was limited by time and space.

He experienced hunger and thirst. He grew tired physically.

While all these are familiar to us and are part of our life, it is not so with Jesus Christ.

He does not need to come and experience what experience.

He can remain in heaven, in His glory and to receive worship and adoration from angels.

Yet, He has chosen to come and to live among us.

This physical suffering culminates on the cross.

The Bible tells us how Jesus was physically tortured during His last hours on Earth.

John 18:22 says that Jesus was beaten because they didn't like His answers.

Matthew 27:26 tells us that Jesus was scourged.

Scourging means that He was whipped on his back.

The soldiers will use a leather whip with a tip of spiked-ball and lash it on Jesus’ back systematically.

It caused a wound that penetrates into His flesh.

Not only that, when He was hung on the cross, He was nailed. Just imagine how painful it must have been.

As a matter of fact, it is so painful that usually a person crucified was given a kind of anesthetic to numb them so that the person can bear the pain and last long enough.

Mind you that the purpose of the crucifixion is not an instant death, but a slow death.

Matthew 27:34 tells us that the soldiers attempted to give Jesus such an anesthetic and He refused to take it.

He bore the suffering to its fullest extent.

He is a man of sufferings.

Last night, before the choir practice, I previewed the clips we are going to see later to choir members.

Several people had to turn their face away when they saw how the soldiers nailed Jesus on the cross.

It is too painful to see; it is more painful to experience it first hand.

But think about this: Jesus does not have to experience that. It is our names that is listed on the cross.

We are the ones who should be nailed and died. Jesus suffered all these for you and me.

He does not have to, but He did it because He loves us. He loves you and me.

When He was hung on the cross; in between the pain that He felt, the first thing He said was a prayer to the Father that we are to be forgiven.

Imagine that. It is common for a crucified to curse and scream and to utter profanities because of the pain.

Jesus only says 7 sentences while He was crucified and none of them are foul languages.

The first thing that He said shows how he is concerned about you and me.

He said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

He understands us. He does not hate us. He loves us. He knows what causes you and I to nail Him on the cross.

It is our sins; and He is there to bear our sins.

He is there to change your life and to make you to become a better person. A person free of sin.

A person who is able to enjoy God’s peace and blessings.

He suffered to make us to become a person we would like to be, but unable, because of the sins we all have.

He is a man of sufferings. He suffered physically.

2. Jesus suffered emotionally.

Jesus’ suffering is not only physically suffering; He also suffered emotionally.

During His ministry, He was misunderstood. He was under constant scrutiny by the Pharisees and the scribes.

They followed Him around hoping to catch His mistake and they are not shy in trying to do that.

He was rejected by people who were close to Him.

John 7:5 tells us that initially His brothers did not believe in Him.

I can imagine the kind of look that His brothers had for Him.

He was ridiculed by them. John 7:2-4 indicate that they mock him constantly.

His hometown did not welcome Him, and even tried to throw Him off the cliff.

On that night, in Gethsemane, He asked for the company of His closest disciples.

He told them His grief and asked them to accompany Him.

They failed. They fell asleep. He was so emotionally distressed that Dr. Luke notes that His sweat becomes like a drop of blood (Luke 22:44).

Medically it is a condition that is known to happen because of a great distress.

After He was captured, less than 24 hours, He underwent 6 trials, both by religious leaders and political leaders.

In that 6 trials, He was tried in front of 5 different authorities, all were performing mock trials.

In the course of His trials, He was led from one authority to another, from one place to another.

All 6 trials failed to find Him guilty and yet they continue their mockery and eventually sentenced Him to death.

After He was captured, Jesus was left by all His disciples. Peter even denied Him three times.

Although later on some of His disciples came back, they only dare to follow Him from a distance.

He was alone with no one to sympathize with Him. He was publicly humiliated and mocked.

The soldiers pretend that He is a king, attire Him in a robe and then pretend to worship Him.

While they pretend to bow to Him, they smacked Him and spit at Him.

Matthew tells us that the soldiers intentionally hit Him on the head where they have put a crown of thorns on. He was insulted over and over.

One of the greatest humiliation is when He was stripped naked.

As human beings, we often seek comfort and security in covering ourselves with a cloth.

One way to demoralize a person is to strip him of his clothes. That way he will feel vulnerable and tend to become submissive.

It is not coincidence that Jesus was crucified naked.

While on the cross, Matthew says that people who are passing by at the crucifixion location hurl abuse at Him; including one of the persons who was crucified with Him.

In short, He is a source of laughter to His enemies. While He suffered in pain, people laugh at Him.

Just imagine the emotional distress that Jesus has to undergo. Think of the humiliation He has to accept because of you and me.

He was humiliated because of our sins. He was looked down so that we can gain respect.

The Bible says that Jesus does not reply to the humiliation that He was experiencing.

He knows that He does not deserve it; yet He accepts them because He loves us.

Can we find a greater love than this?

Jesus is a man of sufferings. He suffers emotionally.

3. Jesus suffered spiritually.

Jesus was hung on the cross for about 6 hours, from 9 am to 3 pm.

During the first three hours, the sun was bright. But suddenly, after 12 pm, the darkness began to roll in and covered the entire area.

In the midst of this strange darkness, suddenly Jesus cried out from the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani, my God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"

This is a very interesting question for four reasons:

First, it is the only question spoken by Jesus on the cross.

Second, it is the only Jesus’ sentence on the cross that was preserved by the Holy Spirit in its original language. Here we heard Jesus’ mother tongue.

Third, while on the cross Jesus addressed His Father three times, this is the only time Jesus addressed His Father as His God.

As a matter of fact, I could not remember Jesus ever prayed to God without using the word "Father" This is the only time!

Fourth, this is the only direct quotation from the Scripture that is from Psalm 22:1

What do all these mean?

The Bible tells us that on the cross, Jesus was made sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus lived His life on earth sinless. The only time Jesus is said to be sinful is when Jesus was hung on the cross.

The Bible says, at that particular moment, Jesus was made to be sinful.

Just imagine that. He knew no sin and can not tolerate sin.

He is Holy and free from all sins; yet at that particular moment on the cross, the sin of humanity was put on His shoulders.

First time ever sin and Jesus became one. No wonder the Father has to turn His face against Jesus.

First time ever, Jesus was separated and alienated from His Father.

He suffered spiritually. For the first time, He tasted the awful and disgusting taste of our sins.

For the first time, all our sins were lifted away from us and were put on His shoulders. He is sinless yet at that moment, He was sin.

No wonder in His agony, Jesus cried out in His mother tongue, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

It is a cry of pain because of sin. It is a cry of pain because of the separation from God the Father.

Sin is painful, because it separates us from God our Father.

Jesus tasted that on that day when He was hung on the cross. Jesus has to undergo such an agony because of you and me.

Jesus is a man of sufferings. He is because of us. By His sufferings we are blessed.

By His sufferings we are healed. By His death we gain life. By His coming to Earth we find entrance to heaven.

As we partake in the Lord's Supper later on, we are going to hear Jesus' words when He says "this bread is My body which is broken for you," and "this cup is my blood which is shed for the forgiveness of your sins."

Jesus suffers so that you and I do not need to suffer anymore.

He has taken our sins away on that day in Calvary.

There is no reason for you not to get eternal life. It has been made ready for you by Jesus through His suffering.

There are two proper response for you to make today, depending on where you are in your relationship with Him.

First is to accept Him as your personal Savior, if you have not.

Accept the forgiveness of sin that He has offered you by His death.

There is no reason to reject Him. He has given Himself to you. Will you accept Him now?

Second. We all need to rededicate our lives to Him.

It is not fair to follow Him only when it is convenient for us to do so.

Jesus died for us even though it is not convenient for Him to do so.

We need to give our lives to Him and to love and follow Him with all our heart, soul and mind.

He deserves it. He has given His life for you, what do you give Him?