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Here we go...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was killed in 1945. He has hanged with piano wire.
Theodore Romzha died in 1947. He was poisoned
Jim Elliot was killed in 1956. He was mutilated.
Wang Zhiming was executed in a stadium in 1973.
Óscar Romero was killed in 1980. He was shot in the heart.
Graham Staines was killed in 1999. He was burned to death with his two sons.
Rachel Scott was killed in 1999. She was shot.
These people all died at different times in different ways. But they all died for one reason.
Bonhoeffer was a minister who opposed Hitler.
Romzha was the bishop of Greek Catholic church
Ellion was a missionary for Christ.
Zhiming was a pastor.
Romero was an archbishop and called on his country's army, as Christians, to stop carrying out the government's orders.
Staines was missionary who was burned for Christ.
Rachel Scott was killed at Columbine. One of the killers shot her in the leg and asked her if she still believed in God. When she said yes, he shot her dead.
All of these people died for a God that cannot be seen. But why? Why would all of these people die for a King that they can't even see with their own eyes?
And this is the point of this thread: 1976 years ago on Friday, Jesus Christ --our King-- came to earth. He WAS, at that time, visible to our eyes.
John 19:7 "The Jews insisted, 'We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.'
Wow. The Son of God. God, our King, sent His Son to earth to die on the cross. And that is why they all died for Him. Because He died for them first. "We love Him because He first loved us."
But it wasn't all about His death. I would love to say that all they did to Him was kill Him. A nice, easy death where He didn't feel a thing.
Verse 1:
Verse 15. "But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered."
Here, He is told He is not a king.
Verses 17-24:
17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read neutral sc JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
22Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
"They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing."[a] So this is what the soldiers did."
He wasn't only killed for us, brothers and sisters. Our King came to earth, and He was mocked. He was told He was nothing. He was beaten. Whipped with sharp whips. His back was completely torn up. And then He had to carry His own cross ON THAT BACK. And then He died, slowly and painfully. In a lot of pain, I'm sure.
He went through all of that..why? For me. For you. For all of us.
And then, He rose again.
20:26 "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
I want you all, as Easter Sunday approaches, to focus on that: On His death and His ressurection.
20:31: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
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