I wanted to share with you a most beautiful writing, meant just to be a personal devotional writing by one of our mentors, but it illustrates Hebrews 12:2 beautifully, and it impacted me greatly so I wanted to share it with you. Would you please pray that God would work in your heart as you read the following?
The Nails of the Cross
Can we stop and reflect on what held Jesus to the cross - the Father's will, our Savior’s love, and the joy set before Him in returning to the right hand of the Father.
We know so well in our day to day lives that the body will react to and reject foreign objects even as small as a one-millimeter wooden splinter. There will be swelling around the site, with infection and pain that increases to a crescendo as the body tries to send out all its defense systems to expel the splinter and heal itself. We move quickly to flick out the splinter, stop our pain, and go on our way.
Not so for our Jesus who stayed on the cross till every purchase of every sin was completed. Three insanely large, dirty foreign objects - nails made of iron, measuring 3/8 inches wide and 7 inches long - were plunged into the holy hands of Jesus and crushed His feet together.
These two parts of His body had visibly shown His heart to so many people in His three year ministry. Walking to wherever He was needed, His hands gently touched the heads and cheeks of people overwhelmed by despair who needed to feel Him and hear words of gentle mercy. Feet that were normally sandaled with loving readiness to walk to wherever He could to give out the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Hands that reached out to sick, hurting and shamed people, and with a momentary touch gave blessing, peace, and forgiveness.
To reflect that these dirty nails were pounded into His sinless clean body by dirty hands and dirty hearts like mine. The filthiness of my sins - the ultimate of foreign objects that should have stayed in me till hell, caused poison to rage through His body. My sin increased at the cross of Christ in His body as convulsions, swelling and nerve ending pain coursed through His veins along with every one of my sins.
And He stayed there on the cross and did nothing to expel the poison of my sins. Until the entire allotted time for the greatest sacrificial act of love had been accomplished, "making peace by the blood of his cross." (Colossians 1:20). Until the weight of all my sin from my past, all my sin currently, and all my sin in the future with its condemnation had been removed forever by the exact penalty of the length of Jesus' suffering at the crucifixion. We worship You Lord with all of our hearts for the great love You lavish on us and for our burdens being lifted!
Question 5: Would you share your thoughts about what the nails of Jesus mean to you? Perhaps you might like to write a prayer here to Jesus?
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Carnell writes, "Lord Jesus please forgive me for what I have done to you. You let poison of my sin enter your holy undefiled body through the piercing of the rusty nails on the cross. My sins have caused you great agony but freedom to me. You endured all the pain the guilt and shame of my sins for me. Lord help me to live a holy life for you. In your name I pray Amen."
Camilla writes, "The nails are my sins nailed through Jesus hands. My sinful nature was nailed to the cross once and for all I didn't deserve it but because You loved me you took upon all my sins. You paid the ultimate price Jesus for me, I will always be grateful for your love and sacrifice you made on the cross!"
Harris writes, "The nails have been the vehicle for my sins to go into Jesus. All the poison of sin, of my sin have come to Jesus and within Jesus because of the nails that I have pierced in His hands and feet. Dear Lord Jesus forgive me for what I have done to you. My sins caused this great tragedy to you but freedom to me. I was there represented by the Romans piercing your hands and feet with the nails of my sins. Forgive me Lord Jesus and help me live the rest of my life for you through the strength of your cross. Amen."
Tori writes, "Jesus, I can't imagine the pain you faced as the nails were driven into your body. You stayed there willingly when in a second you could have commanded it all away. You chose this willingly to rescue us, to rescue me. The dirty nails that attacked your body and gave you excruciatingly pain, you accepted because you loved me and wanted me to be accepted and not to die in my sins. To give me a chance at life and a future of hope. Thank you Jesus so much, I appreciate it and I pray you enable me to appreciate your sacrifice more and more. Please forgive me for my sins, how I nailed those nails into your body and transform my heart and mind to one that honors you and acknowledges and praises your sacrifice."
Jesus’ only thoughts were of deep compassion and kindness for us when He stood in our place and bore the weight of our sorrows at the cross. Then, by our faith in the cross and our believing what He says in His Word rather than the lies of this world, His grace makes our burdens become light. The burdens on our shoulders became His and are lifted away into His body at Calvary.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
In finishing today, may we bow here at the foot of the cross together, gently holding out our hearts to Him for cleansing, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. We worship our burden bearer, Jesus, in the song Burden Are Lifted at Calvary. Kneeling before our Lord and King, we could just spend eternity worshiping Him here.
Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary
John M. Moore
Days are filled with sorrow and care,
Hearts are lonely and drear.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Calvary, Calvary;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near.
Cast your care on Jesus today,
Leave your worry and fear.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.
Troubled soul, the Savior can feel
Every heartache and tear.
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.
Let us cling to the Cross, dear friends. “Put both arms around it! Hold to the Crucified, and never let Him go. Come afresh to the Cross at this moment, and rest there now and forever!” Charles Spurgeon The Word of the Cross Question 6. Have you received the gospel of Jesus Christ today in your study of God's Word?
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Question 7. Have you applied the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life today?
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