Do you ever feel like you don't matter? I feel this way sometimes. It sorta happens slowly, you notice that no one has asked your opinion, everyone is talking over you, people are looking past you, you haven't been thanked, you are not being recognized for all the work you've done, you are (still) single. If you look at all these things, you might think, well why am I even here, I don't even matter. What I am doing doesn't matter. In this harsh world, this is an easy conclusion to come to.
But, ya know what, you do matter. You matter to Jesus. This may sound like a distant, meaningless statement, but it's not. Let me explain. Jesus was wrongly accused of being a criminal, and people cheered for his crucifixion, but He never once defended himself, just took all the torture and mocking [FOR YOU]. He was flogged (whipped with a lead tip) to the point in which the flesh on his back was completely ripped apart [FOR YOU]. Some soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head, mocking his kingship. These thorns were very long and sharp and the soldiers hit him on the head with a stick, so he had blood running down his face [FOR YOU]. He was then made to carry the Cross that he would die on [FOR YOU]. He was nailed to the cross and hung for 6 hours [FOR YOU]. For those 6 hours, He was suffocating, that is how people died from crucifixion. "After a person's arms had come out of their sockets the chest would sag downwards, stretching out to its full extent. If you strenuously stretch out your arms, even while seated, you'll recognize the difficulty. It's easy to inhale with arms fully outstretched, but difficult to exhale again. The body needs to work its muscles to breathe in and out, and it is used to doing so with little resistance. Once the chest is fully expanded, it's impossible to breathe in anything more than sips of air. The victim slowly suffocates, unable to get enough oxygen, over the course of a day," [FOR YOU]. Jesus was the sacrifice for us. He took all our sin, shame, bondage, and pain. He was fully God and fully human (John 10:30). It is the miracle of the Cross that has saved us.
And so, if you ever feel like you don't matter, look to the Cross. Jesus could have quit at any time, but He didn't because of YOU. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22. You matter. Don't ever forget that.
Jesus, thank you. You could have left us in our despair, but you didn't. You endured the torture and horrific death so that we could know you. Thank you Father. Let us never forget the truth that we matter.
The quote on crucifixion is from: http://io9.gizmodo.com/this-is-the-horrible-way-that-crucifixion-actually-kill-1477804826
But, ya know what, you do matter. You matter to Jesus. This may sound like a distant, meaningless statement, but it's not. Let me explain. Jesus was wrongly accused of being a criminal, and people cheered for his crucifixion, but He never once defended himself, just took all the torture and mocking [FOR YOU]. He was flogged (whipped with a lead tip) to the point in which the flesh on his back was completely ripped apart [FOR YOU]. Some soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head, mocking his kingship. These thorns were very long and sharp and the soldiers hit him on the head with a stick, so he had blood running down his face [FOR YOU]. He was then made to carry the Cross that he would die on [FOR YOU]. He was nailed to the cross and hung for 6 hours [FOR YOU]. For those 6 hours, He was suffocating, that is how people died from crucifixion. "After a person's arms had come out of their sockets the chest would sag downwards, stretching out to its full extent. If you strenuously stretch out your arms, even while seated, you'll recognize the difficulty. It's easy to inhale with arms fully outstretched, but difficult to exhale again. The body needs to work its muscles to breathe in and out, and it is used to doing so with little resistance. Once the chest is fully expanded, it's impossible to breathe in anything more than sips of air. The victim slowly suffocates, unable to get enough oxygen, over the course of a day," [FOR YOU]. Jesus was the sacrifice for us. He took all our sin, shame, bondage, and pain. He was fully God and fully human (John 10:30). It is the miracle of the Cross that has saved us.
And so, if you ever feel like you don't matter, look to the Cross. Jesus could have quit at any time, but He didn't because of YOU. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22. You matter. Don't ever forget that.
Jesus, thank you. You could have left us in our despair, but you didn't. You endured the torture and horrific death so that we could know you. Thank you Father. Let us never forget the truth that we matter.
The quote on crucifixion is from: http://io9.gizmodo.com/this-is-the-horrible-way-that-crucifixion-actually-kill-1477804826