Prove it!

Of all the interesting things Jesus did, one of the most intriguing was that He stayed on that cross.Growing up, I remember childhood adversaries who would taunt, “I bet you can’t…” Of course, the first thing any of us want to do when challenged this way is to prove we can. It can be so hard to ignore the taunts of others.Jesus knows what that feels like. As He suffered on the cross for our sins, His enemies taunted Him to get down from the cross. Jesus had just spent years showing God’s glory to the world, and thenHis friends deserted and betrayed Him. Now He had a chance to stop His suffering and really prove God’s power. We know Jesus could have freed Himself in an instant because He had said earlier, in Matthew 26:53, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?”This is amazing. Jesus could have climbed down from the cross, but He chose not to. Why? In verse 54, Jesus went on to say, “But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”And those Scriptures needed to be fulfilled because our salvation depended on it. It was for us that Jesus ignored the taunts and took the pain. It was for the people taunting Him. Jesus loved us more than He loved His own life. And He fully proved His power by rising from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf, and guaranteeing that, when He returns, His people will rise from the dead and live with Him forever. Who but God? • Heather Tekavec• Have you ever loved somebody so much that you would suffer greatly to help them? Jesus loves you so much that He suffered the cross for you. How might this truth give you hope? • What significance do Jesus’s death and resurrection have for us? (Find out more on our “Know Jesus” page.)Because of the joy awaiting him, he [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2b (NLT)

Read Verses:

Matt.26.47-Matt.26.56|Matt.27.39-Matt.27.44|Rom.5.10|Heb.12.2