god is love message

8/12/2019 GOD is Love Message

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GODS PROVES HIS LOVE

This Saturday is Valentines Day. This is the day when a man is supposed to i!e his irl"riend

or wi"e a spe#ial i"t to show that he lo!es her. Popular i"ts in#lude "lowers$ #andy$ and %ewelry.

God a!e us a mu#h #ostlier i"t to pro!e His lo!e "or us.

&ut God demonstrates his own lo!e "or us in this' (hile we were still sinners$ )hrist died "or us

*Romans +',-.

The i"t o" )hrist is the PROO o" Gods lo!e.

(hy does God lo!e us/

God is lo!e *0 1ohn 2',$ 03-.

)HRIST DIED OR 4S

Gods lo!e is seen in the "our words' 5)hrist died "or us.6 Lets ta7e a #loser loo7 at ea#h o"these words.

0. The person who died

)hrist died "or us

Some s#holars 8elie!e the date was 9pril :$ 9.D. ::. Pilate$ the Roman o!ernor o!er 1udea$

was "inished ;uestionin 1esus #on#ernin the a##usations 8rouht aainst Him 8y the leaders

o" the 1ews. He #ould "ind no reason to put Him to death.


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O" #ourse$ e!ery 7in needs a #rown$ so the soldiers twisted toether a #rown o" thorns and set

it on 1esus head. These thorns #ould ha!e 8een up to se!eral in#hes lon. They would ha!e

sun7 deep into 1esus head$ #ausin 8lood to ush out and distort His "a#e.

5His appearan#e was so dis"iured 8eyond that o" any man and his "orm marred 8eyond human

li7eness6 *Isaiah +A'02-.

9 sta"" was put in 1esus riht hand to a#t as a s#epter. Then the soldiers "ell on their 7nees and

paid mo#7 homae to Him. They #ried$ 5Hail$ 7in o" the 1ews=6 They spit on Him and too7 the

sta"" and stru#7 Him on the head aain and aain.

5I o""ered my 8a#7 to those who 8eat me$ my #hee7s to those who pulled out my 8eardB I did not

hide my "a#e "rom mo#7in and spittin6 *Isaiah +C'3-.

In all o" this$ 1esus remained silent. He was uilty o" nothin$ yet He ne!er said a word.

5He was oppressed and a""li#ted$ yet he did not open his mouthB he was led li7e a lam8 to the

slauhter$ and as a sheep 8e"ore her shearers is silent$

so he did not open his mouth6 *Isaiah +:'-.

Others had de#lared His inno#en#e$ 8ut 1esus ne!er de"ended Himsel". 1udas #ried$ 5I ha!e

8etrayed inno#ent 8lood6 *?atthew A'2-. Pilate announ#ed$ 5I "ind no "ault in him6 *1ohn 0'2

F1V-. The thie" said$ 5This man has done nothin wron6 *Lu7e A:'20-. The #enturion

e>#laimed$ 5Truly this was the Son o" God6 *?atthew A'+2 F1V-. &ut 1esus ne!er said a word.

He was 8eaten$ mo#7ed$ and spit upon$ yet He too7 it all silently.

5(hen they hurled their insults at him$ he did not retaliateB when he su""ered$ he made nothreats6 *0 Peter A'A:-.

)hrist died (ILLIGL


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in no #ondition to #arry a hea!y #ross. The soldiers rew impatient with 1esus aoniKin pa#e$

so they ra88ed a man named Simon alon the way$ ma7in him #arry the #ross o" 1esus.

E!en with Simon #arryin His #ross$ 1esus apparently was too wea7 to wal7 unsupported. ?ar7

writes$ 5they 8rouht 1esus to the pla#e #alled Golotha6 *0+'AA-$ usin a Gree7 e>pression "or

58rouht6 that suests He was a#tually 8orne alon to that pla#e@pro8a8ly wal7in with mu#h

di""i#ulty$ needin #onstant support "rom the soldiers alon the way.

5Golotha6 is an 9ramai# word$ meanin 5a s7ull.6 It is enerally assumed that the #ross o"

1esus stood on a steep$ ro#7y hill that had the appearan#e o" a s7ull. There is a pla#e %ust north

o" 1erusalems walls that "its that des#ription$ 7nown as Gordons )al!ary. It still 8ears an eerie

resem8lan#e to a human s7ull.

(e !iew the #ross mu#h di""erently than people o" the "irst #entury did. Today we adorn our

#emeteries and #hur#hes with #rosses$ and some people wear them around their ne#7s. &ut in

an#ient times$ #ru#i"i>ion was synonymous with horror and shame. It was a death in"li#ted on

sla!es$ 8andits$ prisoners o" war$ and re!olutionaries.

The #ross was so o""ensi!e to the Romans that they re"used to allow their own #itiKens to 8e

#ru#i"ied$ no matter what they had done. )i#ero *0C32: &.).-$ the Roman orator$ #alled

#ru#i"i>ion 5a most #ruel and disustin punishment.6 He said$ 5It is a #rime to put a Roman

#itiKen in #hains$ it is an enormity to "lo one$ sheer murder to slay one$ what$ then$ shall I say o"

#ru#i"i>ion/ It is impossi8le to "ind the word "or su#h an a8omination.6 )i#ero also said$ 5Let the

!ery mention o" the #ross 8e "ar remo!ed not only "rom a Roman #itiKens 8ody$ 8ut "rom his

mind$ his eyes$ his ears.6

Those #ru#i"ied were made a pu8li# spe#ta#le$ o"ten 8ein a""i>ed to #rosses in 8iKarre

positions$ and their 8odies le"t to 8e de!oured 8y !ultures. or hours *i" not days-$ the person

would han in the heat o" the sun$ stripped na7ed and strulin to 8reathe. In order to a!oidasphy>iation$ he had to push himsel" up with his les and pull with his arms$ trierin mus#le

spasms #ausin unimaina8le pain. The end would #ome either throuh heart "ailure$ 8rain

damae #aused 8y redu#ed o>yen supply$ su""o#ation$ or sho#7. 9w"ul physi#al aony$ lenth

o" torment$ and pu8li# shame #om8ined to ma7e #ru#i"i>ion a most terri8le "orm o" death.

The soldiers laid 1esus on the #ross 8eams and tied Him down. Then they pi#7ed up the lon

iron spi7es$ raised their hammers$ and 8ean to pound. They dro!e the spi7es throuh 1esus

wrists$ pinnin His arms and les to the #ross. The #ross was raised. (ith an aw"ul thud$ it

settled in the round. E!ery in#h o" 1esus 8ody was "illed with e>#ru#iatin pain.

Imaine the Son o" God nailed na7ed to a #ross.

:. The way He died

)hrist died "or us

5He was pier#ed "or our transressions$ he was #rushed "or our ini;uitiesB the punishment that

8rouht us pea#e was upon him$ and 8y his wounds we are healed. (e all$ li7e sheep$ ha!e

one astray$ ea#h o" us has turned to his own wayB and the LORD has laid on him the ini;uity o"


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us all6 *Isaiah +:'+3-.

)hrist died in ?< PL9)E.

Durin the 4.S. )i!il (ar$ #ons#ription was not a8solute. The dra"ted man #ould always hire a

su8stitute i" he #ould a""ord it. Startin in 0,3A$ the 4.S. o!ernment allowed this es#ape "rom

military ser!i#e on the theory that$ so lon as ea#h name drawn "rom the wheel produ#ed a

man$ it made no di""eren#e whether the dra"ted person or one hired to ta7e his pla#e appeared

"or ser!i#e. *9nswers.#om-

There is a story a8out a "armer named &la7e who was dra"ted. He was deeply trou8led a8out

lea!in his "amily 8e#ause his wi"e had died and there would 8e no one to support and ta7e

#are o" his #hildren in his a8sen#e. The day 8e"ore he was to lea!e "or the army$ his neih8or

)harlie Durham #ame to !isit him. 5&la7e$6 he said$ 5I!e 8een thin7in.


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Someone has said$ 5In the ospel$ we dis#o!er we are "ar worse o"" that we thouht$ and "ar

more lo!ed that we e!er dreamed.6

M Gods lo!e is 4EN49LLED. *Romans +',-

1esus said$ 5Greater lo!e has no one than this$ that he lay down his li"e "or his "riends6 *1ohn

0+'0:-. The pinna#le o" human lo!e is the i!in o" ones li"e "or another person.


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God o""ers eternal li"e to whoe!er will re#ei!e it 8y "aith.

M I should lo!e GOD in return.

(e lo!e him$ 8e#ause he "irst lo!ed us *0 1ohn 2'0 F1V-.

How do I pro!e that I lo!e God/ &y o8eyin His #ommands. 5This is lo!e "or God' to o8ey his

#ommands6 *0 1ohn +':-.

M I should lo!e OTHERS as God lo!es them.

Dear "riends$ sin#e God so lo!ed us$ we also ouht to lo!e one another *0 1ohn 2'00-.

(e should lo!e e!en those who are un7ind to us. Remem8er what 1esus prayed while on the

#ross' 5ather$ "ori!e them6 *Lu7e A:':2-. 1esus said$ 5Lo!e your enemies6 *?atthew +'22-.

The 4.S. Greetin )ard 9sso#iation estimates that appro>imately one 8illion Valentines )ardsare sent ea#h year worldwide. &ut God didnt send a #ard to e>press His lo!eB He sent His Son.

)hrist died "or us.

The i"t o" )hrist is the proo" o" Gods lo!e.

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