The Passion: He died

Who is Jesus? Jesus, the Son of God, was sent by God to be the Savior of the whole world. Before he was born, an angel of the Lord announced that his name was to be Jesus and that he would be called ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½the Son of God Most High���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ (Luke 1:32). In Hebrew, the name ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½Jesus���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ means ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½the Lord saves.���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ Why did he have to die? Jesus told his followers that he came to earth as a servant to ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½give his life to rescue many people���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ (Mark 10:45) and that he would ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½suffer terribly,���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ be rejected and killed, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½but three days later rise to life (Luke 9:22). The four Gospels in the New Testament tell about Jesus���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ suffering and death. So, too, does "The Passion of the Christ" (2004), a film that portrays the last twelve hours of Jesus���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ life. But the story doesn���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½t end there. Let���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s start at the beginning When God created the world, everything God created was good. But the first two people, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and their disobedience caused sin to enter the world. Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die. (Romans 5:12) God then sent his own Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sin by suffering and dying on a cross. Isaiah's Words The prophet Isaiah, writing around the 6th century B.C., said these words about God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s servant who would suffer and die for our sins and help put us right with God. Christians have come to understand that this passage from Isaiah describes how Jesus suffered and died so that we would be forgiven. He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. All of us were like sheep that had wandered off. We had each gone our own way, but the LORD gave him the punishment we deserved. The LORD decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others, so that many of them will no longer be guilty. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us. (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12) What to know Sin separates us from God. Sin is both doing what is wrong and not doing what is right. Everyone who sins breaks God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s law, because sin is the same as breaking God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s law. (1 John 3:4) But there���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s good news! God loves us and forgives us and sent Jesus to set us free! The apostle Paul was a Christian in the first century A.D. He understood that sin causes us to be unacceptable to God and that only God could do something for us. Paul wrote: In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. . . ..But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s wonderful kindness is what saves you. (Ephesians 2:1-5) True, we have all sinned and fallen short, but���¢�¯�¿�½���¦ God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. (Romans 3:24-26; 5:6-8) There���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s more good news! Jesus is alive! God raised him from death on that first Easter! The women who had seen Jesus die on Friday went to the tomb where he had been buried. Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½t here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail him to a cross. But three days later he will rise to life.���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ Then they remembered what Jesus had said. (Luke 24:1-8) After Jesus was raised to life, he appeared to his disciples and told them what his followers must do. Then he returned to heaven. While Jesus���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ disciples were talking about what had happened, Jesus appeared and greeted them. They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt? Look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½t have flesh and bones as you see I have.���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½Do you have something to eat?���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ They gave him a piece of baked fish. He took it and ate it as they watched. Jesus said to them, ���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ Then he helped them understand the Scriptures. He told them: The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from death. They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them. As he was doing this, he left and was taken up to heaven. (Luke 24:36-47, 50,51) A new beginning! When Jesus was raised to life on that first Easter, he conquered death���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½his and ours! Jesus restores us to eternal life with God. God our Savior showed us how good and kind he is. He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning. Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4,5,7) A special message from Jesus. Jesus invites you to have a relationship with him. He said: So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. (Luke 11:9,10) Say this prayer to Jesus: Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. Come into my life and fill me with your love. Forgive me of my sins and be the Lord of my life. I believe that you are alive today, and I commit myself to living for you. I believe you are my Savior and that you came to earth so that I would have life both now and forever. Amen. God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s promise for you. God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! No one who has faith in God���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½s Son will be condemned. (John 3:16-18) * Jesus���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ death on the cross was not the end. * It was the beginning of new life for all his followers. * Discover the new life you have in Christ! Here are some next steps. * Declare what you believe. (Romans 10:9,10) * Read the Bible every day. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) * Talk to God every day. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) * Attend church regularly. (Ephesians 5:19,20; Hebrews 10:25) * Resist evil. (James 4:7,8; 3:13-18) * Don���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½t give up if you think you���¢�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½ve failed. Confess your sins to God. (1 John 1:6-10) * Nurture your faith. (2 Peter 1:5-9) This is a Selection of Holy Scripture in the Contemporary English Version. You are urged to read the Bible and to share it with others. For a free catalog of other Scripture publications, call the American Bible Society at 1-800-32-BIBLE, or write to 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023-7505. Copyright ��â�š���© 1995, American Bible Society