Pierced, Part I

One of the most profound things to find as a Christian is how Christ's sufferings are to be remembered and more importantly the impact that it has on one's life. The Holy Spirit is heavy upon me when I remember the stings of pain that Jesus suffered at the cross. Just as God the Father encouraged and commanded that the Israelites remember Him and His ways, so Jesus commanded us to remember Him in communion.

Through imagining the suffering of Christ during Gethsamene and to the grave puts a new spin on knowing Him. I see the suffering and pain of His cross and at first it did not seem to have much impact on me but in time it became a dramatic "sense" of His pain. It puts us in touch with Him even though it is only the images of our imagination. How feeble it is to remember His pain knowing that you could never truly know or imagine what He went through.

To experience His pain is to understand the value of the gift of grace that is imparted to us. I believe it is an essential element to my own walk with God. I believe that in His sufferings, we may find the deepest meaning of His love for us. The love of God is all about sacrifice, about denying self, and humility.

Isaiah 52:13-15

13 See, my servant will act wisely ;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him —
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—

15 so will he sprinkle many nations, 
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.