From my heart

A few days ago, I promised that I would share with you a bit of what the Lord has laid on my heart recently.
He began to remind me of what Jesus went through for us all. He reminded me of that His suffering didn’t begin on the Cross: that it began in Gethsemane.
He reminded me  of  the Blood spilled from His body, and all that it meant for us. We forget so very quickly.
Jesus  bled from seven places on His body: not just one or two.

1. In  KJV Luke 22:44 it is stated that “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground”.  Is it a mere coincidence that Luke, a physician, is the only one to record that fact of  Jesus’ anguish?  I think not.  The clinical term for that occurrence is  “hematohidrosis.”  Wikapedia defines  it as “Hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis) is a very rare condition in which a human sweats blood. It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death.” http://www.answers.com/topic/hematidrosis#ixzz3BA1Zxl5A
At any rate:  Jesus’ Blood dripped from his face at Gethsemane. He bled there for our Gethsemane ( place of pressing). Our place of pressing, if you will. We all have them. His Blood covers that.

2. Matthew 12:26 “Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”   Merriam-Webster online  defines  scourge as “a whip especially :  one used to inflict pain or punishment.”  John 19:1 further states, “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip.”  For a much better description of flogging and a picture of  how it was done, go to : http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/scourging.htm. There is no definitive proof of how many time Jesus was actually struck: the Jewish law required  a 39 lash limit.  Romans held the whip, so, it is unsure if they followed that custom. It was prophesied in  Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”   From the Blood on His back, we are healed !! Don’t forget to look behind the cross… see the Blood dripping down from the lacerations!

3.  John 19:2 “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe”.  “A crown of thorns” is actually a crown of thorns cactus (Euphorbia milii) is an evergreen, succulent plant, native to Madagascar. The crown of thorns cactus produces succulent, woody stems that can reach a height of 3 feet.  The plant derives its name from large, sharp spines about 1 inch long that cover the stems. It is sometimes called the Christ plant, and, the legend is that the spines from this plant were used for Jesus’ “crown”.  Think about a  literal crown platted (plaited)  of  1 inch long thorns being jammed into your  head. I am sure that it wasn’t gently placed upon His head. The crown covered His entire head, and quite possibly, if not for His skull, the thorns may have pierced His brain. As His Blood dripped down, can you picture His agony? That blood covered you. All of your  pain, mental, or physical, His Blood covers!!

4 &5. John 20:24-29 “24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”  Jesus’  hands and feet were  pierced for our  restoration. He took back the curse that He had given to Adam in the  Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:17-19 ” 17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”   When Jesus went to the cross, He broke the curse  of death that was given to Adam.  In John 11:25-26, He tells us “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  Through the cross, through His Blood; we can find eternal life !!

 

6 & 7.  John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” There are varying conceptions of the fact that both blood and water came from His side. Due to the severe beating and whipping that Christ had endured. He was likely experiencing hypovolemic shock, (a condition in which the heart is strained in its pumping because of very low blood pressure due to sizable blood loss). One of the results of hypovolemic shock is a collection of fluid around the heart and lungs, called a pericardial effusion and/or a pleural effusion. These fluids would have been clear, and could easily have been mistaken for water. When the spear pierced Jesus’ side, the presence of “blood and water” is completely possible in a medical explanation. So, in a sense, His heart literally burst that our hearts could be healed of all pain!

 

In  conclusion, I hope you never look at  the death of Jesus quite the same way.  His Blood covers us all: it knows no boundaries!!