Passage

[Isaiah 53: 5]
"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed."


Today is the Palm Sunday.
First, let us go back to the time when the event took place, which was the origin of Palm Sunday.
About 2,000 years ago, it was five days before the Passover, a great festivity for the Jews.
Jesus was coming down to the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, riding on the foal of a donkey.
The disciples and many people from young children to the elderly were surrounding Him and following Him.
They put their robes on the way where the donkey was passing, or branches on the street.
"Hosanna! Hosanna!" "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" They were cheering with a loud voice.
This was the moment when Zechariah's prophecy was being fulfilled.
Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Here, Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to become the propitiation just like a lamb for the Passover.
Namely, He came into the city to take the cross.
Palm Sunday is the day to celebrate this day.
The people who were welcoming Jesus were waving the palm branches and put them on the streets, and that is why we call it Palm Sunday.
Now, let us briefly look into the footsteps of Jesus for the following week, until He died on the cross and resurrected.
A day in Judea was from the sunset to the next sunset.
But let me explain the footsteps of Jesus in the concept of our time for your better understanding.
On the first day which was the Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem with the cheers of the people.
On Monday, the next day, Jesus purified the Jerusalem Temple.
He drove away the merchants from the Temple and overturned the tables of the money-exchangers and those who were selling doves.
On Tuesday He went into the Temple and taught the people.
The people of the high priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people came to Jesus and asked Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?"
They asked many questions to find fault in Him.
But they didn't have anything to say after Jesus gave them answers that had authority.
After that, the high priests and Pharisees wanted to kill Him even more.
On Wednesday, Mary of Bethany sister of Lazarus came with a very costly oil of spikenard and poured it on Jesus' head.
About this, Jesus said in Matthew 26:13, "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
Judas Iscariot however didn't like this, and he went to the high priests and promised them to hand over Jesus.
On Thursday evening Jesus had the Passover dinner in the city of Jerusalem with His disciples.
After the dinner, He went to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to pray.
Before taking the cross, He prayed so earnestly with all His strength that His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Soon, He was surrounded by the men of the high priest who were brought by Judas Iscariot.
Jesus finally was arrested, and the disciples were all alarmed and fled.
Jesus was taken to Annas, the high priest.
Now, it passed the midnight and it had become Friday.
Then Jesus was sent to Caiaphas the high priest, then to the council, and then to Pilate, the governor of Judea sent by the Roman Empire.
But Pilate sent Jesus to Herod saying this incident was under the jurisdiction of Herod who was ruling over Galilee.
But Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate and finally, Jesus received the death sentence from Pilate.
Beginning sometime late Thursday night until around 9 AM Friday, He was taken here and there as he was questioned.
He also received harsh scourging with so much contempt and mockery.
He went up to Golgotha carrying the cross, and six hours after He was hung on the cross, at around 3 PM He died.
But on the third day, in the early morning on Sunday, He broke the power of death and resurrected.
Brothers and sisters, beginning from today, this week is the Passion Week during which we think of the sufferings of the Lord.
I hope you will meditate on the footsteps of Jesus and spend a godly and holy time, taking into account the contents of the Four Gospels.
We should also participate in the sufferings of the Lord on the Good Friday, fasting at least one meal.


Main

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, viewing audiences, Peter said to Jesus that He is the Christ.
As Peter confessed, Jesus became Jesus Christ after dying on the cross and by resurrecting.
Now, let us learn the meaning of the word 'Christ' to know who Christ actually is.
There is a great difference between the two names, 'Jesus' and 'Jesus Christ'.
In Matthew 1:21, a messenger of God appeared to deliver the command of God to Joseph.
It says, "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Namely, 'Jesus' means 'the One who will save His people from their sins.' It is in future tense.
'Christ' is the Greek word for the Hebrew word 'Messiah'.
'Messiah' means 'The Anointed One'.
In the Old Testament, when the kings, priests, or prophets were appointed, they were anointed on their heads.
Jesus received the title of the King, Priest, and Prophet and came to this earth to save the mankind.
And he died on the cross.
But because Jesus did not have any sins, He broke the power of death and resurrected.
The enemy devil and Satan violated the law of justice by killing sinless Jesus.
Therefore, they now had to hand over to the Lord those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Jesus became the true master of all things in the universe, namely the King of kings and the Lord of lords by bringing back the people who used to be slaves of the devil.
Therefore, the name Jesus Christ means the Savior who has saved His people from their sins.
Thus, the meaning of 'Jesus' and 'Jesus Christ' are very different, and the authority embedded in them is also different.
Brothers and sisters, viewing audiences, we first looked into the meaning of the word 'Christ'.
Secondly, let us learn about the meanings of sufferings that Jesus went through, based on today's reading passage.
The process of Jesus becoming 'Jesus Christ' did not happen easily or simply, as we put another word to His name.
Jesus never said a single word or did a single act that had no meaning during His entire ministry on this earth.
Just as people make a piece of fabric by weaving the threads together, He did everything exactly according to the plan and will of God.
While He was doing the ministry, He could not be at ease even for a moment.
Above all, He went the way of sufferings by sacrificing all His life and body, in order to fulfill the justice to forgive sins.
After all, He sacrificed Himself completely, even to the point of shedding the last drop of His blood.
Through His sacrifice, the providence of salvation could be woven exactly according to justice.
First part of today's reading passage Isaiah 53:5 says, "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;"
As prophesied, Jesus was nailed to the cross, and He shed His water and blood by being pierced by a spear.
What was the reason?
It was to redeem us from our sins and iniquities.
First, the reason why He was nailed through His hands and feet was to forgive us of our sins committed with hands and feet.
People do so many things with their hands, that they must not do, and go to so many places with their feet, where they must not go.
What is the payback to them for their actions?
It is judgment and terrifying punishments.
The Law of the Old Testament tells us to pay an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Namely, if one harms another person with evil intention, he was to be harmed in the same way, too.
A life had to be paid with a life; a hand for a hand; and a foot for a foot.
This was to let us understand the justice about sins is very precise and strict.
If one commits sins depriving of salvation or sins leading to death, he falls into spiritual death, namely eternal punishment in Hell according to the precise justice. It is just as Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death."
This Hell is so fearful that Jesus told us to rather cut off our hands and feet than commit sins with them.
Mark 9:43-45 says, "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,"
If you really understand the horror of Hell, you will profess from the depth of your heart that the pain of cutting off hands and feet is much more bearable than the pain inflicted in Hell.
But so thankfully, the way was opened that we could be forgiven of our sins committed with our hands and feet.
Anyone who confesses his sins and accepts the Lord as his personal Savior can be forgiven of all his sins.
It is on account of the fact that Jesus paid the price of our sins by being nailed through His hands and feet on the cross, in our place.
But it does not mean that we can freely commit sins after accepting the Lord.
The Bible tells us that the blood of the Lord cleanses us when we try to walk in the light and not commit sins.
1 John 1:7 says, "...but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
Brothers and sisters, the punishment of cross was one of the most notorious execution methods.
Once you are hung on a cross, you do not die immediately. The body weight goes downward to cause excruciating pain. You die very slowly feeling difficulty in breathing, dehydration, the pain of harmful insects sucking on your wounds, and the shame.
The fact that Jesus suffered such unbearable pains tells us the justice in forgiveness of sins is so strict.
Sins cannot be cleansed just by paying some price in a casual manner.
The principle and justice in forgiveness of sins necessarily requires sacrifice.
That is why Jesus shed all His water and blood in excruciating pain being hung on the cross.
Also, Jesus was hung on a wooden cross.
It was to redeem us from the curses of the Law.
Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."'
Here, the curse of the Law refers to the curse that will come upon those who violate the Law.
As Romans 6:23 says, "...the wages of sin is death," we received the curse of death by violating the Law.
Sinless Jesus was hung on a tree like a cursed criminal in our place.
Brothers and sisters, the prophecy saying, "He was pierced through for our transgressions," was fulfilled that Jesus was not only hung on a cross but also pierced through by spears and thorns.
Let us delve into the providence hidden in this.
John 19:34 says, "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."
The Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus who was already dead.
It was as if a ferocious lion would tear up the body of his prey knowing that the animal has already died.
This shows us the cruelty of men.
It also shows us how evil men are.
Jesus gave His life to save even these evil people.
Also, Jesus being pierced in His side signifies that He came down to this earth in a human body, and we can also participate in divine nature.
The blood that gushed out after being pierced by the spear is the precious blood that cleanses our sins, and the water is the word of power that makes us righteous.
How amazing is each of these providences?
Jesus was also pierced by sharp thorns.
Jesus, who is the King of kings, did not wear a crown of gold, silver, or jewels, but of thorns that were like a lethal weapon.
With very long and sharp thorns the Roman soldiers made a wreath that was a little smaller than a man's head and put it into Jesus' head.
The strong thorns pierced into Jesus' head to rip out the flesh, and His face was covered with blood.
It was the providence to forgive us of our sins that we commit with thoughts and with our minds. It is things such as hatred, envy, jealousy, judging and condemning, adulterous mind, and greed.
The Bible says harboring sins in heart and committing sins in thoughts are all sins.
Matthew 5:28 says, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." And 1 John 3:15 first part says, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer."
The sins that are harbored in heart and thoughts will eventually come out as sin in action.
Therefore, since we are forgiven of our sins by believing in Jesus who wore the thorns for us, we have to sanctify our thoughts and minds, too.