. . . AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH . . .

It is written:

Many people were shocked when they saw HIM; HE WAS DISFIGURED THAT HE HARDLY LOOKED HUMAN. ISAIAH 52:14

We despised HIM and rejected HIM; HE ENDURED SUFFERING AND PAIN. Noone would even look at HIM - WE IGNORED HIM AS IF HE WERE NOTHING. ISAIAH 53:3

BUT HE ENDURED THE SUFFERING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OURS, THE PAIN THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BORNE..... ISAIAH 53:4

BUT BECAUSE OF OUR SINS HE WAS WOUNDED, BEATEN BECAUSE OF THE EVIL WE DID. WE ARE HEALED BY THE PUNISHMENT HE SUFFERED, MADE WHOLE BY THE BLOWS HE RECEIVED. ISAIAH 53:5

.....But the LORD made the punishment fall on HIM, THE PUNISHMENT ALL OF US DESERVED. ISAIAH 53:6

HE WAS TREATED HARSHLY, BUT ENDURED IT HUMBLY; HE NEVER SAID A WORD..... ISAIAH 53:7

.....HE WAS PUT TO DEATH FOR THE SINS OF OUR PEOPLE. ISAIAH 53:8

THE LORD SAYS, "IT WAS MY WILL THAT HE SHOULD SUFFER; HIS DEATH WAS A SACRIFICE TO BRING FORGIVENESS....." ISAIAH 53:10

.....MY DEVOTED SERVANT, WITH WHOM I AM PLEASED, WILL BEAR THE PUNISHMENT OF MANY AND FOR HIS SAKE I WILL FORGIVE THEM. ISAIAH 53:11

.....HE WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE AND SHARED THE FATE OF EVIL MEN. HE TOOK THE PLACE OF MANY SINNERS AND PRAYED THAT THEY MIGHT BE FORGIVEN. ISAIAH 53:12

Hear Me! Save Me now! Be my refuge to protect Me; My defense to save Me. PSALM 31:2

EVERYONE HAS FORGOTTEN ME, AS THOUGH I WERE DEAD; I AM LIKE SOMETHING THROWN AWAY. PSALM 3:12

IN HIS LIFE ON EARTH JESUS MADE HIS PRAYERS AND REQUESTS WITH LOUD CRIES AND TEARS TO GOD, WHO COULD SAVE HIM FROM DEATH. BECAUSE HE WAS HUMBLE AND DEVOTED, GOD HEARD HIM. BUT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS GOD'S SON, HE LEARNED THROUGH HIS SUFFERINGS TO BE OBEDIENT. HEBREWS 5:7-8

Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! DO YOU THINK THAT I WILL NOT DRINK THE CUP OF SUFFERING WHICH MY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME?" JOHN 18:11

.....ONE OF THE GUARDS THERE SLAPPED HIM..... JOHN18:22

....."Aren't you also one of the disciples of that Man?" BUT PETER DENIED IT. "NO, I AM NOT," he said. JOHN 18:25

Then Pilate took Jesus and HAD HIM WHIPPED. THE SOLDIERS MADE A CROWN OUT OF THORNY BRANCHES AND PUT IT ON HIS HEAD; then they put a purple robe on Him and came to Him and said, "Long live the King of the Jews!" AND THEY WENT UP AND SLAPPED HIM! JOHN 19:1-3

.....they shouted, "CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!" JOHN 19:6

They shouted back, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!"..... JOHN 19:15

He went out, CARRYING HIS CROSS, and came to "The Place of the Skull," as it is called (In Hebrew it is called "Golgotha") tHERE THEY CRUCIFIED HIM..... JOHN 19:17-18

.....THEY DIVIDED MY CLOTHES AMONG THEMSELVES AND GAMBLED FOR MY ROBE..... JOHN 19:24

.....He said to His mother, "He is your son." Then He said to His disciple, "She is your mother"..... JOHN 19:26-27

JESUS SAID, "FORGIVE THEM, FATHER! THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING"..... LUKE 23:34

THE SOLDIERS MADE FUN OF HIM: THEY CAME UP TO HIM AND OFFERED HIM CHEAP WINE AND SAID, "SAVE YOURSELF IF YOU ARE THE KING OF THE JEWS." LUKE 23:36-37

AT THREE O'CLOCK JESUS CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD SHOUT, "ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABACHTHANI?" WHICH MEANS, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY DID YOU ABANDON ME?" MARK 15:34

JESUS CRIED OUT IN A LOUD VOICE, "FATHER! IN YOUR HANDS I PLACE MY SPIRIT!" HE SAID THIS AND DIED. LUKE 23:46

"IT IS FINISHED!" THEN HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT. JOHN 19:30

WITH A LOUD CRY JESUS DIED. MARK 15:37

JESUS AGAIN GAVE A LOUD CRY AND BREATHED HIS LAST. MATTHEW 27:50


My God, my Lord, because of my sins You suffered. YOU TOOK THE PUNISHMENT THAT IS MEANT FOR ME. YOU DO NOT DESRVE IT. It is I who should have been there. It is I who should have been mocked, crowned with thorns, whipped. It is I who should have carried the Cross. It is I who should have been crucified.

I have rejected You. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR ME. YOU SUFFERED FOR MY SAKE.....FOR MY FORGIVENESS.....FOR MY SALVATION. You have been so unselfish, my Lord. You felt fear. You felt turning back for You knew what would happen to You. You felt abandoned.....and yet.....YOU ENDURED THEM ALL and obeyed the Father's will to the finish. YOU TRUSTED HIM STILL.

You, my innocent Lord, my God, my Master.....took my place, Your creation, Your servant.....the sinner. Nothing can surpass what you did for me. Nothing can surpass your greatness. THANK YOU, MY DEAR JESUS with all my mind, all my soul, and most especially with all my heart. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU. I AM SO MUCH INDEBTED TO YOU.

My life is not enough to repay what you have done for me. Nothing I can offer can give back what you gave me.....what you did for me. My Lord, let me die with You in that Cross. Let me share the burden that should have been mine. And as I die with You, my dear Lord, renew my spirit to be worthy of what You have gone through. Make me, my Lord, like You, who learned through Your sufferings to be obedient to our Dear Father in all humility.

Dear Jesus, let Your Spirit live in me so I can endure all the trials and sufferings I have to face for the glory of Your Kingdom. Make my heart..... always..... have the desire to serve and to love.

Let that desire keep burning in my heart so that Your sacrifice will not be in vain with me. As You offered Your precious life for me, let me offer my humble life to You. AS YOU DIE ON THAT CROSS TO FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE.....LET ME DIE WITH YOU TO FULFILL MINE. AMEN.

-luisadelacruz