Intro:
Good morning/afternoon. It’s our 3rd week in the month of July with our month theme “A Healing Hope. For the last 2 Sundays, we discussed about how God heal us spiritually as Bro. Nordan taught us that our spiritual healing will only come once we are saved. Ptra. Mildred discussed about how Jesus heals us and why He is opted to heal every sickness and diseases. Truly, He heals us physically. And today, God will heal the 3rd aspect of our lives as He heals us emotionally and I pray that inner healing will manifest in our midst.
Today we will focus on our monthly text found on Isaiah 53:5 and all the rest of the verses found on chapter 53. For the last 2 Sundays we studied about the importance of His healing, but today we will focus on His scars where healing flows. We will have a short film as our introduction for today’s sermon entitled “scars”.
Play Video… “SCARS”
As the video tells us about scars, it has all stories to tell. How many scars did we have when we were young? We still remember each one of them for they leave a very memorable pain for every scar we had. Our scars stories may be about our pains and sufferings but God’s scar is about salvation and healing. Today we will learn how painful it is for Christ to suffer just for the sake of saving us and healing all kinds of sickness and pain. Today we will learn about…
Christ’s SCARS for our Healing
Isaiah 53:1-12 NIV
1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Between Prophet Isaiah and our Lord Jesus is about 700 years apart, yet how vivid and a detailed sufferings and pain did the prophet saw the outcome of God’s ultimate sacrifice for men, a sacrifice that would give us healing not just on the outside but most especially from the inside. On these scars we can see and somehow feel if there are any more pain and sufferings that this world can discover other than our Lord Jesus received. Let us see one by one:
I. Contusions (pasa’) – An internal bruise caused by a blunt object such as a blow from a rod Isang panloob na pasa na dulot ng isang mapurol na bagay tulad ng suntok mula sa isang pamalo.
Matthew 26:67 KJV “Then they spit in His face and buffeted Him, and others smote Him with the palms of their hands.”
Buffet (b?f?t) verb which means to strike, as with the hand or fist; to strike against or push repeatedly; to attack “blow after blow”, as when waves buffet a boat. Christ was repeatedly struck with both fists and open hands in a sordid sickly sadistic mockery of the Lamb of God.
Micah 5:1 NKJV “Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.”
Matthew 27:29 -30 NIV “and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again…”
Let’s see the (Picture of Jesus’ Face)
Application: We have many diseases that also shows contusions or internal bruises, but the pain we feel could not measure up with the pain that our Lord Jesus received that time. These internal bruises are much like internal hemorrhage or internal bleeding. Many people suffer an internal bleeding of their own soul. People tend to disguise their lonely life because they are bleeding internally. Jesus experienced this not just physically but also emotionally. He was bleeding from inside to outside just to bear all kinds of pain that this world could give to any many. Jesus is prepared to have a scar on this wound.
As Jesus was strike by many kinds of things like rod, sticks or even fist, this resulted contusions all over His body. How many times have we been struck in the back by some of our trusted people around us? We carry all these pains to think that we are alone in this kind of situation. But not, Jesus has experienced this kind of scar in His face.
Not just the contusions but also…
II. Laceration (laslas) – A scar which results in a jagged or irregular tear. Isang peklat na nagreresulta sa isang tulis-tulis o hindi regular na pagkapunit.
Isaiah 50:6 “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting…”
Psalm 129:3 “Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.” (plow means “inararo”)
Matthew 27:26 “Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified...”
(Picture of Flagrum)
“Flogging was a legal preliminary to any Roman execution. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped” – Dr. C Truman Davis, New Wine Magazine, April 1982.
Application: Some of the diseases today have this kind of pain, it starts from the skin, then we feel it under our skin and until all our tissues and muscles are affected. But this kind of pain could gradually be felt by a person who has it. It may take years to get it with full blown pain. Unlike Jesus, who received these kinds of beating at an instant. Yet He choose to bear that pain ang agony because of us.
If contusions are internal bleeding, lacerations are wounds outside that will tear up our own skin, tissues until our flesh can be seen and be exposed. Many pains we suffer are pains that are under our skin initially. Pains that we underestimate its power until it goes down to our skin like words that hurt us every day. Destructive criticism is very dangerous because we are not aware that these destructive words would affect our lives, and eventually affect our attitudes and our character if we are exposed to it. Many have these scars because of our own lacerations brought about these hurting words towards us.
Next are scars not just under our skin but its…
III. Penetrating (tumatagos) wound – A scar caused by a sharp or pointed object that punctures or penetrates the skin. Isang peklat na dulot ng matalim o matulis na bagay na tumutusok o tumatagos sa balat.
Show (Picture of Crown of Thorns)
Consider the crown of thorns. Imagine the pain that you and I would feel if a straight pin was pressed into our temple. Now imagine several dozen spiny thorns pressed hard into our brow to mingle open wounds that would mingle both blood and sweat.
Again, we can see in Matthew 27:29-30 how cruelly they designed a crown of thorns to His head so these thorns would penetrate to His skull.
Matthew 27:29 -30 “and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again…”
Application: A migraine is a primary headache disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe. Typically, headaches affect one half of the head, are pulsating in nature, and last from a few hours to 3 days. Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or smell.
But in the case of our Lord Jesus, its more than a migraine, or a tumor inside His brain or head because those thorns are penetrating inside His very brain.
The crown was put upon His sacred head; both to reproach Him as a king, and to torture Him as a man.
Penetrating pains are pains that start from outside and go deep within us. It affects our actions and our reactions towards life outside. We have many pains that start from our head like worries, anxieties, disappointments and these pains will penetrate not just in our minds but in our soul our very emotion. These penetrating pains can somehow paralyze us because of the deep wounds within us. These wounds are created by the past experiences we have. Past experiences that still paralyze us because of the effect of these penetrating scars that are still being felt until today.
Christ scars are also…
IV. Perforating (bumubutas) Wound – Piercing – A scar caused by a sharp instrument making a hole through a body part. Isang peklat na dulot ng isang matalim na instrumento na gumagawa ng butas sa isang bahagi ng katawan.
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities…”
ASND “Ang totoo, sinugatan siya dahil sa ating mga pagsuway; binugbog siya dahil sa ating kasamaan.”
Psalm 22:16 “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.”
ASND “Pinaligiran ako ng mga taong masama na parang mga aso. At binutasan nila ang aking mga kamay at mga paa.”
(Picture of Nails)
The Roman legionnaire would feel depression at the front of the wrist. He would then drive a 5-7 inches long heavy, wrought-iron nail with a 5/8-inch square shaft through the wrist and deep into the wood of the patibulum or crossbar. The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each.
Application: According to medical people who analyzed Jesus hanging on the cross, He died gradually because of the beatings He received prior to His nailing on the cross and most especially due to the way He was nailed to that cross.
During Holy Week, many people try to mimic the piercing of their hands and feet by a cross but NOT with the nails they used to our Lord Jesus, with the excruciating pain it did to His hands and feet, no other disease can give us terrible pain such as that.
But that is part of the scar He doesn’t want to take away, because it has a story to tell.
John 20:24-27 NIV “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it to my side. Stop doubting and believe.”"
Piercing pain is just like being broken-hearted, when all the discouragements and disappointments are being felt by our own heart. Someone once said that “the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart”. How many of us have experienced to be broken-hearted? It feels like they are piercing our hearts as we feel that pain!
Illustration: I remember the song of Michael V “Sinaktan mo ang puso ko”.
Sinaktan mo ang puso ko
Sinaksak mo ng kutsilyo
Binuhusan mo ng asido
Pinukpok ng martilyo
Sinaktan mo ang puso ko
Ngayon ako'y naghihingalo
Mauubusan na 'ko ng dugo
Sinaktan mo ang puso ko
How many of us feel that we are losing blood already because of all the heart problems we have?
V. Incision (humihiwa) – A scar made by a cutting instrument. Isang peklat na ginawa ng isang instrumentong nakakahiwa.
John 19:33-34 “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water…”
(Picture of spear)
A Roman spear was used in the New Testament to stab Jesus in the lower rib. Roman spears were generally placed on a long wooden shaft to prevent the breaking of the spear. The spear used to stab Jesus was probably a Pilum, generally carried by Legionaries, or elite soldiers. The point of the spear was pyramid shaped; which created a wound which would remain open and not heal quickly.
But John points out that Christ was already dead and from His side flowed water and blood.
There from His side flowed the watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is convincing post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion way by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.
Under the weight of our sins the very heart of Christ was crushed. What more painful to receive is not only those 5 kinds of scars Jesus had received but those internal wounds and lashes.
But aside from these 5 physical wounds to Christ it was more painful all those internal wounds He got on these times. He was despised by His enemies, disappointed in His disciples who left Him, disowned by Peter 3 times, discredited by many people whom He taught and healed yet same people who shouted to crucify Him, and doubted by many including Thomas.
Aside from these physical and emotional wounds, what’s more painful is that His Father was only on the look-out for His Son as He fulfils the salvation of mankind and the healing of His own people. Yes, He knew His Father can do something to ease the pain His Son is suffering yet in v10, it was pleasing to His Father to see it.
Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin…”
ASND “Pero kalooban ng Panginoon na saktan Siya at pahirapan. Kahit na ginawa Siyang handog ng Panginoon para mabayaran ang kasalanan ng mga tao…
Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth…”
ASND “Inapi siya at sinaktan, pero hindi man lang dumaing. Para siyang tupang dadalhin sa katayan para patayin, o tupang gugupitan na hindi man lang umiimik.
How many of us chose not to say a word and not to complain so we don’t show our weakness to other people? Yet do we have all these pains, bruises, wounds that now we have all these scars in our emotions?
You see, He chose to have those wounds with Him and having all these scars when He rose up from the grave to tell us His great message of hope for saving and healing.
These SCARS were caused by our sins, from Adam up to now.
Isaiah tells us that the accumulated sufferings of the Christ, being wounded, bruised, chastised, pierced-through, plagued, crushed was not for His own sins, but for ours. He carried on His own person the sins of the world. He carried your and my sins to the cross that we might be forgiven.
Revelation 5:9 “…You were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
ASND “…dahil kayo ay pinatay, at sa pamamagitan ng inyong dugo ay tinubos n'yo ang mga tao para sa Dios. Ang mga taong ito ay mula sa bawat angkan, wika, lahi, at bansa.
The SCARS of Christ are there because Jesus loves you and me. They were in God’s plan of redemption as prophesied of old. They were inflicted on you and me. So, what are we going to do in order to receive God’s sacrifice so we can be healed completely not just physically, spiritually and emotionally? What are the steps to be emotionally healed and free? We need to…
1. Surrender – to His power, His will, to His Lordship over us. That we cannot save and heal our own selves but only to acknowledge Him as Lord and our Savior. Most of the examples of Jesus’ healing is that it is a story of surrender. The woman bleeding for 12 years who touched Jesus showed surrender to His power. She lost her riches because of her disease but only got her healing when she realized it’s only in the power of God, she can get healed.
Luke 8:43-48 NIV
43And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
47Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
How many believed that God will not only allow His cloak to be touched but His whole power can be touched right now if we will only surrender?
2. Commit – our lives to Him, He will not only forgive us but He will heal us from any sickness and pain right now. Just put our trust in Him. The story of Mary with 7 demons whom Jesus healed, started to commit her life when she was healed and delivered. God wanted our healing to be permanent by fully trusting in His power of healing.
Luke 8:1-2
1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
Many wanted to receive their healing but once after they received it, they were gone and went back to their old life. God is looking for people who will thank Him and serve Him as well. (Story of the 10 lepers)
This is the emotional problem of the Samaritan Woman in the well for she chose to have 5 husbands and the current husband she had that time was not even her husband. She had a hard time to commit for life, but when she met Jesus, she learned the value of commitment to God and that healed her!
3. Accept – Him as our Master, our Lord and our Healer. He is the only One who can forgive our sins that caused us sicknesses especially emotional sickness. We tend to be haunted by our past mistakes and the devil has deceived many of us, that is why we chose to live in fear and hide. But He came to seek and save the lost and to redeem us. The story of the paralyzed man whom God healed by forgiving his sins. God is asking us to receive Him so He can be our healer and our personal savior by forgiving our sins.
Matthew 9:1-2 NIV
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.
2Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus needs to forgive our sins so we can accept Him not just as Lord and Savior but also to be our healer. If we are emotionally drained not just physically and spiritually, why not first accept God’s forgiveness and forgive ourselves as well. Then we need to…
4. Rise up – from our desperate situation. Once God forgive us and we forgive ourselves, then we ought to forgive those people who hurt us so we can move on towards His will for us. We should not hold on to any resentment, hatred, rebellion or any bitterness these scars caused us in the past. But we should learn the lesson of forgiveness God taught us. We should let our scars be better and not to be bitter.
I remember how Jesus healed the paralyzed man in…
Matthew 9:6 NIV
But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
When God healed the paralyzed man, he did not say “you are healed”, but Jesus said “get up, take up your mat and go home”. Jesus can easily say “get up” leaving his mat behind. One of the most important steps after we surrender, commit and accept Him is to rise up. The first 3 steps can be internally done as we decide to come to our Lord Jesus for healing. But the next 2 steps can only be shown externally and must be done by ourselves showing others that we are slowly getting up and slowly picking up our own trash of past sin to be corrected as the Lord cleansed us in the process.
Look! The testimony of the paralyzed man would not be complete without the mat. That mat is the scar of that man which has a story to tell. And so, our mess becomes our own message, our trials become our triumph of how God gave us victory!
And so, just like the paralyzed man once we rise up, we need to…
5. Say our own stories – to others so that many will also know Christ who is our story teller of our own lives. We are commanded to tell our own stories so people will be inspired in knowing God’s power of healing not just physically and spiritually but today God will heal our emotions. Though some people that Jesus healed got an instruction not to tell it to anyone. Like in…
Mark 7:36-37
36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said.
But is it the very plan of Jesus to keep a blessing or a miracle a secret? Definitely NO! But he told this only to test their faith if they can keep the blessings on their own or not. We should proclaim the good news so people will be overwhelmed with amazement! We have many stories of healing within our lives and within the people we know. Telling our own story would be the result of our healing when we shout to world how good God is to us!
Friends, today I know we have a lot of stories to tell about all our scars or even hurts. But as we conclude this sermon…
Conclusion:
Jesus’ 5 wounds have scars on Him and just like the video we watched, He has a purpose because those scars are still with Him. This is to remind us that whatever sickness and diseases we may have, by His wounds, we are already healed. Yet we also have SCARS to leave on every sickness and these SCARS will always remind us to:
S-urrender to Him
C-ommit our lives after we got healed
A-ccept Him as our Healer
R-ise up to move on
S-ay our own stories about Him.
Do we have SCARS today for God to heal? Would you like to see God’s scars for us to be healed? His wounds are so powerful that if we focus on it, it lets us also feel our personal pain, suffering, and hurt. Definitely, Jesus wounds would easily surpass the pain and agony we have because He truly loved us.
Illustration:
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the Western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.
(Show a picture of a man doing push-up)
One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." 200? That’s pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don’t know... I’ve never done 300 at a time." "You don’t have to do them all at once." said Dr. Christianson. Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it." Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind." Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. These weren’t the normal kinds of donuts; they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts? "Cynthia said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk. Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.
And down the second aisle he went, till he came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. Pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class. When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott’s reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don’t want one then." Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn’t want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it." And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.
The bell rang and Dr. Christianson told all of the students to stay in their seats. Some students in the hall saw Steve doing pushups and wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Yes. You must pay the full price for each donut." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!" Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him? Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut" Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" Jason, new to the room hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. His back was swayed, not straight. His waist barely cleared the floor. Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was no sound except his heavy breathing, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda knew that no matter what she said, Steve would have to do ten more pushups. She said, very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.
When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve, here is THE ONLY student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.
Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so, it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ’into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten." Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor.
The story is about the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, whether we accept that scar of sacrifice or not He still need to die for us for a purpose of saving and healing us. The gift of healing is already there at our desk, we just have to say “Yes” to God and He will save and heal us. Most of the time we don’t notice the voice of God calling us, (nagpapapansin sa tin si Lord) but to no avail. Yet God’s healing is always available for us.
If we are suffering from terrible pain o sukdulang sakit, God has His supreme grace to love and heal us...
Let us sing that song “Sukdulang Biyaya”
Habang hindi karapat-dapat
Pag-ukulan ng habag at wagas Mong pagsinta
Habang walang kakayanan
Masuklian Ka ng mabuti sa lahat Mong ginawa
Niyakap Mo ako sa aking karumihan
Inibig Mo ako ng 'di kayang tumbasan
Oh, Diyos ng katarungan at katuwiran
Na kahit minsa'y 'di nabahiran
Ang kabanala't kalwalhatian
Salamat sa sukdulang biyaya Mo
Oh, Diyos ng pag-ibig na mas malawak pa
Kaysa aking mga pagkakasala
Higit pa sa buhay ko
Salamat sa sukdulang biyaya Mo
