By John Mark –
“He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicle 7:14).
Couple of years ago, when I knelt down to pray and was worshipping the Mighty Lord in tongues, all of a sudden, I felt an unusual experience; I could see my spirit increasing in proportions and the Lord said, “Come here.” I left my body in spirit and was in the throne room of God the Almighty. The Throne of God is above the third Heaven. My Spirit was in the same kneeling position as my body in my room. The throne room of God is divided into three: the Holy place, the most Holy place and the Holiest of Holy place. There are several screens or partitions between the Holy place and the Holiest of Holy place. Those who have visitations are placed in between those partitions based on their calling, desire to see Him and love for the Lord.
Seeing the crystal partition before the Holiest of Holy place, I had a desire to see what is behind the screen and to see the Father. And our loving Lord knew my thought and called me inside. As I moved in spirit, I was flabbergasted to see the Huge Mass of Fire extended to an infinite height. A thought arose as to what was behind and the Lord said, “Go and see”. I moved around and I could see only fire; fire all around, fire above, fire everywhere. As I moved further into Him, I felt the fire of the Lord; I could feel that in my body. Our Lord is the Consuming Fire.
Prophet Ezekiel says “I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of His lions even upward, and from the appearance of His lions even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about” (Ezekiel 1:27). And I saw the Lord Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit and the Father Jehovah merge together.
This Most Mighty Magnificent Monarch the Great Yahweh became man for man. He had lot of mercy on the poor, the peasants, the shepherds, the fishers and all those who were suffering because of the heinous rule of the Herod. He lived and moved amidst the people. He touched the lepers and cleansed them; He opened the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and loosened the tongue of the dumb. In His presence, the crippled and the palsy leaped, jumped and walked. The possessed screamed at His sight and were delivered from the demonic possession. He raised the dead alive. His fame grew far and wide. People flocked around Him to hear His words of Wisdom. He was bold and courageous; He spoke with authority and power.
The Passover
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I AM the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12:12-14).
The children of Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. They were serving the Egyptians and their lives were bitter. The Lord saw their affliction, heard their groaning and remembered His covenant. The Lord chose Prophet Moses to deliver His children from bondage. He sent him to Pharaoh to deliver the children of Israel. He performed mighty signs and wonders. There were plagues one after the other but pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let them go. The Lord guided His congregation to take a lamb without blemish, kill it and apply the blood of the lamb on the two side posts as well as on the upper doorpost of their houses. The children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded.
At midnight, the Lord moved through the land of Egypt, He smote all the firstborn, both man and cattle from the palace to the dungeon. But, when He saw the blood on the two doorposts and the upper post, He passed over: for He knew it was the dwelling place of His children. Pharaoh and the Egyptians didn’t want any more plagues and curse so he let them go.
The Lord wanted His children to remember this for their lifetime.
Pontius Pilate the Roman prefect was a tough, tyrant and draconian Governor of Judea including Jerusalem. Joseph Caiaphas was the high priest, the son in law of Annas, the first High priest during the Roman rule. The priests were the bitterest foes of the Lord Jesus Christ because He vehemently protested them for permitting the temple premises to be used as a market place and hindering the gentiles or non-Jews from worshipping in the temple. Pilate and Caiaphas were in power together for ten years. The actual daily rule of Jerusalem was in the hands of Caiaphas.
The Pharisees were people who had separated themselves from the ordinary folk to live a saintly life. They considered Lord Jesus to be their enemy because he flouted many of the rituals considered sacred, and He denounced them openly for their hypocritical ways. The Scribes were the teachers of the law. The Lord Jesus often took a severe stand against scribes because their interpretations were contrary to the rights of the common people and their well-being. Sadducees were upper class, rich and noble families. They were a priestly aristocracy very powerful, hated by Pharisees, the Scribes and the locals. They were sceptical with regard to the popular Messianic ideas and were also responsible for the death of Lord Jesus. “And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all, Nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation perish. Now this he did not say on his own authority but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation” (John 11:49-51).
In the Letters of Pontius Pilate written to his friend Seneca in Rome, he describes Lord Jesus Christ as portrayed by his wife Procula that He was a strange man, gaunt and rugged, burnt up by the fire of His passion, spoke like a General, full of self-confidence, imperious and often fierce.
During the feast of Passover, thousands of Israelites gather to worship and to celebrate the deliverance from Egypt through the Mighty hand of God. They come from different parts of the world. Jerusalem is always crowded at this season. Lord Jesus and His twelve apostles had assembled in a large upper room to eat the Passover. The Lord Jesus though being a Master became a servant by washing the feet of His disciples. He knew that He will be betrayed yet He humbled Himself to be a slave. He came to serve and not to be served. He blessed the bread and the wine gave it to them and said it was His body and blood. He signified that He was the Passover Lamb of God.
After the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus and His disciples went to Gethsemane. He was exceedingly sorrowful. As He prayed earnestly, His sweat was of great drops of blood. Having received all the information about the Lord Jesus from the betrayer Judas Iscariot, Pilate sent the Roman soldiers to arrest the Lord Jesus. For thirty pieces of silver Judas betrayed his Friend and his Master with a kiss. “Even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalms 41:9).
After the Lord Jesus Christ was arrested, all His disciples deserted Him and fled. He was bound in chains. He was scourged mercilessly. A crown of thorns was placed on His head. He was mocked and spat, beaten and bruised, tormented and tortured. He was bleeding from His head to foot. He was made to carry the cross. He lost lot of blood and could not move any further, and He fell. At that instant, a man named Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross.
During the Passover week amidst thousands of people, He was humiliated on the streets of Jerusalem. He who spoke like a General, performed mighty miracles, fed thousands in the same place in the same land for the same people, was led like a criminal. The gentle Lamb was led for the sacrifice. Everyone who had come there for the feast of Passover had to witness the gruesome vicarious sacrifice of the Holy Lamb of God.
As they reached Golgotha, a place of skull, He was nailed to the cross. Nail on both the hands, the nail on the legs, the pain was unbearable. The heavy cross was lifted and erected, and the agony was excruciating. After all humiliation and nailing Him to the cross, a lance was pierced. How cruel were His creation.
The Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood. His holy precious blood was shed for you, for your sins and for the sins of your family and your generation. His blood cleanses you, makes you holy and perfect. The Lord Jesus Christ stamped the Satan, every disease, problems, poverty and the death on that cross. He died on the cross and was buried in an empty tomb.
As He had prophesied earlier, after three days He resurrected Himself and proved that He was God in flesh. Death could not hold Him. Death had no power over Him. Death died on the cross. Death was defeated and the Lord Jesus Christ was victorious. Nothing could hinder Him or stop Him from doing His Father’s will. His mission accomplished, He ascended to the Heaven.
He touched many of the Roman soldiers who were part of the contingent that tormented Him and they took His word to many countries.
Imagine how much the Lord will be hurt when you go away from Him, commit sin, and do things contrary to His will. Do not hurt the Lord. Be obedient to Him. The Lord has stretched His nail pierced hands for you, to embrace you.
The blood of the lamb on the doorposts and the upper post of the Israelites door saved them from all the plagues, pestilences and curses. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that He shed on the cross is much more powerful. There is no alternative to His Holy Blood. Oil and water are not the substitutes for His Blood. It is more powerful than any medicine or vaccine ever discovered and that is being prescribed. His Blood is more powerful than any dangerous pathogens.
The Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself spotless to God. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. He has purchased us with His own blood.
Meditate on the sufferings of Our Lord and as you meditate you will truly experience His presence, your burden lightened and removed. You will be set free from all the bondages. Every day early in the morning as you wake up; kneel, stretch your hands surrender yourself, your spouse, your children, your entire family, and your house to Him. Ask the Lord to cleanse, sanctify and wash you and your family with His Holy Powerful Blood. Not only your heart and your body but everything, including your garments. Plead to Him to baptise you with His Precious Blood. The Lord will forgive all your sins and shortcomings; He will cover you with His Holy Blood. Sickness, witchcraft and everything that is unclean, unholy and that which has been tormenting you all these years will flee. Satan and the hell will tremble even to look at you. The hell will see you as fire.
The Heaven and the hell are watching you. When you are covered by His Precious Blood the angels protect you and the devil will fear to touch you.
When you pray for healing, He heals and you are healed. When you ask for blessings, He blesses and you are blessed. And when you seek cleansing, He cleanses and you are cleansed.
Do not fear man, do not fear evil, do not fear poverty and do not fear sickness. Fear God and God alone. Honour God and Worship Him alone. Bow to Him and Him alone.
“Fear thou not; for I AM with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).