In order to make a decision for Jesus we must believe that He is the only begotten Son of the Father. When He came to earth He was born of a virgin, being entirely God and entirely man. He lived among us, being tempted in all points as we are, yet untainted by sin. In this way, He became an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of man. God sent Him because He loved the world, and He still does. This means that He loves you, and He sent His Son to lay down His life so that He could restore and fulfill yours!

God was burdened with an unquenchable love for the whole world. For this love, Jesus died an excruciating, reprehensible, and utterly denigrating death. He was beaten and His hairs were plucked from His face. A crown of thorns was twisted around His scalp, rupturing blood vessels so that the blood poured from his head. He was beaten with a cat-o-nine tails: a whip with nine strands often containing shards of metal, bone, and glass. The stripes upon his back were not from bruised or bleeding skin. His flesh was voraciously torn from His back, muscles and bones left totally exposed. After they were finished, the skin and muscle that was still attached to His body hung in ribbons.

Upon this back they laid a cross, forcing Him to carry it alone. As he dragged this cross, the weight pressed into His open body, inserting splinters of wood. When he could no longer carry it, the cross was given to another, yet Jesus was forced to walk the remaining distance to Golgotha. He was dehydrated. As He walked, the blood that continually dripped into His eyes caused severe burning, and the flesh of His back was totally exposed. He did this for you!

At Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, they laid His body upon the cross naked. They parted His garments amongst themselves. For all of those who have ever been raped, in this moment, Jesus felt that shame. They nailed Him to that cross, placing the nails into the major nerves connecting the hands to the central nervous system. They placed a single nail through both of His feet. His legs were not allowed to hang straight down but were fixed so that His knees were bent at forty-five degrees, causing severe and excruciating cramping in His thighs. His muscles fatigued in minutes, but He continued to live for hours.

Upon the cross, death came by asphyxiation. In the position that Jesus was nailed to the cross, it was impossible to breathe. It was not that He was gasping for air. The position of crucifixion caused His lungs to be maximally inflated with air. He had to struggle to breathe out. Jesus had to drag his back up and down the wooden cross for hours before breathing His final breath. In order to drag His open flesh up the cross, He had to push up on his feet causing his hands to twist upon the nails that were driven through His nerves. Crucifixion placed the body in such a position that the joints of the arm would slowly become dislocated as the victim suffered. By the time Jesus neared death, all of His bones were out of joint, adding literal inches to the lengths of His arms. He did this for you1!

With a face marred beyond recognition, Jesus cried out to the Father, “My God My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He suffered the ultimate feelings of rejection, because when He became sin for us, He had to be forsaken by His Father in heaven. In the end, the internal complications resulting from crucifixion ruptured the heart of Jesus. When they pierced His side blood and water poured out. Jesus died of a heart broken for us. He died that we might live, not only eternally, but also abundantly. He died to give us the very life of God. He is the acceptable sacrifice—the only sacrifice that God will accept for our sins.

In order to be saved we must not only believe that Jesus died, but that He was resurrected on the third day. The victory wasn’t in the death but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ when He arose having all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He later ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He remains to this day continually making intercession for us. This is the God that I serve! This is the God of love! This is the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Bible says that if we confess the Lord Jesus Christ with our mouth, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead in our heart we will be saved (Romans 10:9). If you believe this testimony of Jesus Christ in your heart, then you can confess this prayer with your mouth and you will be saved:

“Jesus, I come before you and acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent. I call upon your name and I ask you to cleanse me with your blood. Forgive me of my sins. I invite you into my heart Jesus Christ. I believe that you were born of a virgin, died and were resurrected on the third day that I might have eternal life. I open my life to you and I ask you to come in and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen”.

If you just said that prayer, you now also have eternal life in Christ Jesus. When you die, you will immediately be escorted to heaven to spend eternity with God (2 Corinthians 5:8). Also take note of this: leadership may have failed you. However, in Jesus you will find a leader that can never fail you. He will right every wrong, and heal every wound. Your hope and confidence has just been placed in the greatest leader the cosmos will ever know.

1“Final Frontier: The Crucifixion – Medical and Prophetic Aspects – Anatomy and Physiology of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Bible Prophecy fulfilled, and Blood of Jesus Christ on the Mercy Seat.” Final Frontier: Home – Home – Free Christian teaching resources from Dr Richard Kent on Life after Death, NDE’s, Creation, Evolution, Crucifixion, Shroud of Turin, Archaeology, Abortion, Rapture, Bible, Money, Miracles. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2010. <http://www.finalfrontier.org.uk/index.php?main=5&sub=1&page=28>.