I WAS THERE!

REMBRANDT was considered one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.  Rembrandt painted himself into his painting The Raising of the Cross (a portion of the whole painting shown here)

(Rembrandt is easily recognised by his turban which is historically incorrect, but often worn by painters to keep paint off their hair.)

Rembrandt vividly depicted the various attitudes of those about the cross, and painted himself there, as if almost apart from the scene, and yet in command of the action.

Why did Rembrandt paint himself into his painting of the crucifixion?

In his own words:
“I was there too!     I helped to crucify Jesus.     He died in MY place.”

The truth is that we were ALL there.

Christ died for ME!
Christ was sinless,
but He took MY sin on Himself
and He bore God’s punishment for MY sin.

Horatius Bonar, Scottish hymnwriter, expressed it like this . . .

‘Twas I that shed the sacred blood:
I nailed Him to the tree.
I crucified the Christ of God;
I joined the mockery.

Of all the shouting multitude,
I feel that I am one;
And in that din of voices rude
I recognise my own.

I WAS THERE!
I HELPED CRUCIFY CHRIST!

Romans 3:23
Everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God.

Isaiah 59:2
Your iniquities have separated you from your God
and your sins have hidden His face from you.

Romans 5:8
God demonstrates His own love towards us,
in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Peter 3:18
Christ suffered once for sins, the Just for the unjust,
that He might bring us to God.

1 Peter 2:24
Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.

2 Corinthians 5:21
He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin, to be sin for us,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Christ died for ME
What was my response?

For the first 22 years of my life, I didn’t know if there was a God.

Then God revealed Himself to me and gave me understanding and faith to believe.  I accepted Christ as my Saviour who gave Himself for me and reconciled me to God.

For the last 54 years of my life, my God has been my Everything.  I am His blood-bought, adopted, greatly loved child and He supplies all I need.  In Christ, I have forgiveness of sins.  I have His abiding presence.  I enjoy His peace and joy in all circumstances.  He changed me and continues to change me.  One day soon, I will be presented faultless before Him – not because of anything I have done, but only because of His work in me – and I will live with Him and praise Him for all eternity.

Christ died for YOU
What is YOUR response?

Jeremiah 33:3
Call unto Me and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Acts 16:31
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved