Faithfully Yani

Not long ago, I had a simple but painful accident. I reached into my travel kit and accidentally cut my finger with a razor. It had been uncovered for months, but I never thought much about it—until blood began to flow.

Strangely, that tiny wound took me straight to the cross. My mind flashed back to a session from a recent retreat, where the speaker showed a short clip from The Passion of the Christ—the brutal crucifixion scene. I couldn’t watch it all. Tears welled up as I felt the heaviness of that moment—the cost of my salvation.

So when that razor cut me, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the weight of the Cross. And a week after, I got another small cut in the exact same spot. It felt like God’s nudge: “It’s time to write about this.”

How the Old Testament Points to Jesus

Before my sabbatical began, I prayed about whether to take it, and the Spirit led me to the book of Leviticus. Chapter 25 became my theme, but Leviticus 16 especially stood out—it was a bright spotlight pointing to Jesus.

In the Old Testament, God’s people had to offer sacrifices to atone for sin. They couldn’t simply enter His presence because He is holy and pure light (1 John 1:5). Only the high priest could step into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year—on the Day of Atonement.

Even the high priest, however, was not without sin. Before making atonement for the people, he first had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins (Leviticus 16:6). On that day, spotless lambs were brought as part of the atonement sacrifice for the people, yet its blood could only cover sin temporarily. Every year brought another Day of Atonement, and every sin required another sacrifice.

But the Old Testament carried a promise: one day, this cycle would end.

Why a Perfect Sacrifice Was Needed

God is perfectly just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and because of His justice, He must deal with sin fairly. Every sin—whether big or small in our eyes—carries a penalty. As Romans 6:23 reminds us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If God were to ignore sin, He would not be just, and the penalty for sin—death, both physical and eternal separation from Him—would remain. Yet no human could bear the weight of all sin as the flawless, sinless sacrifice required to restore us to God (Romans 3:10: “There is no one righteous, not even one”).

That is why God Himself stepped in.

John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus—fully God and fully man—lived the perfect life we could not live. He became:

The Cross Was More Than Physical Pain

It’s easy to focus only on the physical agony of crucifixion, but the weight of the Cross was much deeper.

Jesus bore every sin—past, present, and future—on Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:6), carrying the guilt and shame meant for us.

When I cut my finger, I felt the sting. But Jesus endured nails driven through His hands and feet, a crown of thorns pressed into His head, lashes that tore His back, and hours of suffocating pain.

The deepest suffering wasn’t the nails—it was when He took on the sin of the world and experienced the forsakenness that our sins deserved (Matthew 27:46). In that moment, He bore the full weight of God’s judgment—not because He had sinned, but because He stood in our place.

The Historical Context of Crucifixion

To fully grasp the weight of what Jesus endured, it helps to understand what crucifixion meant in the first-century Roman world:

Crucifixion was the most brutal, humiliating, and drawn-out execution method Rome used. It was designed for maximum pain over hours—sometimes days—and for public shame. Victims were flogged, tearing muscle and exposing bone, then forced to carry the heavy crossbeam (often over 75 pounds) through the streets.

At the execution site, nails 5–7 inches long were driven through the wrists and feet. Death came slowly through blood loss, dehydration, and suffocation. To breathe, the victim had to push up on pierced feet, scraping their back against rough wood, until exhaustion made breathing impossible.

This was the death Jesus willingly faced—not because He deserved it, but because we did (Isaiah 53:5).

Why This Matters for Us Today

We hear “Jesus died for you” so often that the words can lose their weight. But this is not just a story from 2,000 years ago—it’s the reason we can live with hope today.

Because of Jesus:

• We no longer need repeated sacrifices (Hebrews 10:12–14).
• We can boldly approach God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16).
• We are forgiven—past, present, and future (Colossians 2:13–14).
• We are free from the fear of death (1 Corinthians 15:55–57).

My Personal Response

I can’t fully grasp the depth of God’s love. I only know this: my life is no longer my own. It belongs to the One who gave His for me.

He has been my comfort in every storm, my strength in weakness, my grace when I’ve failed. And because of His sacrifice, I have the hope of eternal life.

If You Haven’t Surrendered to Jesus Yet

The same invitation Jesus gave to me, He offers to you today. You don’t need to “fix yourself” first—you simply come.

Romans 10:9 says: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Prayer of Surrender:

Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. I confess that I have sinned and I need Your forgiveness. Today, I surrender my life to You. Be my Lord and Savior. Thank You for loving me and giving me eternal life. Amen.

If you prayed that sincerely, welcome to the family of God.

Encouragement for Believers

If you already know Jesus, never lose the wonder of the Cross. When life feels overwhelming, remember: the same God who gave His Son for you will not abandon you now (Romans 8:32).

Let’s live each day with gratitude, humility, and joy—knowing we are deeply loved.

Reflection Question:

• When was the last time you paused to truly reflect on what Jesus did for you on the cross?
• How might your daily life change if you lived with that awareness every single day?

Stay Encouraged and Connected

If this blog encouraged your heart and helped you reflect on the Cross, I’d love for you to stay connected. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly devotionals, reflections, and encouragement straight to your inbox. Let’s continue growing in faith together, discovering God’s love, and living out His mission every day.

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).

If this post touched your heart, I’d love to hear from you—leave a comment to share your thoughts or experiences. And if it encouraged you, please give it a like or share it with a friend so others can also reflect on God’s amazing love.

By subscribing, commenting, or sharing, you’re helping build a community of believers who support one another and stay focused on Jesus.

Faithfully,

Yani 💛

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