Ok, first, I want you to read this in Pslams 22:1 =

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"

Now read  Matthew 27:26 =

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'-which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'"

Woa!!  There practically the same thing!!  Here are some more:

Psalms 22:7 = "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads."

"Matthew 27:39 = "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads."

Psalms 22:16-18 = "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.  They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing."

Matthew 27:35 = "When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

Also, as since Jesus was crucified, his hands and feet were nailed to the cross.

Most religions believe Jesus existed and that He died on a cross.  They also say He was a great prophet.  But most also don't believe Jesus rose from the dead nor was the Christ.  Christianity is THE ONLY religion that believes Jesus was more than just a great prohet, but was/is the Messiah and also rose from the dead.

With the verses I put up before from Psalms 22 and Matthew 27, these verses are HUGE when it comes down to "Did Jesus really die?"  The book of Psalms is in the Old Testament and the book of Matthew is in the New Testament.  Therefore, Psalms was written way before Matthew was.  But David, the author of Psalms, it seems was able to feel the pain Jesus would be feeling on the cross.  Not just the physical pain, but the emotional pain.  Then when you look in Matthew, you see Jesus going through the same exact pain David described in Psalms!  This goes on throughout the whole scriptures!

One question people ask sometimes is, "Did Jesus die from being nailed to the cross?"  Jesus  died on a  cross, but He didn't die from the cross.  In John 19:30 it says, "When he had recieved the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.'  With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."  There isn't anything that can kill Jesus, basically, Jesus did something as humans we can't do.  He was able to have his spirit leave his body.  Confusing right?  Well, that's basically how he died.

"Did he raise from the dead?"  Yes and here's how.  In the Gospels (Matthew-John) after Jesus is buried, angels appear to not only women coming to attend the grave, but to the disciples as well!  Not only that, but Jesus appeared to others also!  In some religions, they say either Jesus never died but faked His death and the god the religion believes in made Jesus appear to raise from the dead.  Well, for a God, sure anything is possible.  But doesn't that seem a little bit whacked?  It sounds like a prank or a joke and a magic trick combined....only not really a funny joke....more like a weird joke.  John 3:16 = "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him won't perish, but have eternal life!"  So God sent His son Jesus to die for us to save us.  But even Jesus says that He and His Father that sent Him are one!"  If He was preaching that His Father was God, and then He says He and His Father are one, that means Jesus is God!  Not only is He God but that is how He was able to raise from the dead, because He's God!!

Doctors have researched Jesus' death and it's incredible what they say.  Professional doctors say about the crown of thorns, "The thorns were squeezed so tightly it would've punctured into His skull."  Doctors say about the nailing, "Some believe Jesus was nailed through the palm of His hands.  But this would not be likely.  He was most likely nailed through His wrists so the pain would last longer."  Doctors and Historians say, "The Romans would flog their criminals usually 39 times.  40 times usually killed the person so they usually flogged the person one less time to not totally kill them.  But even at 39 times, people would die very commonly."  Jesus was flogged before He was crucified.  It says Jesus didn't even look human after He was flogged.  Think about being beaten that much!!  Not only that but He had to carry His own cross that probably weighed twice His size up a huge mountain!  Eventually, as since He had been beaten so much, His body was so weak He couldn't do it alone.  He could've healed Himself, but He knew He was dieing to save us.  So the Roman guards had another man help Jesus carry the cross up the mountain.

Now. try to imagine the pain He must be going through.  Not just the physical pain but the emotional pain too.  Here He was helping people and because a few brown-nosed people were jealous and just wanted all of the attention, they beat Him and put Him to death for nothing!  Then while Jesus is hanging on the cross, He asks His Father to not punish, not hurt, not to kill, but to forgive the people!  Talk about anti-grudge!!  Then a theif next to Him asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered into heaven.  Jesus told Him one of the most amazing things ever, "From this day, you will be with me in paradise."  Jesus forgave the theif and the theif didn't enter into eternal darkness and pain in hell, but eternal life and joy in heaven!  Jesus also hung out with the "outcasts."  I mean seriously, His disciples were all fishers and one dude was a tax collector!  Then people he would talk to were what we would call today "hookers" or "pimps" or "sluts" or "theives."  But Jesus was not only loving, humble, authentic, and a healer, but He forgave!!

He still forgives and if you haven't asked Him to have a real personal relationship with Him, you need to soon.  He knows everything about you, He wants you to know about Him.  But you should soon....before it becomes too late.

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