Bible Passage: Hebrews 12:2

“He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did.”

Hard times are around us all the time. Everyone experiences them. Even the richest person who has life set experiences hard times. We all get sick, our bodies get old and die. The richest person may not have money problems, their hard times are just different.

If you imagine the happiest person in the world, what would their life look like?

Travel agencies make me think of a lying in a hammock with a cocktail by the pool on a tropical island. I went to Fiji for my honeymoon years ago and I realised that it is never as good as the photos - the photos aren’t real! It’s hot, muggy, you need a drink, need to go to the toilet, the hammock is to bendy, it rains, you get bored, you’re getting sunburnt, there is no purpose if it is ongoing in your life. It is good to relax for a time, but not forever.

You might be thinking of Disneyworld or the fun parks on the Gold Coast. These too would get boring after a while. It’s not real. Real life involves work, accomplishment, love, giving and loss too.

What do you think?

Would you rather:

• Go on a camping holiday or staying in a 5 star hotel?
• Going to a farm for a holiday or a beach?
• Going on a cruise for a week or staying at a fun park for a week?

Bible Passage: Hebrews 4:15

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!”

Story Time!

• Jesus is God and he became a human, born as a baby. I can imagine that would be a very humbling thing for the God of the universe to do - to take on the limitations we have to save us.
• Do you get hangry and then make poor decisions? Jesus was hungry. One time he went without food and drink for 40 days and nights. Satan came after the 40 days and tried to convince him to sin, but he refused, even though he was so weak.
• His friends did not believe what he taught them.
• People were disappointed in Jesus. He came late to his friend’s bed but Lazarus was already dead. “If you were here he wouldn’t have died!” Lazarus’s sister told Jesus. Jesus cried.
• Jesus had friends reject him and betray him. Judas was one of his 12 friends who gave the authorities a way to arrest Jesus away from the crowds. Jesus asked 3 disciples to pray with him hours before he was arrested but they kept falling asleep. Peter disowned Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed later that same night.
• Jesus was laughed at. A fake crown and robe was put on Jesus and the people mock-worshipped him. Jesus was hated and ridiculed. This was just a week after he had ridden the donkey into Jerusalem on palms and coats, being celebrated.
• Jesus’ own father rejected him, leaving him because he bore our sins on the cross. Before that, Jesus asked if he could please not do it. Jesus did it, dying on the cross, bearing our sins, taking them away.

A prophecy that has already come true, but people didn’t realise it was about Jesus until after it had all happened. This is a prophecy about Jesus’ death on the cross and what it was really all about:

Bible Passage: Isaiah 53

He wasn’t some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked
made him attractive to us.

He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
“He is a nobody!”

He suffered and endured
great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
was punishment from God.

He was wounded and crushed
because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
he made us completely well.

He was painfully abused,
but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
having its wool cut off.

He was condemned to death
without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined
what would happen to him?

The Lord decided his servant
would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin
and guilt of others.
He did everything
the Lord had planned.
Although he is innocent,
he will take the punishment
for the sins of others,
so that many of them
will no longer be guilty.

The Lord will reward him
with honor and power
for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner,
but he suffered for our sins
and asked God to forgive us.

Question Time!

• Why did Jesus go through all of that hardship?
• Why do you think Christians talk about this over and over again?
• Think about yourself in the future going through a hard time. What words of wisdom do you want to say to adult you? Maybe you could make it into one sentence and write in down on some paper and stick it somewhere where you can remember it (like on a mirror)

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