The Cure for Pain

John 1:29 English Standard Version (ESV)

Behold, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Hebrews 10:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Hebrews 10:10 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

I visited a new medical doctor this week who suggested I should try meditation,  yoga, even something called laughing yoga, to deal with physical pain.  I tried to explain as a Christian, my Bible reading and prayer times were my meditation.  (I wish I had thought to also mention worship.)  She totally didn't get it.  I wonder if we followers of Jesus seem barbaric to so totally love and embrace a  Savior who died a cruel death, shedding his own blood for our sins.  I don't welcome pain, but I accept it as part of living in this fallen world, as part of sharing in the sufferings of Christ.  We'll never be free from pain in this life, but we can be forgiven; and there's a deep, deep joy in forgiveness that group laughter can't touch.  Jesus, only Jesus, is my cure.

Nothing But the Blood - Natalie Grant & Steve Grant