1. The Sacrifice of The One Who Wants To Be Our Best Friend

2. The question arises as to why God allowed His beloved Son - Jesus to be subjected to this harsh and brutal punishment from His own creation – man? Death on a cross was – during the Roman era – the worst form of punishment meted to the worst of criminals. The question arises as to why God allowed His beloved Son - Jesus to be subjected to this harsh and brutal punishment from His own creation – man? Strange as many truths are – the answer is simple and yet profound. It is for your sake and mine – for each one of us. Let us discover how and journey along with Jesus on that fateful day on which His crucifixion left a mark on history – forever.

3. He bore innumerable lashes before he was given the cross and also during the time he carried it ( more than 2 gruelling hrs ) He had three nails hammered into him He had crown of thorns on his head He had a spear of a Roman soldier pierced into his chest. >> As a result Jesus poured nearly all of his blood and then water started pouring out of his side. The physical afflictions Jesus bore

4. Of course, the criminal was secured to a wooden cross with nails... Big nails! Each was 15cm to 20 cm long, with a hammer point of 6 cm. Another point was sharp and could pierce through bone with ease.

5. The nails were hammered into the pulse, and not into the palm, as we sometimes think. In the pulse, there’s a tendon which extends till the shoulder, and when the nails were being hammered, that tendon broke, forcing Jesus to reinforce all the muscles of his back, so that he could breath as He was loosing all the air from his lungs.

6. In this way, He was forced to support Himself onto the nail craved in his feet, which was bigger than those craved into his pulses, for both feet were craved together. And, as his feet could not endure for long time without tearing, Jesus was forced to alternate that “cycle” so that He could breath.

7. The Sacrifice of The One Who Wants To Be Our Best Friend

8. He had his near ones – family members, etc weep for Him at the foot of the cross. His disciples – who were with Him all through His 3.5 years of ministry– all deserted him Emotionally – He felt separated from God because of the anguish of the moment. It was a hellish experience to say the least. >> One of the things Jesus uttered while on the cross was “Father, Father, Why hast thou forsaken me ?”. Imagine the Son of God saying this !! The emotional afflictions Jesus bore

9. All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying his own cross for almost 2 kilometres, while the crowd spat on his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where his hands were nailed).

11. He had the sins of the entire human race upon Him at one point (while on the cross). Imagine the Sinless, Holy Son of God carrying all the muck of humanity !! Spiritually also He felt separated from God because of the sins he carried. It was a hellish experience to say the least. >> One of the things Jesus uttered while on the cross was “Father, Father, Why hast thou forsaken me ?”. Imagine the Son of God saying this !! The spiritual afflictions Jesus bore

12. Jesus had to pass all this experience, so that your sins may be forgiven and the gift of eternal life may be yours when you accept Him as Your Saviour and Lord. From Gospel of John Chap 3 … 16"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. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

13. Don’t react now. Close your eyes when you have time and sense the call of your innermost being. Invoke the friend in you. Then ask … What does it prosper anyone if they conquer the whole world but lose their soul? Who else has done what Jesus has offered to do for you – To Love, Heal and Forgive ? Who else could offer ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ for free – the way Jesus has? What if Jesus would say to you –”I did it for you” Was it worth for Jesus to endure this for your sake ? Will you accept His handshake ?

14. It’s best not to sell Jesus to anyone. Let the truth alone speak for itself … > There were 300+ prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ and these were chronicled many hundred of years before he came. See http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/m_prophecies.shtml http://bibleprobe.com/300great.htm There are innumerable testimonies of the healing power of Jesus Christ when people have repented of their sins and held on in faith to the living Lord. http://www.breadsite.org/topics.htm http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/true-stories-testimonies-of-jesus-christ So much more …. Is it really worth it to believe in Jesus ? He appears so humanlike than God

15. Repent of your sins (say a heartfelt sorry) and accept that Jesus died for your sins. Confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Make Jesus your daily guide – via prayer. What does it take to accept Jesus as Your Personal Saviour & Lord

16. Speak about your decision to a few friends who also have Jesus as their Lord and Savior and join a local fellowship rooted in Biblical truth. Ensure you balance your walk on the 5 spokes of the faith-walk – 1.Meditation on Word of God 2.Prayer & Intercession 3.Praise & Worship 4.Fellowship 5.Ministry and Mission (As u mature) If you have accepted His handshake..

17. Be assured that the above will manifest in your life no matter where you are or where/what you have been through. ( You can take me to court if it doesn’t. But just one caution. … Jesus does not promise a storm free surf. He promises a Surf-par-Excel in any storm – His Helping Hand !! ). The ‘thief’ here symbolises the forces of evil – that are so elusively and deceptively present (like the InfraRed and UltraVilolet rays) and silently cause damage to life in the benign spectrum. Jesus said in the Gospel of John … “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

18. AND SO MUCH MORE ! It’s an Ocean of Discovery awaiting you and one that cannot be contained in a ppt or conveyed by anyone in one session. Savor the saviour – for a lifetime. 1.Start reading the Bible (start with Gospel according to Mathew & then proceed to other Gospels and then to Acts and Romans and also Psalms ) to discover more about Jesus. 2.Join a fellowship & Bible Study 3.Let God be your best Guide ( as per Jer 33:3 )

19. We hope you understood the Sacrifice of The One Who Wants To Be Your Best Friend And have chosen Him as ur Best Friend

20. Your feedback and comments are invaluable. Do send the same.