Remembering the Lord’s Sacrifice

The Lamb That Was Slain: Receiving the Reward of His Suffering

There are days in history that stand apart from all others—days that change everything. December 7, 1941. September 11, 2001. These dates live in infamy, forever etched in our collective memory because of the tragedy and transformation they brought.

But no day in human history compares to the day they crucified the Lord. And no victory surpasses the day He rose from the grave.

The question that haunts us across the centuries is this: If we truly grasped the magnitude of that sacrifice, how would we live differently?

A Story of Radical Devotion

In the late 1700s, a Moravian missionary returned from the West Indies with a troubling report. Thousands of African slaves labored on islands completely cut off from the gospel. One island, owned by a British atheist, had a strict policy: no clergy would ever set foot on its soil. If shipwrecked preachers washed ashore, they would be kept isolated, unable to speak of Christ.

Three thousand souls. Unreachable. Lost.

Two young men, barely in their twenties, heard this report. What they did next defies modern comprehension: they sold themselves into slavery. With the money from their own sale, they paid their passage to that forbidden island. They would never return home.

As their ship pulled away from the dock, their families and congregation gathered to watch them go. The gap between ship and shore widened. Over the sound of waves and seagulls, these two young men locked arms and cried out words that would ignite a missions movement:

"May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!"

The Sacrifice We've Forgotten

We live in a time and place where Christianity costs us very little. We gather freely. We own multiple Bibles. We sing loudly without fear. But this ease has perhaps dulled our appreciation for the cross.

Consider the underground church in Soviet Russia, where believers had only one copy of Scripture. Families would take turns memorizing different books of the Bible, trading portions week by week in secret meetings. Discovery meant imprisonment or death. Yet they treasured every word.

Or think of Vladimir Zinchenko, who spent eleven years in prison for his faith. When authorities threatened to cut out his daughters' tongues unless he recanted Christ, those brave girls said, "While we can still speak, Father, don't recant Christ."

What do we know of such sacrifice? What does our comfortable Christianity understand of the cost?

The painful truth is that we've lost sight of the crucifixion's reality. And because we don't see the sacrifice clearly, there's little appreciation—and even less response.

The Week That Changed Everything

During what we call Passion Week, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds lined the streets, laying down palm branches and crying "Hosanna!"—a Hebrew word meaning "save us now." They recognized Him as the Son of David, acknowledging His divinity: "Hosanna in the highest!"

Just days later, that same crowd screamed, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

What happened between the palm branches and the cross reveals the human heart's fickleness and the depth of Christ's love.

The Cruelty Before the Cross

The scourging alone was designed to bring someone to the edge of death. Roman soldiers used a "cat o' nine tails"—a leather whip with multiple strands, each embedded with stones, glass, or iron. They stretched Jesus over a surface and beat Him until His back was shredded beyond recognition.

Isaiah 53 had prophesied it centuries before: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."

Every strike of that whip was for our healing. Every bruise was for our iniquity—not His own.

Then came the mockery. Hardened Roman soldiers—base, rude military men with no appreciation for who Jesus was—stripped Him, put a scarlet robe on Him, and pressed a crown of thorns into His skull. They bowed before Him in cruel jest: "Hail, King of the Jews!"

They didn't know they were mocking the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. They rejected His sovereignty, His authority, His right to reign. And He, who could have called down twelve legions of angels—some 72,000 heavenly warriors—said nothing.

As the crowd passed by the cross, they hurled abusive language at Him. "If You're the Son of God, come down from the cross!" Even the religious leaders joined in: "He saved others; Himself He cannot save!"

Four Words That Changed Eternity

Then came the cross itself. Medical descriptions of crucifixion reveal it as one of the most excruciating methods of execution ever devised. The victim alternates between pushing up to breathe and sagging down in agony, with nails tearing through nerves in wrists and feet, cramps seizing muscles, and eventually the chest cavity filling with fluid.

All of this horror is summarized in Scripture with just four words: "And they crucified Him."

Seven Statements of Love

Even in unspeakable agony, Jesus spoke seven times from the cross. Each statement reveals something profound:

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." In the midst of torture, He offered forgiveness.

"Today you will be with Me in paradise." Even dying, He was still saving souls—reaching the thief beside Him.

"Woman, behold your son... Behold your mother." He made provision for Mary, ensuring John would care for her.

"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" The only moment in eternity when Father and Son were separated—as Jesus became sin for us.

"I thirst." A reminder of His full humanity.

"It is finished." Not "I am finished," but the work is complete. The transaction for salvation is paid in full. This is the cry of a victor, not a victim.

"Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit." He deposited His spirit back with the Father. Death didn't take Him; He laid down His life willingly.

The Wounds That Remain

Eight days after the resurrection, Thomas demanded proof. "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Jesus appeared and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and thrust it into My side."

These weren't scars. They were still wounds—open wounds. In His glorified, resurrected body, the marks of His sacrifice remained.

Throughout all eternity, as Christ sits on His throne, we will see those wounds. We will never forget what He did. The question is: why do we forget now?

The Reward He Deserves

Christ came to seek and save the lost. Revelation 1:5 declares: "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood... to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever."

The cross spells love in the clearest language possible.

Now comes the piercing question: Is the Lord receiving a reward from your life for His sacrifice?

Those two Moravian missionaries understood something we've lost. They saw the cross clearly enough to give everything. Their names are lost to history, but their final words echo still: "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering."

What reward can we offer? A surrendered life. Faithful service. Bold witness. Generous giving. Consistent devotion.

The opportunity to reward His sacrifice exists only in this life. When we leave this world, that chance is gone.

So why not now? Why not give Him something—anything—in return for everything He gave?

If you've never accepted Christ as Savior, today is the day. He died for sinners. He is the only sacrifice God accepts for sin.

And if you're already His, consider this: we'll never forget the crucifixion in heaven. Let's not forget it now, while we still have time to respond with grateful, sacrificial love.

The Lamb was slain. May He receive the reward of His suffering—from your life and mine.