This post is going to be a continuation of two older posts; "Intercession," and "The Way of Calvary." The first two were my attempts to go deeper than just the words in trying to show a different side to those stories. With yesterday being Good Friday, and tomorrow being Resurrection Sunday, I would like to delve into the story of Jesus a little more. I hope I do it some justice, since it is the greatest story the world has ever known.
"If they only knew," Jesus thought to Himself. "It was a little over three years ago that John proclaimed, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29), if they only understood what he meant... what was to happen."
As He stood before the court and these thoughts flooded His mind, those around Him accused Him falsely. "If they only knew," he thought to Himself, "If they could only see that this is the way it had to be. If they could only cleearly see who it was who stood before them." But He was silent before His accusers, as a sheep before its shearers just as the prophet Isaiah wrote over 700 years before...
Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
More and more they shouted out their false claims, and Pilate stood before Him awating a reply.
Matthew 27:11-13 (New King James Version)
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”
"If they only knew," Jesus thought to Himself, that this very day, this very moment was the fulfillment of Isaiah's words. "How can they be so blind," He thought, "for they know the scriptures... but this is the way it has to be. But if they only knew."
Pilate was unwilling to pass sentence on Jesus as he saw Him to be free of charge, but the crowd cried out all the more... for the blood of this man... the blood of the Lamb... if they only knew.
Luke 23:13-25 (New King James Version)
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” 17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. 20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” 22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” 23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
And as Jesus stood there He thought to Himself, " Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion" (Psalm 22:12-13). And as He stood there quietly as men raged for His death He prayed to His Father in heaven, "Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help" (Psalm 22:11).
"If they only knew I have borne their griefs and carried their sorrows; Yet they esteem me stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. If they only knew I was wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities; That the chastisement for their peace was upon me, And by my stripes they are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Now Jesus carries His own cross up the way of Calvary, for He knows it is the only way. Even as they mock Him, spit on Him, and curse Him, Jesus still feels love for them... compassion for them... for if they only knew. And as He reaches the top of the hill, the place of the skull, He knows very well what awaits Him... death, and death on a tree... to become the curse, so that many can be freed from it...
Psalm 22:16-18 (New King James Version)
16 "For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”(Luke 23:34).
Upon the cross Jesus looks down upon all those who accuse, and all those who mock...
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing." (Matthew 27: 39-44)
As the hour approached and Jesus grew closer to death, with the full weight of man's sin upon Him, at about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27: 46). For the first time the Son was separated from the Father. For the first time Jesus could not feel His father's presence. For the first time as Jesus spoke to the Father there was no reply... no answer to His cry, no answer to His prayer. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46).
But this was only the beginning. As the ground rumbled and the Earth grew dark, they pierced His side to make sure He was dead. Shortly thereafter Pilate allowed Joseph of Arimathea to take the body of Jesus "And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth" (Isaiah 53:9).
At this time the crowd of mockers was pleased, but the followers of Jesus were distraught. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, the long awaited redeemer and rescuer of Israel. Yet here and now He was dead and lying in a tomb, sealed by the Roman guard sent to make sure the body was not tampered with. If they only knew. If they had only heard what Jesus had said many times regarding His own death... that His death would not be the end. For God had said through the prophet Isaiah that, " I will punish the world for its evil,
the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. (Isaiah 53:9)" And they eagerly awaited that punishment... the punishment of the wolrd... but they didn't realize it would include them. But what Jesus did... they missed it. They did not understand.
All of them missed it. They missed the purpose of Jesus. They missed the reason for the mission, the reason for His coming... "that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.(2nd Corinthians 5:19)." The disciples couldn't see at that point just what it was that Jesus accomplished... they completely missed it... if they only knew... "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)."
The disciples as they hid in fear completely missed that even though Jesus was dead , " Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."(Isaiah 53:10-11)
But they wouldn't miss it for long. For just as He said, He would rise again, and they would see... truly see... for the first time...
Luke 24:44-47 (New King James Version)
44 "Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
And as Jesus showed them the meaning behind everything they saw, and everything He went through, He said to Himself, "Now they finally know. This is the way it had to be." As they sat together and talked all the more, the disciples grew bolder and bolder as they began to understand everything they had heard and seen. Jesus had to die, and Jesus had to rise again. So He could then sit upon the throne. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
Revelation 1:18 (New King James Version)
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
And His victory becomes our victory...
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 (New King James Version)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “ O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The victory for those who believe...
1 John 5:4-5 (New King James Version)
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
For though we are but sinners and the penalty for sin is death...
Romans 5:8 (New King James Version)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:10 (New King James Version)
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
John 3:16-18 (New King James Version)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
So take heart believers, for He has risen; and it is He who sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes on our behalf; and it is He who spilt His blood so we could be cleansed; and it is He who will sit on the judgment seat; and it is He who calls you friend. Amen, to the glory of God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. And just as the disciples who sought after Him some 2000 years ago...
Mark 16:6 (New King James Version)
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
The Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world, has bridged the divide between us and God. It was His plan, the only way, to live and die and rise again... and because He did, because He overcame... so can we. Thanks be to God.
Romans 10:10 (New King James Version)
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (New King James Version)
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (New King James Version)
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Praise the Lord, He has risen from the grave.
0 comments:
Post a Comment