Jesus’ Perspective on His own Death

These are Written
Believe
Should Not Perish
3:16
Never, Never
Life, Love, Light
Condemned by Choice
This and That
Seven Expressions of Love from the Cross
Why?
I know, I know!
What?
UGH!
Expedient
Gain Grace?
The Gift
The Hands of God
Immortality
COME UP HERE
Not by Works of Righteousness We have Done
Jesus’ Perspective on His own Death
I AM

Download or order the free booklet “The Gift” here: https://basictraining.org/the-gift/

Thanks to the American Bible Society “The Gospel of John” for the video scenes.

I want to remind us of the perspective that Jesus, our Savior, had concerning His own death. Because I think it helps us appreciate it a little bit more. His death was 1) Purposeful, 2) Voluntary, 3) Joyful, and 4) Glorious.

Well, first of all, His death was purposeful. He recognized that He was going to die. John 12:27 says, “What shall I say, Father, do not let this hour come upon me. But that is why I came.”

The purpose of his death was also voluntary. It was a voluntary or volitional outpouring of His love, and it showed full and true submission to God, the Father. Romans 5:8, “for God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In the garden, Jesus said three times to the Father, “not My will, but Your will be done.” In John 10:17-18 Jesus said, “The Father loves me because I’m willing to give up My life in order that I may receive it back again. No one takes My life away from Me. I give it up of My own free will. I have the right to give it up and I have the right to take it back.This is what my father has commanded me to do.”

His death was purposeful. His death was voluntary. His death was also joyful. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was fully aware of the pain and the suffering that He would face at the cross, but He had his eyes on the joy, and that joy was purchasing our eternal destiny.

And then finally, Jesus considered death as the path to glory. In John 12:23 He said those words, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to receive great glory.” And this is an amazing verse to me because this is shortly before the passion week. This is shortly before He would go through all of that suffering, the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the piercing of his hands and feet, the crown of thorns on his head, and the gathering up the sins of the world that pierced His heart. He didn’t say the time has come for the Son of Man to be tortured and tormented and suffer for the sins of the world. No, He said, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He ignored the suffering and kept his eyes on the glory. And if we can grasp the truth of that verse, it would totally change our perspective of the sufferings in our life.

So this is His perspective of His own death. He was born to die.

Gene Cunningham - May 23, 2000

Living Sacrifice 35

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Even believers with good teaching may not live each day expecting Christ's imminent return. It's vital we understand the promises. (1Pe 1:13) "gird your minds for action" (same word "gird" in Luk 12:35). " fix your hope completely". We have to be girded by the belt of truth (Eph 6:14). Everything we need has been given by God (Col 2:10, 2Pe 1:4) at the point of salvation. We are "girded" when we have our eye focused on Christ's return. Crowns and rewards are our birthright, though we can lose them. Thieves are coming (Mat 24:42-51); our soul is the house and it's under attack. We need to be alert to not lose our birthright. Three sleeps in the Bible: (1) death of the believer (1Co 15:51, 1Th 4:13); (2) Biblical ignorance is called sleep (1Th 5:6, 1Th 5:10); (3) Spiritual apostasy is called sleep (Eph 5:14). Thieves that rob us (1) time thieves (Eph 5:16) "redeeming the time" -- we need to live productively, serving while waiting (1Th 1:9-10). (2) production thieves (Mat 13:22) -- worry and anxiety are thieves and choke fruit (Mat 13:22); (3) dedication thieves (Mat 6:31-33) -- "seek first the kingdom"; (4) thieves of our reward -- we can lose our reward; we can't add anything to heaven; everything is already there (Col 2:18); Our tears are wiped away at the new heaven and new earth; we'll suffer loss during the millennium (5) thieves of our conscience (1Ti 1:19) "fight the good fight" so our faith is not shipwrecked; (6) thieves of your crown (Rev 3:11) -- we already have it - the inheritance and the promises; (7) thieves of life's work from God (1Co 3:13). If we don't live expectantly our life's work is burned. (8) thieves of our readiness (Luk 17:26-27) - preoccupation with common things - "...eating, drinking, marraige....; (9) thieves of life (Col 2:8); slaves have no life; slavery of a human religion is example. (10) thieves of blessings (Heb 12:15-16); we barter away our birthright daily; (11) thieves of our stability (2Th 2:1-2); we are deceived by false teaching; (12) thieves of our love for God (2Ti 3:2-4) - we love other things: money, self, pleasure (1Jo 2:15). If Christ finds us living expectantly (Mat 24:46-47), we'll be rewarded. God is concerned about what we are. When we don't live expectantly (i.e., an "evil slave"), we abuse others, are self-indulgent and lose our rewards (Mat 24:48-51). We're seated with the hypocrites at the wedding feast. We need hope (Heb 11:1) "...all these died in faith, having not received the promises..." (Heb 11:13). Claiming the promises changed their lives - they witnessed, professed and experienced the promises in part. The best we can experience of the promises can't compare to their ultimate fulfillment at His coming (2Co 4:1, Psa 37:4).