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 38

Listen

Rom 12:1-2 summarizes the book of Romans:

Romans1-3 Condemnation: "All have sinned (Rom 3:23)

Romans 4-5 Justification: How can be be right with God? (2Co 5:21, Rom 4:3)

Romans 6-8 Sanctification: what does it take to be sanctification?

Romans 9-11 Dispensation: how is Israel dealt with? How are they restored?

Romans 12-16 Application: how do we apply these things?

Rom 12:1-2 Outline.

(1) Call to urgency -- redeem the time; time is short; we don't have time to waste

(2) assurance of our standing - "brethren" refers to our standing in Christ; we are beloved members of God's family; we have a Father;

(3) provision - "by the mercies of God" everything we need to accomplish the plan -- Mercy is "Grace in action" - Eph 2:8-9 - Grace is "a gift of God, not of works; God's Riches At Christ's Expense

(4) call to be available - "present your bodies a living holy sacrifice"; God doesn't want our ability, but availability;

(5) approval - "acceptable to God"; our standard is to glorify God;

(6) genuine service - "spiritual service of worship"; it's reasonable to offer our life back;

(7) "be not conformed to this world"; spiritual non-conformity; we don't fit in this world;

(8) transformation to the character of Christ; "be transformed";

(9) the arena is this world;

(10) "renewing of our mind - spiritual growth;

(11) proving of God's will (Isa 57:10) - dokimazo tests refine (like heated metal) our faith to prove that His plan is perfect for frail people have to have (1Co 11:28 "examine yourself", Gal 6:4 "examine your own work", 2Ti 3:16, Eph 5:10 "Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord", Jam 1:3 "the testing of you faith produces endurance", 1Pe 1:7 "...proof of your faith may be to the honor of Jesus Christ"). When we trust we prove the will of God; what glorifies God is bearing fruit (Joh 15:1-8); the secret is staying connected to the source - Jesus Christ (Gal 2:20). What are we supposed to prove? "What is good, acceptable, and perfect" (Rom 12:2)? What is good and acceptable? FAITH. God works out everything to good (Rom 2:10) if you follow the Shepard (Rom 8:28, Rom 12:21). God is pleased - we are acceptable when we're close to him, the Shepherd.

(12) abundant life - "perfect" (Joh 10:10) - "Perfect" does not mean sinless - telion; it means "lacking nothing" (Mat 5:48 - "...be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect"). The only way to "lack nothing" is to receive everything from the Shepard to be complete (Eph 4:13, Col 1:28, Joh 10:2-9). "... so that we may present every man perfect [complete] in Christ Jesus". God wants to prove His will by becoming a "living sacrifice" in all cricumstances . If you grope for God you'll find Him, but He's not far (Act 17:27); Where do you have to go to find God's will? Will to do His will (Joh 7:17-18). In your job; in any cirsumstance we prove that "Jesus Christ is life". If we prove that we will please God.