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 - September 11, 2000

Elijah #1

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The life of Elijah illustrates Mercy and Judgment. There was a string of six previous evil kings prior to Ahab. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings before him (1Ki 16:30-33, 1Ki 17:1-7). (1) Jeroboam appointed priest not of the tribe of Levi (1Ki 12:28). (2) Nadab perpetuated his father’s evil (1Ki 15:36). (3) Badash was a conspirator who murdered Nadab (1Ki 15:27-29). (4) Elah was a drunk (1Ki 16:8-13). (5) Zimri was a murderer (16:16-20). (6) Omri was worse than those before. (16:25-26, 34). Elijah was God’s choice to combat evil (Isa 59:19). Elijah means “the Lord is my God” (Col 3:17). Tishbe was a little cross-road town in the Gad tribal area (1Co 1:27-29, Gen 49:19). John the Baptizer was prepared in the dessert like Elijah. We need something of the boldness of Elijah (1Ki 17:1, 1Ti 4:10, 1Th 1:9-10). God judges false gods by their claims. The proclaimed drought is a judgment on Baal (Mat 5:45, Act 14:17; Deu 28:24). God’s word in the mouth of Elijah: (1) Elijah saw Israel’s apostasy and knew how God’s word applied (Deu 11:16-17). (2) Elijah applied the word by prayer (Jam 5:17). (3) God’s word told Elijah what to pray and is energized by the Spirit (Jam 5:16, 1Jo 5:14-15). (4) God’s word is a sword that cuts two ways: (a) it cuts to the human spirit of the believer (Heb 4:12); (b) it is reflected in prayer (Eph 6:17-18). (5) Elijah’s made use of God’s word as if it were his own. Baal was supposed to control rain, sun and food (Isa 42:8). God’s word in our mouth won’t have an impact until it has impact in our own lives. Elijah went through the drought with the nation (1Ki 17:7).

Scripture References: John 5:14-15, Genesis 49:19, James 5:16, Colossians 3:17, James 5:17, Isaiah 59:19, Deuteronomy 11:16-17, Isaiah 42:8, Deuteronomy 28:24, Ephesians 6:17-18, Acts 14:17, Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 5:45