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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 - April 19, 2023

The 3 Phases of Salvation

Salvation comes in three phases: 1) Justification by faith, 2) Sanctification by the Spirit, and 3) Glorification through the Resurrection. 1st Peter 1:3-7 says, "Blessed be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy catch this has begotten us again. That's our spiritual rebirth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials so that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it's tested by fire, may be found in the praise and honor and glory of the revelation of Jesus Christ." When Peter talks about "the salvation that's ready to be revealed," he is talking about your ultimate deliverance. He is saying, 'Keep your eye focused on the finish line.' Keep thinking about when you stand in His presence, keep thinking about what your life is going to say to Him.

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