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 - June 9, 2012

Learn to Discern

Listen

We need our spiritual senses exercisedto discern. It's important to grow up in our faith (Heb 5:14). Two different kind of wisdom: from above and below. How does evil get into the church? "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2Co 11:12-16). False teacher change themselves to have a mask. Evil presents itself as good (Luk 6:9-11). Religious leaders are more interested in their rules han the hears and souls of people. The more we resist the truth the more we embrace evil. The compassion of Jesus Christ is eternal (Joh 3:17). Early believers stated that in order to be saved it was necessary to get circumsized and keep the law (Act 15:1-5). Circumcision (beginning with Abraham) and the law were part of the covenant relationship with Israel but never saved anyone (Rom 8:3-4). Something good was made evil. We must live by faith in conscious dependence on God (Gal 5:16). Paul uses hypothetical regarding the preaching of a false gospel (Gal 1:6-9). Paul uses Titus, a Gentile, as example "of faith alone in Christ alone" and not needing circumcision (Gal 2:1-9). Peter came to Antioch and acted hypocritically when "men of circucision" came (Gal 2:9-13). Paul publicly rebuked Peter. Peter's temptation to evil might have been to say "Christ told me circumcision was to be implemented" (Gal 2:14-16). We make ourselves transgressors when we turn away from Christ and to justification by works (Gal 2:17-21). When we chose evil it'll ripple to other people. Galatians picked up on the evil (Gal 3:1-3). Works are a byproduct of faith. If we abide in the vine we'll bear the fruit. Christ set us free; standfast in that freedom! (Gal 5:1-2). Righteousness comes through faith, not the law; we are alienated from Christ if we lapse into law (Gal 5:3-6). The secret to stronger faith is stronger object of faith. The more you focus on the fruit the less you'll have. Focusing on Christ is the different.

Conference notes for this series can be found [HERE]

Scripture References: Galatians 5:3-6, Hebrews 5:14, Galatians 1:6-9, Galatians 5:1-2, Galatians 5:16, Galatians 3:1-3, Romans 8:3-4, Galatians 2:17-21, Acts 15:1-5, Galatians 2:14-16, John 3:17, Galatians 2:9-13, Luke 6:9-11, Galatians 2:1-9