Jesus took our penalty !
Having looked at how God created everything perfect for us, how sin destroyed, how bad sin is and the reward of sin - we will now continue to look at the GOOD NEWS, so here comes point 130-186 of 342.
We ended last time with this:
129.
This is the love of Jesus, the love so great that no words can describe it.
So let’s continue:
130.
But His love didn’t stop there.
Finally, after around three and a half years, the time had come when Jesus would take the penalty for our sins and voluntarily go to the cross.
131.
Jesus was of course in full control.
He knew exactly the plan and that if He didn't do this – we would have been lost for ever.
So in John chapter 14-16 we read His beautiful farewell speech, giving us instructions for our time here on earth and again showing His great love to us.
And in John chapter 17 He prays to the Father – for us.
132.
Later the same night, they came to arrest Jesus, but of course, they stood no chance in arresting Him, so as “soon as He had said unto them;
I am, they went backwards and fell to the ground.” (John 18:6)
Jesus could easily have left, whilst they all were lying knocked out on the ground – but this was the reason why He had come.
Jesus clearly showed them, that there was no way that they could take Him.
133.
He could have kept them knocked out on the ground for hours – had He wanted.
But Jesus wanted to save us from hell, even though it came at a terrible price for Himself.
Jesus waited for them and when they finally had gotten themselves back on their feet, they arrested Jesus.
134.
Peter decided that he anyway wanted to defend Jesus so he
“drew his sword and stroked a servant of the high priest and smote of his ear.” (Matthew 26:51)
But Jesus told Peter;
“Put up your sword into its sheath. For all that lay hand on the sword, shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)
And continues;
“Or do you think that I cannot pray My Father and He shall give Me more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, for so must it be.” (Matthew 26:53-54)
(1 legion = around 5 000, so that would be over 60 000 angels.)
135.
Even at this special moment Jesus is so loving and heals the person that Peter had struck with the sword, yes; “He touched his ear and healed him.” (Luke 22:51)
136.
Voluntarily Jesus goes with them, knowing very well, that this is why He has come to earth.
As Jesus already had said; “I put My life from Me, that I might take it again.
No man takes it from Me, but I put it away of Myself.” (John 10:17-18)
137.
Now God Himself will die for the sins of us all and will take our penalty.
138.
What the loving and 100% innocent Jesus then goes through – for us,
is hard reading.
139.
First, He was taken to the religious leaders where “they all gave sentence that He was worthy of death.” (Mark 14:64)
“And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face, and to beat Him with fists and to say unto Him; prophesy unto us. And the servants buffeted Him on the face.” (Mark 14:65)
The guilty sinners – hitting their Creator.
140.
They more than deserved that Jesus had showed His power and sent them to hell immediately;
and of course as we saw when Jesus showed that they could not take Him - by sending them all to the ground when they came to take Him – Jesus could at any moment have sent them all dead to the ground,
– but this was why He had come.
If He had not died for us – we would all have gone to hell.
141.
Jesus is then taken to the political and military ruler, Pilate that of course concludes that Jesus is innocent saying;
”I find no fault in this Man.” (Luke 23:4)
Jesus is then sent to the puppet king Herod, “And Herod, with his men of war, despised Him and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in white and sent Him again to Pilate.” (Luke 23:11)
142.
“And Pilate called together the high priests, and the rulers, and the people, and said unto them; You have brought this Man unto me, as one that perverted the people.
And behold, I have examined Him before you and
found no fault in this Man, of those things whereof you accuse Him.
No, neither did Herod.
For I sent you to him,
and look, no thing worthy of death is done to Him. I will therefore chasten Him and let Him loose.” (Luke 23:13-16)
The judgment is clear – Jesus is 100% innocent. There is no fault in Him.
143.
However “all the people cried at once, saying; away with Him and deliver to us Barabbas, which for insurrection made in the city, and murder, was cast into prison.” (Luke 23:18-19)
“Pilate spoke again to them, wanting to let Jesus loose.” (Luke 23:20)
144.
“And they cried, saying; crucify Him; crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21)
Pilate then; “said unto them the third time; What evil has He done?
I find no cause of death in Him.
I will therefore chasten Him, and let Him go loose.” (Luke 23:22)
145.
“And they cried the more saying; let Him be crucified.
When Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but that more tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the people saying; I am innocent of the blood of this just Person, and that you shall see.
Then answered all the people, and said; His blood fall on us, and on our children.” (Matthew 27:23-25)
146.
“Then let he Barabbas loose unto them, and scourged Jesus, and delivered Him to be
crucified.” (Matthew 27:26)
The “soldiers of the deputy took Jesus unto the common hall, and gathered unto Him all the company.
And they stripped Him, and put on Him a purple robe,
and plaited a crown of thorns and put upon His head, and a reed in His right hand. And bowed their knees before Him, and mocked Him, saying; hail King of the Jews, and spitted upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head.
And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him again, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:27-31)
147.
“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the evil doers, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” (Luke 23:33)
Now Jesus says these famous words; “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
148.
The Romans used to write an inscription on the cross, giving the accusation for which someone was crucified.
Pilate, realizing that Jesus was indeed innocent, he himself
“wrote His title, and put it on the cross. The writing was:
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
This title read many of the Jews. For the place where Jesus was crucified, was near to the city. And it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Then said the high priests of the Jews to Pilate; write not, King of the Jews, but that He said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered; What I have written, that have I written.” (John 19:19-22)
149.
That Jesus was the true King of the Jews was of course completely true and we know from Matthew 1:1-16 that Joseph was the direct descendent from David, and likely should have been the real king, had it not been for the puppet king Herod, and in Luke 3:23-38 we see what must be the lineage of Mary as a direct descendent from David, through another of David’s sons.
150.
“And they that went by, railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying; a wretch, You that destroy the temple and build it in three days. Save Yourself, and come down from the cross.
Likewise also mocked Him the high priests among themselves with the scribes, and said; He saved other men, Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” (Mark 15:29-32)
151.
Jesus could at any moment have ended this, and showed His glory,
and sent them all dead to the ground, but then we would all have gone to hell.
152.
Even on the cross, Jesus showed His enormous love and saved one of the two criminals that were being crucified with Him, when this happened;
“Then one of the malefactors which hanged, railed on Him, saying; If You be Christ save Yourself and us.
The other answered and rebuked him saying; Neither fear you God because you are in the same damnation? We are righteously punished, for we receive according to our deeds:
But this Man has done no thing amiss.” (Luke 23:39-41)
153.
“And he said unto Jesus;
Lord remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him;
Verily I say unto you, today shall you be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)
154.
What a love!
Whilst the guilty sinners blasphemed God Himself, voluntarily giving His life on the cross for their sins
– He was busy saving another soul from hell.
155.
This is a love so great that the words end.
156.
This was truly the darkest hour on earth and indeed;
“it was about the sixth hour. And there came a darkness over all the land, until the ninth hour, and the sun was darkened.” (Luke 23:44-45)
(Sixth hour = 12:00, ninth hour = 15:00)
157.
Jesus is so full of love.
As the firstborn, Jesus had the duty to care for His mother and Jesus took care of this as well on the cross;
“When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He said unto His mother; Woman behold your son.
Then said He to the disciple; Behold your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her for his own.” (John 19:26-27)
158.
Finally, the moment had come when; “He said; It is finished, and bowed His head, and gave up the Spirit.” (John 19:30)
And the price was paid.
The way to heaven was now open.
Salvation was now available.
159.
As Peter writes about Jesus that He “bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we should be delivered from sin and should live in righteousness.
By whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
160.
In the temple there was a thick veil.
It is said to have been so strong that 10 pairs of oxen could not tear it apart, and it was in front of the “holiest of all” in the temple.
161.
When Jesus died
“the veil of the temple was rent in two parts from the top to the bottom” (Matthew 27:51)
for now the way to the real Holiest of All in heaven was finally open.
162.
In the letter to the Hebrews we get an in-depth insight about what happened, as Jesus;
“neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered once for all into the Holy place, and found eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12)
Redemption for us!
163.
And we see that “How much more shall the blood of Christ (which through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God) purge our consciences from dead works, for to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)
And we know that “Christ is not entered into the holy places, that are made with hands, which are but similitudes of true things, but is entered into very heaven, for to appear now in the sight of God for us.
Not to offer Himself often, as the high priest enters in to the holy place every year with strange blood, for then must He have often suffered since the world began.
But now in the end of the world, has He appeared once for all, to put sin to flight, by the offering up of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:24-26)
164.
“And as it is appointed unto men that they shall once die, and then comes the judgment, even so Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:27-28)
165.
The price was paid.
It was finished!
Salvation is now available.
166.
The darkest hour had now turned to salvation and freedom “and the earth did quake, and the stones did rent, and graves did open,
and the bodies of many saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and came into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:51-53)
167.
This crucifixion was by no means like a normal crucifixion that the soldiers probably had witnessed many times so “When the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things which happened, they feared greatly saying;
Of a surety, this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54)
168.
Joseph from Arimathea took the body “and put it in his new tomb, which he had hewn out even in the rock, and rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed.” (Matthew 27:60)
169.
The chief priests and pharisees knew that Jesus had said that He would rise on the third day, so “the high priests and pharisees got themselves to Pilate, and said; Sir, we remember, that this deceiver said while He was yet alive.
After three days I will arise again,
command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest peradventure His disciples come, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from death,” (Matthew 27:62-64)
“Pilate said unto them; Take watchmen. Go and make it as sure as you can. They went and made the tomb secure with watchmen, and sealed the stone.” (Matthew 27:65-66)
170.
We know that Jesus had already raised people from the dead many times, and death has no chance against God, as it is written;
“For likewise as the Father raises up the dead, and makes them alive,
even so the Son makes alive whom He will.” (John 5:21)
171.
So might I guess, from the answer of Pilate, that he knew very well, that there was no way that they would be able to prevent Jesus from rising from the dead.
Yes indeed; “it was impossible that He [Jesus] should be held of it [death].” (Acts 2:24)
172.
So on the third day, Jesus “Christ was raised up from death by the glory of the Father” (Romans 6:4)
173.
Looking at the details we see that on the third day; “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” (Matthew 28:1)
“And behold there was a great earthquake. For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
And for fear of him the keepers were stunned, and became as dead men.” (Matthew 28:2-4)
174.
“The angel answered, and said to the women; Fear you not. I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified.
He is not here, He is risen as He said.
Come, and see the place where the Lord was put.
And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from death.” (Matthew 28:5-7)
175.
“And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying;
Greetings! They came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him.
Then said Jesus unto them; Be not afraid. Go and tell My brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” (Matthew 28:9-10)
176.
After this Jesus “appeared unto two of them in a another figure, as they walked, and went into the country.” (Mark 16:12)
Jesus spoke with them for a while and then left and “they rose up the same hour, and returned again to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, which said;
The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon.” (Luke 24:33-34)
177.
“And they told what was done in the way, and how they knew Him, by the breaking of bread.
As they thus spoke, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them; Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:35-36)
178.
Yes He; “showed Himself alive, after His suffering by many proofs, appearing unto them forty days, and speaking unto them of the kingdom of God,” (Acts 1:3)
179.
This is beautifully presented by Peter to the Roman centurion when saying;
“how God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, and with power, He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with devils, for God was with Him.
And we are witnesses of all things which He did in the land of the Jews and at Jerusalem, whom they slew, and hung on tree.
Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly,” (Acts 10:38-40)
180.
“not to all the people, but unto us, witnesses chosen before of God, which ate and drank with Him, after He arose from death.
And He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify, that it is He that is ordained of God a judge of living and dead.
To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name shall receive remission of sins, all that believe in Him.” (Acts 10:41-43)
181.
And by Paul in Antioch in Pisidia when saying;
“And when they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate to kill Him. And when they had fulfilled all that were written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and put Him in a tomb.
But God raised Him again from death” (Acts 13:28-30)
182.
“and He was seen many days of them, which came with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, which are His witnesses unto the people.
And we declare unto you, how that the promise made unto the fathers, God has fulfilled unto us their children,
in that He raised up Jesus again,
even as it is written in the second psalm, You are My Son, this day have I begotten You.” (Acts 13:31-33)
183.
Yes, “God raised Him again from death” so we can live with Him forever.
184.
And Paul continues;
“Wherefore He says also in another place,
You shall not suffer Your Holy to see corruption.” (Acts 13:35)
185.
And continues; “But He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Be it known unto you therefore, you men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.
And by Him are all that believe, justified from all things from the which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:37-39)
186.
What a love.
What a great love.
How true it is that;
“God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that none that believes in Him should perish, but should have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Stay tuned for point 187-342.
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