Father God, open our eyes and ears to receive into our minds, to know and understand the work of your Son Jesus Christ. Open our hearts to willingly obey and to be touched by your message and actions of love for each and every one who will read this blog entry. I ask in Jesus name.
The purpose for Jesus' birth as a human baby into this world was not so Christains could celebrate Christmas. The fact of the matter is that the angel who spoke to Joseph in a dream told him the purpose was to
"save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Joseph was also to name this baby of Mary's, 'Jesus'.
As an aside here from the main topic of the work of Jesus Christ, I wish to share that I like the idea that it was the 'father' (as was supposed by the people - to be Joseph) who was told the name and to name this coming baby, Jesus. His confirmation is that this information tallied with what Mary had been told earlier - "You are to give Him the name Jesus" (Luke 1:29-33).
In the Bible, even though I haven't fully researched the thought, it appears that it's the father who got to decleare what a baby's name was to be. We see this in Zechariah and Elizabeth's case with John (the Baptizer). When it came to naming day the people were very surprized that Zechariah would give this name as they said,
"There is no one among your relatives who has that name" (Luke 1:6).
Zechariah, who'd been struck mute for nine months, wrote on a tablet,
"His name is John" (Luke 1:63 NIV).
The people were astonished and what's more, Zechariah's
"tongue was loosed"
so that he
"began to speak" (Luke 1:64).
God had entrusted Jesus into Joseph's care, yet the name 'Jesus' came from God the Father to be upon His one and only Son Jesus - the Son of God. Father's have important roles in the life of their children, naming them is one.
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and when He was about 30 years old He actively began His ministry. For about three years He walked the dusty roads preaching the Kingdom of God, healing, casting out demons, and doing miracles. These were all signs pointing to this "fully man" Man being "fully God," their Messiah.
However, steer your attention to His purpose for coming to Earth. He talked about His coming suffering, death, and resurrection with His disciples. The disciples were His inner circle of friends and followers. For those three years of walkabout, these 12 men stayed faithfully with Him hearing His teachings and seeing Him connect with the people with signs and wonders. It was to them He told 'His secrets" (Matthew 16:21).
Along with this secret, as with most secret telling, came the injunction to tell no one. They were especially not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah - the One who all the Jewish people looked for since 100's of years earlier when the Messiah had been prophesied about (Matthew 15:13-21).
The question was raised, "Why? Why wouldn't Jesus want this information to be leaked out?" You would think it was very important and good news to spread far and wide.
One person answered it was because of the general unbelief of the crowds and especially of the Jewish leaders. The Messiah was to be the King of kings according to prophecy and to save His people. A king would be richly attired and grand but Jesus grew up in very poor circumstances and was an ordinary-looking man, in their perspectve. He could not be their Messiah!
Review the difference between the disciples response of having Jesus walk on the water towards them in the boat, already having struggled against the stormy seas for hours. Then, as soon as Jesus got into the boat, they were immediately at the side of the lake they wanted to be. The cumulative response effect - they worshiped Jesus.
On the other hand, when the crowds found Jesus again after having been fed and filled earlier by the multiplying of the five loaves and two fish, they did not seek Him out to give thanks or worship. No, they were there for the handouts - the benefits. There was no recognizing Him as their Messiah - the Son of God.
Another person answered that she thought that if the people did realize and know Jesus was the Messiah, that they'd forcefully put Him up as their leader, to lead them in revolt and to conquer the Romans under whose yoke they were in captivity. They would want Him to set up His kingdom on earth. It was not God's timing. In so doing, this would set aside Jesus' purpose of coming to earth to save His people, not from the Romans, but from their sins.
Jesus was always determined to fulfill His purpose according to His Father, God's, plan. Sin had separated mankind from God. Jesus was His rescue plan to redeem His people, providing salvation and atonement for their sins. Jesus was not going to sabotage His Father's plan. No, His work must move forward determinedly and unhindered.
I believe these two reasons do dovetail as, because of unbelief, the people didn't really undersand that God had something better planned for them. We too could misinterpret God's will for us so we must read His word and ask for understanding and wisdom to discern more correctly.
Matthew 27:26 tells us that the kind of death Jesus was to die was...
"to be crucified."
To be crucified was one of the worst and cruelest forms of Roman punishment. It was reserved for such serious crimes as revolt against the Empire. It was humiliating and also reserved for errant servants and for all segments of society they especially despised.
If you recall when Jesus was crucified, there were two other men, one on either side of Him. These men were robbers and had led an insurrection so were 'rightly' crucified according to the Roman Empire law (Luke 23:32-4e; Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:7).
Barabbas was a "notorious prisoner" (Matthew 27:16 NIV). Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in charge of Jesus' 'trial' gave a choice to the Jewish leaders and people. He asked,
"Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ" (Matthew 27:16).
Pilate was taunting them actually, as he knew they wanted rid of Jesus out of envy (see Matthew 17:18).
You see, it was a custom of the times to release one prisoner at the Jewish Feast of Passover (Mark 15:6) - an act of goodwill between the Romans and Jews because the Passover time was a very special time for them.
Ironically, they chose Barabbas. Some commentators say that some people beleive Barabbas was the ringleader for the other two men crucified with Jesus that day and he should have been the one on the middle cross.*2
So the choice - a robber, insurrectionist and murderer OR Jesus the giver of life, healing and love? The crowds angrily chose Barabbas!
It is ironic, as at the Passover feast, the Jews would sacrifice a lamb for a burnt offering. They commemorated their escape from Egypt so long ago with Moses at the helm, leading the way. God had helped them escape - thousands of them (sources vary in their 'guesstimate' from 30,000 to 140,000 and other places I read, into the millions).
Now here was Jesus, their Messiah, who would become their 'Lamb,' dying at Passover time for their sins and the sins of all humanity. They failed to recognize Him.
As Isaiah 53:7 states,
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaugher, and as a sheep before her shearers, is silent, He did not open His mouth."
He still went through with it because it was His mission. The prophecy was fulfilled. Take a look at Matthew 27:14 NIV,
"But Jesus made no reply not even to a single charge to the great amazement of the governor."
This was Jesus very unfair trial. But He went through it all, quietly, not only because it was His mission but also out of His great love for you. His love for you and me was a big part of His motivation.
Generally, before being crucified, the prisoner would be flogged or scourged. A 'cat o' nine tails' was likely used to inflice severe whippping of the back of criminals. This whip has nine knotted cords, often with sharp objects strategically placed along these cords, for maximun punishment.
This was likely used upon Jesus' back, as well as the crown of thorns, which was mockingly placed upon His head. After these punishments, came the ultimate - crucifixion. Jesus bled and died for me, for you and for the benefit of all mankind. What was Jesus' purpose for coming to earth?
"To save His people from their sins."
He willingly did this upon the cross at Calvary's Hill.
At this juncture, the question turned to, "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Couldn't He have saved us without having to go through such drastic measure?"
God made us. He is our Creator, much like a potter is the creator of clay pots. The potter can do as he or she wishes in molding and making the vessels. Our Creator, God, is omniscient - all knowing. His thoughts are not what ours are. Isaiah remarked in Isaiah 55:8-9,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (NIV).
God's IQ, if you will, is out of this world - off the charts. For your information, the highest human IQ I saw listed was 220. Many world leaders have high IQ upwards of the 130-160 range. God's all-knowingness is because that is who He is, God. We cannot ever fully fathom His ways, why's and wherefore's, so I don't have a deep theological answer for this question. I will say, what Scripture says,
"Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin" (Hebrews 9:22).
Partly, we can add the following explanation.
Briefly,
"covenants in the ancient world typically involved the shedding of blood...it literally mingled the blood of two people, making them one. They cut their palms and shake hands." *1
God used the culture of the time with Abraham when He made a covenant promise with him. (Note that covenants are based on trust in contrast to contracts based on distrust.) God did not use human blood, rather the blood of animals in sacrifice to 'sign and seal' the covenant between them and Abraham's myriad of decendants until we reach the New Testament times, where God used the blood of His Son Jesus Christ which was shed upon the cross. This is God's new covenant 'signed and sealed' between Him and all mankind. This includes you and me.
"The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
From the Old Testament we read the reason that the Israelites, and for us today, are not supposed to eat the blood of animals. God told them in Leviticus 17:11,
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I give it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life."
Jesus shedding His blood for our sins, made atonement for us, and we need to receive - enter into - this covenant with Him by faith, belief and acceptance. In this we will have forgiveness of sins.
Jesus instituted then, what people now call, "The Lord's Supper" or "Holy Communion". Look at Matthew 26:26-28 to see where Jesus asked His disciples to commemorate it with bread and wine. See especially, verses 27-28.
"And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
In my church, we do this on a weekly basis - on Lord's Day. We say we are remembering Jesus' death and resurrection. The bread and wine are symbols: the bread of His body, which was broken for us and the wine, symbolic of His blood, which Jesus shed for us - for the forgiveness of our sins.
First Corinthians 11:26 if oft quoted in regards to this remembrance,
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."
I like the "as often as you eat" part. We do this in gratitude and thanksgiving to God showing our appreciation and that we have accepted His gift of salvation by faith, and so proclaim Jesus' work on the cross as often as we can, in this manner.
There's one more thing to add here that in the Old Testament, the Israelites were supposed to atone for every single sin by sacrificing an animal. One sin, one sacrifice, many, many times over and over again and it was tedious and costly. In the new covenant we find the cost was all God's because He gave His one and only Son. This sacrifice was a one time thing, for all people, for all time and for all sin. Never again will Jesus need to die for our sins nor does mankind have to sacrifice animals nor work in any way to earn salvation. Jesus did it all, paid for it all.
"For Christ died for sins once for all..." (1 Peter 3:18).
See also Hebrews 10:1-18 but especially note verses 14 and 18, which read,
"For by a single offereing He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified...where there is forgivieness of these [lawless deeds aka sins], there is no longer any offering for sin".
This was once, for all.
As this is quite long already, I'll look at some of the other questions in another blog entry. Think on what has been written herein first. My prayer is that if anyone reading has not yet accepted Christ as Savior, not having entered into this covenant with God through Jesus, that you will do so today. By faith, you can accept this offer of salvation. Jesus has done all the work for you, fulfilling His purpose.
~ERC March 2023~
Based on Navigators's Ministeries Book 1 - Knowing Jesus Christ, Chapter 2 - The Work of Christ: His Death, Questions 1-3.
Please be sure to refer to all the Bible references given for greater understanding.
References:
*1 Coverview of the Blood Covenant - Common Steps www.csmedia.com and Got Questions - What was a blood covenant? (Genesis 15:9-21)? gotquestions.org
*2 www.gotquestions Who Was Barabbas in the Bible?
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