The Cross And Salvation of Jesus Christ8 [Isa 53 : 6] / Ephphatha Church Discipleship Training (Basic Course)

 

NewZealand / West Side                  Moru

 

The Cross And Salvation

of Jesus Christ8

[Isa 53 : 6]

 

/ Ephphatha Church

Discipleship Training

(Basic Course) 

 

 

 

/ By Pastor Priscilla

 

 

Today, we're going to

have a time to deal with

Jesus' suffering on the cross

in more depth in 4 parts.

 

 

1. Jesus who was arrested.

 

 

At the time of the

Passover supper,

the Lord gave bread

 and wine to his disciples.

 

 

(This is a ritual used

in the sacrament

in memory of

Jesus, as well.)

(Matt 26 : 26-28)

 

 

After praying

in Gethsemane,

Jesus was arrested

 

 

 

by the armed men

sent from the chief

priests and the elders

of the people.

 

 

 

Before Jesus

was arrested, he had

wanted to obey

God's will alone,

 

 

so he had prayed earnestly

enough to form the sweat

on his forehead into

the drops of blood.

(Matth 26 : 39)

 

 

While Jesus was praying,

he wanted his disciples

to keep watch and pray

for him together,

 

 

but his disciples

got to sleep due to

their physical fatigue.

 

 

They had been sleeping 

until Jesus returned to

them after praying alone.

 

 

And then Jesus

was arrested. 

(Matt 26 : 37-38)

 

 

Imagine the situations

at that time.

 

 

Armed crowds sent

by the chief priests who

ran to arrest Jesus...

 

 

When Jesus was arrested,

the hasty actions of Peter

who was hot-tempered

and Jesus' tolerance...

(Matt 26 : 52-54)

 

 

His disciples who were

so afraid that they

abandoned Jesus

and ran away at last...

(Matt 26 : 56)

 

 

Judas Iscariot,

who betrayed Jesus

with the purpose of

testing him and informed

the chief priests!  

 

 

Do you think Judas

expected that if Jesus

is truly the Son of God,

 

 

Jesus, the Savior,

will perform the miracle

of the Messiah at the last

minute on the cross?

 

 

There's something

we must remember:

 

 

We  should not test

God or Jesus.

 

 

2. Jesus who was

  taken to trial. 

 

 

Jesus had been tried,

as many as five times.

 

 

1) Jesus who was

taken first to Annas.

(Jn, 18 : 13)

 

 

2) Jesus who was

taken to Caiaphas the

high priest.

(Jn 18 : 24)

 

 

 

He called a meeting

of the Sanhedrin,

the highest Jewish

institution,

 

 

and sentenced

Jesus to death.

 

 

3) Jesus who was taken

to Pilate Governor of Rome

(under Roman rule)

 (Matt 27 : 12)

 

 

4) Jesus who was taken

to Herod the tetrarch

of Galilee.

(Lk 23 : 8-10)

 

 

5) Jesus who was

  taken to Pilate again.

 

 

Herod eventually

sent Jesus back to Pilate

for final judgment.

(Lk 23 : 11)

 

 

Jesus had been tried

five times, and had been

humiliated and shamed

many times!

 

 

During the fifth trial,

Pilate claimed that Jesus

was sinless and innocent.

(Lk 23 : 13-16),

 

 

 

but the Jews asked him

to release Barabbas instead

of Jesus and cursed

themselves,

 

 

"Let his blood be

on us and on

our children!"

(Matt 27 : 26)

 

 

 

Eventually, Jesus

was crucified instead. 

(Matt 27 : 22-31)

 

 

After all, centuries late

r this terrible curse came

true as they had said:

 

 

The terrible massacre

of Jews by Hitler resulted

in a tragedy in which many

of decendants were killed.

 

 

Therefore, when

there's something

we have to do,

 

 

we should decide

and act carefully,

asking the Holy Spirit

for our discernment

 

 

so that we can make

the right decision.

 

 

3. The suffering

of the cross

 

 

 

Imagine the suffering

of Jesus on the cross,

who had to suffer

 

 

 

humiliation, shame,

and insult for each one

of us, a sinner!

(Matt 27 : 33-34)

 

 

Be sure to remembe

r that at the moment

when Jesus, the righteous

in place of the sinner

Barabbas, was bound

(Matt 27 : 26),

 

 

 

our sinful lives

have changed from

death to life and

we have been freed

from our sins.

 

 

 

“Simon Cyrene” was

a man who took his

cross instead of

 Jesus by force.

 

 

 

He was a man

who was forced to

participate in Jesus'

salvation ministry

 

 

 

to open the way

to save sinners.

(Matt 27 : 32)

 

 

 

And before Jesus' death,

the two robbers who were

crucified together chose

their lives with their

own free will,

 

 

 

and it can be seen

that the endings

of the two lives were

 totally different.

 

 

 

This makes us surely

realize what to choose

at the very last inute

in our lives,

 

 

and it tells us that

we must put it

 into practice.

 

 

 

Jesus is Almighty God

and also God's one

 and only Son.

 

 

 

But on the cross,

the Lord faced God

 the just judge.

 

 

Jesus, who was

God's one and only Son,

cried out in front of God

who kept completely silent

 

 

 "My God, my God,

why have you

  forsaken me?"

 

 

However, Jesus as a

sinner was abondoned

and neglected from

God the judge!

 

 

In order to forgive

our sinful lives, the

Most Honorable one was

willing to take the way

of suffering, which

 

 

was to demonstrate

his own love for us

sinners:

 

 

It was the love that

anybody could not do

at all except Savior.

 

 

Therefore, the priceless

love of Jesus who

sacrificed himself

 

 

 

and redeemed our sins

on the cross should

never be regarded

as vain!

       

 

4. What is the reason

for the suffering of

our Lord Jesus?

 

 

1) To become a

fellowship offering.

(peace)

 

 

 

Worldly people may

think that Jesus was

deserving of punishment

 

 

and that paid the

fair price, but the

Lord carried the burden

of our sinful lives

to save us.

 

 

Jesus was pierced

for our transgressions,

he was crushed for

our iniquities.

 

 

And he was whipped

to heal our sickness

and punished to give

us peace.

(Isa 53 : 4-7, 12)

 

 

In the Bible,

we see John called Jesus

the Lamb of God who

takes away the sin

of the world.

(Jn 1 : 29)

 

 

In this, we must not

overlook that he was

willing to take the burden

of our sins,

 

 

and that he died on tne

cross in order to be a

sacrifice of atonement 

(Rom 3 : 25)

 

 

Therefore, we must keep

in mind that Jesus came

to end the broken

relationship between

God and man, and

make peace.  

 

 

Jesus was taken to the

judge instead of

each one of us,

 

 

who were to be

despised and rejected,

to pay the penalty for

each one of us

only to die,

 

 

to be tried,

punished, and killed

(2 Cor 5 : 14-15).

 

 

Those who acknowledge

and believe in Jesus

 

 

 

as Christ will become

righteous, will be

saved from God's

judgment,

 

 

 

and will have eternal

life in Heaven.

(Rom 4 : 25)

 

 

Therefore, through

Jesus, we have become

reconciled to God

 

 

and become holy ones

without defects

and being rebuked.

 

 

Now we can go

boldly befre God.

 

 

So, we should live

humbly and give

  thanks to the Lord.

 

 

Also God is willing to

give the blessing of

Salvation to those who

with the heart  believe

in Jesus

 

 

 

and  who with the mouth

acknowledge him.

(Rom 10 : 10)

 

 

 

That is, we are moved 

from death to life.

(Jn 3 : 16,  5 : 24, 6 : 54)

 

 

 

Therefore,

the scripture says,

 

 

"if you believe

in the Lord Jesus Christ,

you and your household

will be saved".

 

 

 

Let's sincerely thank

Jesus for opening

the way to Salvation.

(Acts 16 : 31)

 

 

 

5. Concluding: 

 

 

God and Jesus,

who prepared the

salvation ministry

for sinners, have

different roles

 

 

and different ways

of showing love.

 

 

 

I will stand before God

the Judge, and I will

never forget that

 

 

 

Jesus sacrificed

on the cross instead

of me to save me. 

(Gal 2 : 20)      

 

 

Prayer.

 

 

Our Lord Jesus! 

 

 

 

Thank you

for allowing us to

have a gracious time

studying the cross

and salvation of Jesus,

 

 

and also enabling us

to realize your wonderful

  love more deeply.

 

 

At this moment,

I clearly remember

the voice of the Lord

who spoke to me,

 

 

"My child!  I gave my body,

soul and mind to you,

but what have you

done for me?” 

 

 

How shall I respond

if the Lord asks me

above while looking

at the center

 of my heart?

 

 

I can't forget the

moment I came to

the cross with only

one heart to receive

the Lord, acknowledge

him as my Savior,

 

 

 

and meet him with

the thrill of my first love.

 

 

 

Lord! 

 

 

I rely on you, who will

hold my hand and

lead me to the end.

 

 

 

And also allow me to

follow in your footsteps

with obedience

and humility,

 

 

 

and be your

beloved disciple!

 

 

 

I pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen 

 

 

 

25/12/2019

 

 

/ By Priscilla