Have you ever been asked , why did Jesus die on the cross?
Some might suggest it was a form of suicide, NO! definitely not. Others might think it a form of Martyrdom, possibly. Some might think to prove a point, by trying to fulfill Bible Prophesy, well possibly and they are getting warmer, But the truth is, Jesus volunteered for this task out of blind obedience to Almighty God, just like Abraham did.
Have you ever been asked by your father to do something special? Was it maybe something maybe you were not sure you wanted to do, but still you did your very best just to please your father? Can you remember that special look of happiness and joy on your father’s face when he saw that special task completed perfectly? Did your father maybe treat you special after that task, or reward you in a special way?
Abraham was asked by "Father" God to take his son up into the mountains and to offer up his son as a sacrifice to God. Blindly without hesitiation or even questioning why, Abraham obeyed God and when God saw that Abraham had blindly obeyed him and was ready to stab his son, an angel of God appears and stops the sacrifice, and provides a substitute, a ram. Out of his love, and loyalty, and respect, and trust, for Almighty God our Father, Abraham exercises blind obedience to the Father.
Now let’s go back in time, to the time of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. First man sins by disobeying God’s one and only law or rule and eats of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but that wasn’t bad enough another sin actually several sins are brought to the fore-front when Cain kills his brother Abel, for not only was the first murder committed, it was committed over jealsousy and envy.
God decides that the sins of man, cannot be erased by another man that it would take a perfect, sin-free, unblemished, sacrifice to eradicate sin and especially the sin of death. Our heavenly Father turns to His only heavenly son and asks Him to step up and become that perfect sacrifice, and without hesitation out of blind obedience to His Father, the Son of God steps up and volunteers for the task.
A few thousand years pass by and God and His Son pave the way for His entrance, by sharing with and through, the Prophets the coming of a Messiah, Emmanuel, so that the people would know that God had a plan to remove their sinfulness and remove death from the equation at the same time.
In order for the Son of God to fulfill His promise to Almighty God The Father, The son becomes through the power of the Holy Spirit, implanted into a human woman named Mary who at the time was still a virgin and was engaged to a carpenter in their village named Joseph. Finally the baby arrives and as foretold by the angel of God the child is named Jesus. His arrival as the prophesied Messiah, Emmanuel which means God with us is angelically hearlded to nearby shepherds and a group of Magi from around Syria travelling to find him.
For the next 30 years we hear little to nothing about this baby as it grows into manhood and then as Jesus turns 30 He seeks out a man who has been proclaiming His arrival. That man being John the Baptist. It is this encounter with the baptizer John that Jesus begins his three year ministry of performing miracles of healings, casting out demons, and even twice bringing people back to life from the dead, as well as teaching all who would listen to Him about a new Godly Covenant that will be entered into effect through Him.
Finally in His third year of ministry to the people it is time for Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah foretold to carryout God The Father’s request. Jesus permits Himself to be handed over to Caiaphas the high priest, and a group of pharisees, by his closest friend and apostle Judas Iscariot. But before this as he prays to His Father God, He asks God to be spared, and then knowing how his Father would answer He states to God; "Yet not my will but thine be done." In other words even though Jesus did not like what he was going to face, having God turn His back on Jesus, Out of obedience to Almighty God, Jesus was willing to see through to the end the task He had been asked to perform.
He is taken to Pontious Pilate to be judged, and even though Pilate can find no guilt in Jesus, inorder to satisfy the mob of unruly followers who had gathered, Pilate washes his hands of Jesus, but still tells his soldiers to carry out the wishes of the mob and crucify Jesus.
Jesus and two thieves, are taken outside Pilate’s place, to the top of Mount Calvary, where the three are crucified. While hanging there on the cross, all of the sins of mankind enter Jesus sins of the past, present, and future, as he becomes the perfect sacrifice and atones for the sin of Adam, Cain, and every sinner who came after them.
Jesus body is laid to rest in a nearby tomb, and while in the tomb, He in spirit travels to Hell or Hades, and claims to Himself any of those dead who chose to follow Him, including those who died at see.
After three days dead, Jesus arises from His tomb and greets Mary Magdelene and announces to her that He has arisen. From the time of His crucifixion until he arises, Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Messiah of Israel fortold, defeats the curse of sin of all mankind and defeats death by his resurrection.
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