The Importance of the cross-Part III

JESUS – SACRIFICE

After first looking at the “bird’s eye view” of the crucifixion from God’s perspective, it is necessary to go to Jesus’ perspective. This is due to the fact that Jesus and God are entities of the same Godhead. We cannot talk about the love of God without also talking about the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus understood that God was sending him to this world to do a specific task - restore all of creation and place all of humanity back into a right relationship with God. Jesus states, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:23-26 NIV).

I can only imagine the pain that Jesus endured for the sake of each of us as he hung on that cross and what was going through his mind as blood flowed from the five wounds (head, hands, feet, back, and side).

As the soldiers, Gentiles, and Jews all stood on the hill of Golgotha where he was crucified and ridiculed him, he must have thought, “I did this for them? I cannot believe I left my seat by the throne of God to come and save an obstinate people!” Could this have really been going through the mind of Christ? Scripture tells us something differently. From the cross Jesus states, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV). Even though the people broke his body, they were also breaking his heart because he understood what they were missing out on. He understood the glory of the Father in a way that was incomprehensible to anyone on earth.

Jesus states, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and your children” (Luke 23:28 NIV). This sacrifice Christ made was out of love for God’s children and his desire to see their relationship restored to the Almighty. Christ sacrificed his spot in eternity for a short time in order to redeem the people of God (John 1:1-18).

Jesus sacrificed the riches and comfort of this life for the sake of redeeming you and me to our Creator. He came as a baby boy to a poor carpenter and not as the son of a political or religious ruler. He sacrificed riches for poverty and power for humility.

What is Christ calling you to sacrifice for the sake of a transformed and renewed relationship with God? Is it wealth, stature, fame, pride, materials, relationships, comfort, or special privileges? 2 Peter 2:20-21 states, “But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (NIV). Suffer and sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel and Christ will defend you before the Father on the Day of Judgment.

“God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man, - suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized, finally dying a criminal's death - and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched” (Phillips, CN Online).