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“And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on the
cross!” (Philippians 2:8)
Observations:
I learned 3
things about Jesus from this verse:
1. Jesus was found in appearance as a man!
2. Jesus humbled himself!
3. Jesus became obedient to death---even death on the cross!
Interpretations:
I asked myself why is it mentioned that Jesus was found in appearance as a man
and the significance of that!
What came to
my mind is that Jesus could have been found in appearance as an angel or a
bright light but Jesus chose to be found in appearance as a man on earth. Jesus
chose that because He was on mission 3:16 and wanted to relate to humanity to
help humanity. Being like a human gave him characteristics and DNA as humans but
without the sin of course because He was without sin.
I found the
significance of that in the next thing Jesus did. Jesus humbled himself as a
human being on earth!
I asked myself what does it mean to humble himself!
What came to
my mind is that though He is God, He did not act with power but went into
submission as a human for the sake of humanity. He stripped himself of any
rights and did the unthinkable.
I asked myself why he humbled himself!
What came to
my mind is to be obedient to death. For He would not have needed to be obedient
to death as God in power but did the unthinkable and displayed obedience to
death as a humble servant without exhibiting any rights!
I asked myself what did obedient to death mean?
The only way
death could come in His life was if He gave the permission for it to come.
He willingly for the sake of Mission 3:16, allowed death to take hold of Him.
What came to my mind is the type of death He was obedient to.
I asked myself why this type of death be emphasized!
I found it
very interesting that the word EVEN stood out to reveal the death Christ became
obedient to, evidenced by ‘even death on
the cross!’
It was not
any kind of death but seemed to emphasize a special kind of death by revealing
the cross. It is as if to point out that this type of death is so horrible,
scandalous, and excruciating to accept, yet Christ was obedient to that type of
death.
I asked myself why did it have to be this type of death, death is death!
If Jesus
wanted to be obedient to death, it did not have to be the cross! He could have
drank poison, been stoned to death, beheaded, or hung but he decided to be
obedient to death on a cross! Why? Why?
Why?
So I started
thinking about it and reasons behind the cross. What came to my mind is that the
CROSS was used for these purposes:
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For the most notorious
criminals.
-
For the most cursed death.
-
For the most humiliating
death.
-
For the most painful death.
Jesus wanted
to go through this kind of death for Mission 3:16.
How does Jesus fit into the category for the most notorious criminals?
Jesus took
upon Himself to pay for all the crimes of mankind which when added together
become notorious. Jesus made it His mission to be the sacrificial scapegoat for
humanity. He did it willingly. Since all crimes added together amount to
notoriousness, this is the death Jesus became obedient to for humanity. He was
not silent but accepted the penalty for all our crimes. When I say crimes, I am
thinking about all of sins as humanity.
How does Jesus fit into the category for the most cursed death?
It was
believed that only the worst people would die on the cross and this was so. In
essence, they were cursed for their crimes in life. Now, Jesus comes into the
picture and takes upon Himself the worst situations mankind has committed and
agrees to take the punishment of cursing because He was on Mission 3:16. When we
should be cursed forever, Jesus intervenes. Jesus does not stop there but
endures a humiliating death.
How does Jesus fit into the category for the most humiliating death?
When people
were to die on the cross, they were stripped naked and put on the cross. It was
not a solitary event but people jeered and cheered a person dying in their
nakedness. This alone would be so humiliating because you could not cover
yourself even if you wanted to. In addition, when a person is on the cross they
lose a lot of blood and go into shock. Sometimes it would be as if they were
shivering so much and cannot do anything about it. Usually when persons are
injured, they are given a lot of covering to keep them warm until help arrives.
Not for those dying a humiliating death on the cross. Jesus does not stop there
but goes through a painful death.
How does Jesus fit into the category for the most painful death and what is the
significance of it?
When people
were crucified, the pain was unbearable and there was no anesthetic or morphine
to keep the pain from not being experienced. After being labeled notorious,
cursed, and humiliated, they are now placed HANDS STRETCHED and FEET TOGETHER as
NAILS are POUNDED inside the person.
Do you hear the screams and cries of pain with
every hit of the HAMMER as 3 nails are pounded into the flesh of the One who did
no wrong?
Other people
at least committed crimes and had to face the punishment. Jesus faced it for our
sake. Yes, for our sake!
Can you even imagine the pain?
An injection
cannot compare anywhere close to it and yet I am afraid of needles. It is
painful for me to prick my finger even when not an ounce of blood is taken.
What
about the cross?
Jesus could
have died other ways but for His Mission 3:16, He kept the cross in mind. It is
interesting that even before He went to the cross, in one of His preaching
sermons, He lets the people know, “If you
want to follow me, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.
Those who want to save their life will lose it but those who are willing to give
it up, will save it.”
Now Jesus
picks up the cross and carries it until He can carry it no more and Simon of
Cyrene carries it the rest of the way to Golgotha.
What is the significance of the cross?
All the other
types of death would not have fulfilled Jesus’ Mission 3:16 for humanity but the
CROSS had unique reasons for fulfilling that mission. This is what came to my
mind:
-
The blood flow because of
the nails pounded in the left hand, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever
committed with our left hand.
-
The blood flow because of
the nails pounded in the right hand, cleansed us of all the sins we have
ever committed with our right hand.
-
The blood flow because of
the nails pounded into the legs, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever
committed with our legs.
-
The blood flow because of
the thorns pounded into the head, cleansed us of all the sins we have ever
committed using our head.
There was so
much blood that flowed when Jesus was crucified on Calvary for you and me. It is
His blood that cleanses humanity of their unrighteousness as Jesus paid the
ultimate price for our redemption. It was at the Cross!
When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized their nakedness and tried
to hide it. They tried to hide it with fig leaves but God foreshadowed what
would come one day, as God provided clothing for them after killing possibly a
lamb so they could be covered. A lamb or another animal paid the price so they
could be covered after their sinfulness revealed their nakedness.
On the
cross, Jesus became naked when He took upon Himself our sins so we could be
clothed in His righteousness. He became the sacrificial Lamb so we could be
clothed in His righteousness without being naked in sin. No other death would
have involved nakedness.
I believe
there is a deeper reason for death on the cross than those I thought about
above. When the Israelites were to escape the angel of death, they were to put
blood on the door post of their door. The blood had to be from a sacrificed
lamb.
It is
interesting that the blood used to cover the door was placed in a horizontal and
vertical way according to Scripture: “Then
they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the
doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.” (Exodus 12:7)
If you take
the horizontal post (top) with blood on it and separate it from the vertical
post (sides) with blood on it, and put them together, you get a bloody cross!
When the
angel of death came during the night and saw blood on the top and sides of the
doorpost, judgment decided to Passover that particular household where God’s
people resided after they did what God told them to, for the judgment to
Passover.
In the same
way, Jesus died on the cross for a reason. The bloody cross is from the Lamb of
God who sacrificed His life for humanity. It is undefiled blood and the purest
antidote for our virus sin. When we take His cleansing blood and cover our hands
and feet with it, we are covered by the cross. The cross covers over our entire
body with the blood on it.
Now when God
looks at us in His holiness, He does not see sin anymore but the blood of Christ
covering over us and cleansing us of all sin. Now God’s judgment will Passover
us and we can be with Him in Eternity. And so through the Cross, Jesus
accomplished Mission 3:16 for humanity. It is actually John 3:16 put to a
mission.
There is an
awesome song and video by Carmen called Mission 3:16.
I ask you now dear friends, what does the cross mean to you?
Dear friends
it is the cross Jesus used to fulfill His mission for you and me. It is more
than just a symbol or jewelry to wear on your neck or a pin to put on. Just
studying this one verse I learned so much about the cross. Each time you come
across a cross, I hope you get a flashback of screaming pain of Christ as each
nail went in to rescue you and me. May that reminder, remind you how much Jesus
loves you that He endured the cross for you and me.
When we make
a cross using our hands, it is not just a gesture but being reminded of the One
who endured it and the One who now covers us by His blood because He loves us.
But that is
only one aspect of why Jesus chose obedience to death-even death on the cross.
The other
reason that came to my mind is a pathway. When we cross the road, we are
actually crossing a pathway to reach our destination. Without a road or bridge
or water we won’t be able to get to the other side because they all serve
as a pathway.
In the same
way, I see the Cross as the only pathway to reach God. When we look to the Cross
of Christ, we are looking to the pathway that serves as a bridge to reach our
Heavenly Father. All other means and pathways will not let us get across except
the cross of Christ.
May you know
how much you are loved by Jesus no matter what you have done or no matter where
you have been! He loves you so much that He paid the price for you.
Now won’t you accept what He did for you and come
into His presence and give your life to Him so He can cover the virus of sin
with His blood cleansing us and making us clean?
He will give us a
transfusion of change.
Christ Redeems Our Souls Safely! (C.R.O.S.S)
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for
choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and lived here on
earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the
cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so
that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge
that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus
I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven
when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have
done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and
condemned find mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the
wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank
you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your
life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save
us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you
Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be
proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to live for you. I am
forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want
to live for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please. I thank you Jesus for
saving us! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will
give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge
you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!
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