Friday, July 1, 2016

Jesus' Unique Death 7/1-5

 Jesus Was Unique in His Death – John 19:16-30
(Unique=very unusual; special notice; only one of its kind; one and only)

          John 19:30 “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
          (1)  As Messiah, He died for His people’s sins, fulfilling David’s detailed prophecy written a thousand years before (Psalm 22), and that of Isaiah seven hundred years before (Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12). Zechariah, about 450 B.C., foresaw His death as a death by piercing (Zech. 12:10).
          (2)  Jesus Himself prophesied that He would be put to death, and that His death would be for the sins of many (Mark 10:45; Matt. 16:21).
          (3)  He died as the Passover Lamb, His innocent blood shed for the sins of people (John 1:29).  In the breaking of His body and in the outpouring of His blood, He saw the Passover Lamb’s atonement at last fulfilled (1 Cor. 11:24, 25).
          (4a)  He died voluntarily, obeying the Father’s will (plan): “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:17, 18).  If Jesus wished to resist His captors, He could have summoned (called) twelve legions of angels to fight for Him—but He did not (Matt. 26:52-54).
          (4b)  The word legions means the chief unit (group) of the Roman army having 3,000 to 6,000 foot soldiers with cavalry or army (dictionary).  If you multiplied 12 legions times 3,000 and 6,000, it would be 36,000 and 72,000 soldiers. Imagined that Jesus has that authority to call that many angels.
          (4c)  There is a song called, ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ written by Ray Overholt. The chorus: He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free.  He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone, for you and me.
          (5)  God the Father hid His face from the Son at Calvary, for Jesus, though He had never sinned, was at that time bearing the sins of the world (Matt. 27:46;   2 Cor. 5:21).
          (6)  Even as He endured the agony of crucifixion He publicly asked forgiveness for His enemies: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
          (7)  His upright (high moral standard) and holy conduct (living) at the cross even caused one of the two thieves crucified beside Him to accept Him as Savior and find eternal forgiveness. This was the unique testimony and power of His dying (Luke 23:34-43).
          Key: Although He went through the greatest of public indignations (anger caused by something unjust or something not right) as well as physical agonies (suffering great pains), Christ’s faultless behavior at His death has testified through the ages (since the time until now) that “certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Luke 23:47).  Nowhere in the history is there a finest record than that of Jesus facing the cross and then dying upon it. 

Song:  ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ written by Ray Overholt. 
Chorus: 
He could have called ten thousand angels 
To destroy the world and set Him free. 
He could have called ten thousand angels, 
But He died alone, for you and me.

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