“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

GOOD FRIDAY!!! 

Our Good Good Father, because of love, gave, nothing less than His Good and Perfect Gift, Jesus, Who became our Lord, our Savior, our Good Shepherd.

Jesus came, born of a virgin.  He made known to us the Father’s Love.  He demonstrated what it means to be the Son of Man, anointed by the Holy Spirit and power.  He healed the sick, opened blind eyes, made the lame walk, cast out demons and raised the dead.  He set the captives free.  He silenced the storm with His Word.  He fed the multitude.  He turned water into wine. He made those of broken spirit whole.  Altogether, HE MET EVERY PERSON’S NEED … THOSE WHO BELIEVED AND CAME TO HIM.

When the time came for Him to become the ransom for many, at the Garden of Gethsemane, He was in full obedience to the Father for the joy that was set before Him.   He said, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)  If you’re going to look at the first part of this verse, it is about the cup of suffering that He asked the Father to take away from Him. Have you ever thought of what this cup was all about? 

Jesus walked on earth in intimate fellowship with the Father.  He always found time with Him.  He only said what He heard the Father say.  He only did what He saw the Father do.  He walked in perfect obedience.  

When it was time, He knew that He would become sin Who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and sin is the one thing that would separate Him from the Father, yet He said, “Not My will but Yours, be done.” This was the major inclusion in the cup of suffering, Him being detached from and out of fellowship from the Father. Because of His great love for us, He willingly did it. He knew that this would seal and be the guarantee that nothing will be sufficient enough to separate us from the love of God.

Jesus absolutely knew that by becoming sin and taking on the full wrath of God that will be exhausted at His body at the cross, you and I who believe in Him will be washed clean, become unblemished, as white as snow.  He knew we will become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  He knew we will become NEW CREATIONS in Him.  He knew we will be the temples of His Spirit. He knew we will be co-laborers with Him in His kingdom. He knew we will be diffusers of God’s love. He knew we will become sons and daughters of the Most High God. He knew we will become like Him, walking on earth with authority just like He did. As He is, so are we in this world. This was the exceeding joy that was set before Him and that joy fueled Him with strength to pay the steep price that only He was qualified to do. He was the Perfect Lamb of God, the Perfect Sacrifice intentionally chosen to set us free.  Oh how He loves you and me.

Yes, our Lord Jesus was born to die.  He gave His life for you and me to have eternal life, and “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

As Paul wrote to Timothy, “The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.”  (1 Timothy 1:15)

The finished work of Jesus Christ changed the trajectory of the believers’ lives, that’s us. He saved us.  In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us. 

He redeemed us for the curse of the law: sickness and disease, lack and poverty and being separated from God.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)

His body was bruised and broken, so we may be made whole, and not just to feel better.  When He said, “It is FINISHED!” He made wholeness and divine health available for us who believe. 

His precious blood was shed, so we may be washed clean once and for all.  By being made holy and blameless through Him, we have full access to the Father.  We are welcome to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace in time of our need.

He Who was so very rich, yet for our sake, He became so very poor, so that by His poverty we may become rich.  The immeasurable riches of our inheritance through Him is limitless, and He takes pleasure in our prosperity.

I say, “Yes”, to all these, and “Yes” to be taken deeper and deeper into the revelation knowledge of Him.

What brings me comfort the most is this truth as one loaded benefit of Jesus’ finished work, that He knows me more than I know myself and He embraces me.  There is no pretense needed.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5)  And, He graces me to become more like Him as He unveils my eyes to know Him more by the power of His Word revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Then, He takes us further by faith.  His Word says, “we know Him”!  “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17)   Hmmm … who can argue with the written word?  This indeed is a step of faith to submit and receive what His Word says.  When we do, surely, He will make us soar higher with Him in this faith adventure that we have in Him.

The Passion Translation of this verse says, “you know Him INTIMATELY because He remains with you and will live inside you.” 

Let us therefore continually nurture our fellowship with the One Who knows us and take on the journey of knowing Him by His word.  There is no other place where we can be rooted and grounded in this love-relationship that we have with Him apart from His Word and the Holy Spirit in us, expressed through our relationship with those around us.  His love is only perfected when we walk in it.

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)

Indeed, WORTHY IS THE LAMB!!!   Because of love, You came. Thank You, Jesus!

If I may share this again with you, here is the link to my song, “Worthy is the Lamb!”