When sin and death entered the lives of man, by eating from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, and caused man to be separated from God, God already had a perfect redemption plan. God’s work of redemption would reconcile man back to God and restore the position of fallen man. It all began with a tree and it ended with a tree; the cross.
God’s work of redemption for fallen man
Căci atât de mult a iubit Dumnezeu lumea, că El l-a dat pe singurul Său Fiu, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, dar să aibă viață veșnică. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved (Ioan 3:16,17)
Jesus served His whole life; He served His Father and people, prin ascultare the commandments of His Father, doing good, și healing all, that were oppressed by the devil (Acte 10:38).
Jesus represented His Father; He was a reflection of His Father.
a spus Isus, that if a person had seen Him, he had also seen the Father (Ioan 14:9). And in John 14:6-7, He said:
Eu sunt calea, adevărul, si viata: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him.
Jesus is the only Way, there is no other! Let us, therefore look at God’s perfect work of redemption, prin Isus Hristos.
Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane
The work of redemption began in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus’ soul was sorrowful. Jesus prayed to the Father and said: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done”.
Jesus knew the time had come that He would be handed over into the hands of sinners, and die for all sinners.
During his prayer, an angel appeared unto Him from heaven, to strengthen Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22:42-44).
Jesus conquered this deadly fear inside of HIm. He had to fight against His soul. Jesus conquered His soul (Citeste si: ‘Răstignirea sufletului‘).
Now Jesus was ready to continue the mission of His Father, and go to the whipping post and the cross.
Jesus went to the whipping post
After His prayer, and when Jesus returned to His disciples, He was betrayed by one of His disciples, and was taken captive. After many interrogations, He was scourged. When Jesus was scourged at the whipping post, He bore our sickness and disease.
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed (Isaia 53:4,5)
Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by Whose stripes ye were healed (1 Petru 2:24)
The crown of thorns
The crown of thorns, that the soldiers put on Jesus’ head could be a symbol of the oppression of man, but that’s my interpretation. Because in the Old Testament when they spoke of thorns, they referred to people:
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell (Numerele 33:55)
Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but the shall be snares and trapes unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you (Iosua 23:13)
But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands (2 Samuel 23:6)
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Apoi a venit momentul, that Jesus was chosen by the people, instead of Barabbas (a murderer), to be crucified. The devil thought that he was smart, he thought that by crucifying Jesus, he was getting rid of Jesus, and he could continue to build his kingdom on this earth. In other words, he thought: good riddance! (Citeste si: ‘Jesus or Barabbas, who do you choose?‘)
But the devil was wrong. Because this was all part of God’s work of redemption. Jesus took all the sins, of the world, upon Him. Iisus, Who was without sin, was made sin and was sacrificed, in order to reconcile man back to God, once and for all. From the sixth till the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land.
Then at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, zicală: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”
These words mean: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Jesus had always been joint together with His Father; they were One. Jesus was never separated from Him, until sin came upon Him.
God is holy and can never have fellowship with sin, therefore Jesus was separated from His Father. Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom (marcă 15:33-39).
Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed (1 Petru 2:24)
Jesus took our punishment upon Himself
We should have been punished, because we are the sinners and not Jesus. We should have been scourged in hell. But because of the great love and mercy of God, Jesus took the punishment, which was meant for us, asupra Lui Însuși.
Through the blood of Jesus and regeneration in Him, we are reconciled with God and live in unity with God in Christ Jesus. Prin baptism with water and the Holy Ghost, we have crucified our sinful nature and received God’s nature inside of us.
When you receive His nature inside of you, the process of sanctification will start. Vei reînnoiește-ți mintea cu Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu. And instead of walking after the flesh (after your senses, minte, gânduri, sentimente, emoții, voi, etc.), you shall walk after the Spirit according to the Word in the will of God.
The Holy Spirit is your Comforter and your Teacher. Împreună cu El, you shall be able to serve God, Iisus Hristos, and men. Just like Jesus.
Jesus took the keys of hell and death
After Jesus died, He legally entered Hades. Jesus entered Hades, because Jesus was made sin; He had taken all sin and iniquity upon Himself. Jesus was in Hades for three days and preached. După trei zile, Jesus took the keys al diavolului, moarte, and Hades legally back.
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matei 12:40)
For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit (1 Petru 4:6)
I am He that liveth, and was dead; și, Iată, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelatie 1:18)
Jesus conquered death and by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was raised from the dead. The same Spirit, Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us (romani 8:11).
Jesus is alive and is seated at the right hand of God. He lives, and we may live in Him. Jesus gave us His whole legacy, through His work of redemption.
God’s work of redemption was a work of perfection!
„Fii sarea pământului’
