He Gave It all

Luke Chapter 22:39 through Luke Chapter 24:12 inclusive.

Dear brethren:

Greetings & blessings in the Name of our Risen Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ.

As we prepare to remember that perfect sacrifice Jesus performed over 2000 years ago I feel the need for us all to examine our hearts.  We sometimes take for granted what Jesus did for us.  Many times we miss the subtle signs our God has placed on the side of the road on the way to Calvary.  Forgive me for disecting this but I feel the need to do so.

Let's begin at Luke 22:39-45.

Here Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives as accustomed by Him.  When He got there the first thing He instructed His disciples in verse 40
was "Pray that ye enter not into temptation."  One sign I notice here is that Jesus never commanded them not to be TEMPTED, but to not ENTER into temptation.

In verse 42 we have Jesus saying, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."  The human part of Jesus was struggling with what He knew was the Father's will:  that He be offered as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  Being the Alpha and Omega, He knew beforehand of what would be written later in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  He had to offer Himself up so that the Father would accept His sacrifice as the final, complete & perfect payment for our sins.  Why?  So that we would have an opportunity to be reconciled to the Father.

In verses 47-53 He was betrayed by the one He called His friend in Matthew 26:50.  Yet even through this betrayal, Jesus remained calm.  Not once did He get angry with Judas, for it was the Father's will & He accepted this.  Someone had to play this intregal yet drastic part.  Why?  So that He could carry out the Father's perfect plan of
redemption through the blood of the Lamb.

In verse 56 we have the story of Peter denying Christ. Why?  So He would be able to understand how we feel when we are denied/rejected by people close to us?

In verse 63 we pick it up with Him being humiliated by His captors.  They blindfolded and struck Him in the face repeatedly.  They blasphemed against Him.  Why?  So He could suffer the same pain, humiliation, & ridicule we one day would, thus being able to identify with our plight.

Luke 23:21 we have the Jews shouting "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"  Many of these were probably the same shouting out "Hosanna, Hosanna!" during Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Why?  Probably because when he came in they were expecting their King to deliver them from the Romans when He in actuality came to deliver them from something far more devastating than them: eternal damnation.  Since God was not going to do their will they rejected Him.  2,000+ years later the same holds true.

In verse 26 we mark the beginning of His walk to Calvary.   Beaten almost to the point of beyond recognition.  Whipped, spat on, humiliated.  Falling......when the natural man in Him may have decided to just "stay down for the count" He could only see your face and mine.......engulfed in eternal flames.....and He stood up once again towards the impromptu altar....Three times?  Maybe more?  Who can say for sure.....The only thing certain
is that He refused to stay down for He had to complete the perfect will of the Father and obey to the end He must............

Do we see the signs on the road to Calvary?  Jesus needed to walk in TOTAL obedience until the end in order for the Father's plan to come to fruition.   I ask myself this question from time to time.....the
dreaded "What If?"

"What If"  Jesus refused to get back on His feet on the way to Calvary?  Would He have been able to offer Himself as the sacrifice?  "What if" back in the garden the previous night He had decided to flee into the wilderness instead of patiently awaiting for His friend to betray Him?  "What If" He decided NOT to rise on the third day because He was already comfortable at the side of the Father? 

"What if?"

I thank God that Jesus had already decided that partial obedience would be equivalent to total disobedience.  If He would have said "Yes" to all but at the end said: "Father, I have been obedient
almost until the end but I can't do this last thing You ask me to.  Forgive me!"  Where would we be?  What hope would we have?  But He didn't.  He gave it all up.  He endured it all.  The pain, the agony, the humiliation.   And yes, the crucifixion.

I feel at times sad to think that I can do so many things for God because I love Him with all my heart, yet there are still things I have yet refused to surrender to Him........things that in the end I know can possibly destroy me.  I only pray Jesus will give me the strength and resolve to give these things to God and come to the decision that partial obedience is total disobedience. 

One day I pray I may say as Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing."

 

Jesus took off His crown, left His throne, and lowered Himself to human form to pay the ultimate price for our sin, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord....(Romans 6:23)

Jesus, I thank You for Your total obedience even unto death.  Without it You would not have been able to claim victory over sin and death.  Without it we would definitely be forever separated from the Father.   Thank You for bridging the gap and bringing me back in His presence.

Father, I thank You for your unselfishness in sacrificing Your only begotten Son so that I may have an opportunity to have an eternal, intimate relationship with you.  You love me that much?  I find it so awesome that you would do that for me.  As a father, I cannot fathom allowing my son to be sacrificed for someone else.  I know you love
me that much.

Allow me to be led by You.  Help me lay down those things I still stubbornly attempt to hold on to in my flesh.  Teach me how to surrender these things to You.  Bring me closer to You so that as I
get closer to the Light, I am able to better see the things that escape my eyes in the twilight. 

One more thing I ask of You Father:  Teach me to look more in the mirror and less out the window.  After all, I need to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.  The time is short.  I don't need
to get ready; I need to BE READY.....
In Jesus' precious Name I pray, amen!


Your son,

Joe Acosta
Redeemed By His Blood Web Ministries

In His Presence Gospel Hour
http://praise899.org/In_His_Presence.htm