Opening: Isaiah 53:1-5
“Who had believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shot, and like a root out of dry ground. He
had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we
should desire.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with
suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we
esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pieced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed”.
DISCUSSION, UNDERSTANDING, COMPREHENSION, AND DECISION MAKING:
Though Jesus had a glorious life and ministry here on earth, yet this was not
without suffering. He passed through all the rigors of life. Right from birth,
He was born in a manger for there was no room for Him to be born in a decent inn
(Hospital) – Like 2:7. He grew up among ordinary folks. He faced temptation
after baptism (Lk 4:1-11) All through his life people were running after Him to
kill. This began from early childhood and the hatred continued all through his
lifetime till He was made to face trial after several persecutions. At the end,
He was hanged by crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. (Matt 2:13, John 8:59;
Matt 27:29-31, 34-36). All His disciples passed through the same rigors. Paul
said all that will live Godly must suffer the same persecution (II Tim 3:12|).
Where do you stand? Never to suffer anything for the Lord’s sake? If that is
true of you, you may have been living in compromise. Repent and resemble your
Lord and Master.
SUFFERINGS ALREADY PROPHESIED BY THE PROPHETS OF OLD WHO LIVED FOR GOD.
The suffering of the Lord had to be like that because it was already prophesied
from scriptures that He must pass through all those stages of sufferings in
order to bring redemption, salvation, deliverance, healings to making.
FOR REDEMPTION SAKE
“Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after
day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed
for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as
high priests men who are weak, but the oath, which came after the law, appointed
the Son, who has been made perfect forever” - Hebrews 7:27-28.
Without gain saying, it is evident like men sinned from the beginning. The only
perfect sacrifice that was competent to redeem mankind is Jesus. That was why he
came. The scriptures says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but has ever
lasting life” As many as we received this free gift because of the suffering of
Jesus, will have ever lasting life.
It is important for us to mention that if any one dies without being saved such
a person will have to go to hell fire. Because God is loving and is the creator,
He did not want man to die in his sins, that was why Jesus came to die for the
sin of the whole word. For the black, the white and all other creation that has
the breath of God. God does not discriminate. He allowed Jesus to die for the
whole world. Would you receive Him today so that His blood that is still
availing can cleanse you from your sins? Jesus brought us back from the task
master – the devil. He bought us back in his suffering, death, and eventual
resurrection from the grave. In the grave he seized the keys of hell and death
from the devil.
Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many
people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him. Are you ready for Him today?
FOR HEALING, DELIVERANCE AND HOLY LIVING
I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might
die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For
you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and
Overseer of your souls.
CHRIST’S SUFFERING WAS FOR A VISION FROM GOD
Jesus had a vision. With His vision for the whole world he would not have passed
through what he suffered. If you have unction, mission, ministry, message
without vision, it is nothing. The vision of Jesus that He received from His
father in Heaven to have agreed to suffer the way he died enabled him to achieve
what He has achieved and is achieving today. I am one of the people that Jesus
saved and delivered because He suffered and died, resurrected and alive for
evermore!
Daily, I keep experiencing the power in the suffering, crucifixion, death and
resurrection of Jesus. I see people getting born again not only in our
ministries but in other place where the name is called and honored all over the
world. Remember all who suffer with him will reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12).
God bless you as decided to accept him into your life today!.
Rev Debo Adeyemo
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First of all it is necessary to understand why no one else could do it. When
Adam sinned it was in fact a sell out to Satan. Adam may not have realized the
full consequences of what he did but nevertheless, he was disobedient to God.
Prior to this Satan (Lucifer, as he was known then) rebelled in heaven and
managed to gain the support of a third of the angels.
Revelation 12:7-AV And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Revelation 12:3-AV And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a
great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his
heads.
Revelation 12:4-AV And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was
ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Luke 10:18-AV And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven.
After seducing Eve and Adam to sin, Satan became the prince of this world.
John 12:31-AV Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this
world be cast out.
John was talking about Satan being defeated by Jesus. But what really happened
here? Let us go back to the book of Job where Satan is pictured as the prince of
this world in a dramatic way.
Job 1:6-AV Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7-AV And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered
the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and
down in it.
There are two occasions such as this mentioned in Job. What I believe happens is
that God, from time to time calls a conference of planetary leaders. Certainly
the language explains that Satan appeared there as the prince of earth. God did
not show him the door but permitted him to attend the conference since it was
his right, as owner of the earth and mankind, to do so. He had been defeated in
Heaven when he mounted what we would call a military coup, and was cast out, but
had now gained a planet of his own to call home.
But how could we get it back? Why, by redemption of course. The redemption
process given to the Jews so that they would understand the big picture,
provided for a purchase agreement to be drawn up when a man sold land or slaves.
This agreement would also include an agreed redemption price and other
conditions of sale like how long the new owner would be able to remain (to get a
crop off for instance) after the redemption price was paid. Either the man who
sold the property could redeem it or a direct descendent such as a son. If the
‘tenant’ refused to vacate the land or return the slave, the redeemer could open
the seals on the original purchase agreement, and with the open document as his
authority, use whatever force was necessary to take back the possession.
There
was a 50 year limit on any such sale to safeguard family property put there by
God for man’s benefit. However there is no such limit involving the big picture.
Now since the wages of sin is death, according to God, the redemption of the
earth required the blood sacrifice (death) of a man, Adam or a descendent. This
man of course, had to be in the same moral condition as Adam was when the deal
was made. Are you starting to get the picture? Mankind could never produce a
redeemer! As a condition of Adam’s fall, every child born of man was born into
legal slavery to Satan (original sin).
Now God had a couple of options open to Him here. The easy way was to let things
run their course and when Satan had demonstrated the utter haplessness of his
position to the watching universe, just zap the earth, Satan, mankind and all.
That of course would have meant that everyone who ever lived on the planet would
only have the time allotted to them here as a life and not have a chance for
eternal life which was what was originally intended when we were created.
The other option was to somehow provide a way mankind, and the earth, could be
redeemed. And the only way to do this was for God Himself, in the form of His
Son, to take on human flesh as a man and pay the redemption price for mankind.
It had to be the Son part of the Godhead that did this because the Father had to
remain aloof. In fact we are told that this plan was made before the world
began. God had foreknowledge of what mankind would do and provided a solution
even before creating him.
We all know the story of how the Holy Spirit caused the conception of the baby
in the virgin Mary. Since he was not conceived of man, but of God, He was able
to be born without the ‘original sin’ condition common to all mankind. Because
this redemption thing had to be done by a Man and not a God, Jesus was totally
unable to use any divine power while He went through this process. He was also
tempted severely by Satan, who gave his personal attention to the task, because
not being stupid, he knew what was being done here. Jesus could have sinned just
as Adam did. Imagine what might have resulted if that had happened!
Now because Satan had such an interest in getting Jesus to sin, even to think an
angry thought, he arranged for Him to be killed by the cruelest and most
horrible means ever thought up by an evil mankind. Maybe he could get Jesus to
get angry with the soldiers who were torturing him. When that didn’t happen he
arranged for one of the thieves to tempt Jesus to use His divine power to come
down off the cross. He could have done that, but it would have meant failing His
mission.
It was known beforehand what method would be used to kill Jesus because when the
children of Israel were in the desert at one time they were being bitten by a
plague of poisonous snakes. God gave instructions to make a brass serpent and
hang it on a cross. Any snake bitten Israeli who looked upon the brass serpent
on the cross was healed of the snake bite. This was a prelude to when Jesus,
(who took upon Himself the sins of the world and was therefore pictured as a
snake, a symbol of sin), would be hoisted up on a cross and all who look upon
Him (believe in Him) will be healed of sin and have everlasting life.
Jesus paid the redemption price for the earth and mankind and as the result of
this, we all now belong to Jesus, or can if we choose to. In Revelation we are
given a vision of the Father holding up a scroll sealed with seven seals, and
calling for someone to take the scroll. Only one being could come forward and
take that scroll, and He is pictured both as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and
as a Lamb, slain. Our redeemer, Jesus. He took the scroll out of the Father’s
hand and proceeded to open the seals. We are given other visions of history,
prophecy when Revelation was written, as each seal is opened. When the last seal
is opened, there are thunders, and lightening and great noise and Jesus comes
back to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to take back his possession by
force.
My study of prophecy and that of every other bible student I have encountered,
reveals that this time is almost upon us. There is now quite an urgency to
spread the Gospel message of salvation while we are still able.
I pray that readers not already saved will do something about it. And that those
who are, will be taken with this sense of urgency I and others now feel.
Lance Wearmouth
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The answer I believe is that the blood of animals was not sufficient anymore
for the sin of the world and the Son of God, Yeshua, the only sinless being had
to sacrifice His blood to satisfy the Father of the sin in the world.
Allan Mann
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To fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament, and to ease our sufferings. Can
you imagine what we would be going through if He wouldn't have suffered as He did
for us. Or you can think like the newagers that He suffered that way because
God did not know what it was that we were going through so He sent His Son to
experience what it was we were suffering.
Dennis
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The Servant's Suffering Read Isaiah 53:4-6 Look at some of the verbs that are
found in these verses that depict the Servant's suffering. Took our infirmities
(grieves) The Hebrew term translated infirmities also means "sicknesses,"
"diseases," or "illnesses." The word can refer to physical, mental, and
spiritual sickness. In this context, it refers to our sins. Christ took on our
sins. Carried our sorrows Sorrow here refers to pain. Christ carried our pain.
Stricken and smitten by God Stricken means to strike or touch. Smitten means to
strike, smite, be attacked, be wounded, hit, beat, slay, or kill.
Christ
received our punishment. Afflicted, pierced, crushed There were no stronger
expressions to be found in the language, to denote a violent and painful death.
Christ died for us. Why did Jesus have to suffer and die? Can you think of any
other way for Him to accomplish what He needed to do? The Bible shows that
Jesus' death on the cross was the ultimate revelation of God's love and at the
time the darkest picture of human sin. Jesus' death for sinners was God's will
because only in that way could sinners be saved. The statement we all like
sheep, have gone astray sets forth the reason for the Servant's suffering. All
of us have sinned (Rom 3:23 . As a flock of sheep without a shepherd strays,
each of us have turned away from God. We have turned to our own way. We have
wilfully rebelled against God. None of us can do anything to earn salvation.
Christ paid the price we could not pay. Salvation is a free gift to us because
of what God has done in Christ (Eph 2:8-9. We receive forgiveness for our sins
when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus, who by His own blood
obtained eternal redemption for the believer.
Bailey Gertrude E NSSC
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Jesus suffered so that we would not have to endure the ultimate eternal
punishment for our sins but also that he might put perspective and purpose
behind the temporal suffering which we endure. Jesus suffered so that we can
move beyond our suffering. In Jesus our suffering is no longer a punishment. It
was our weaknesses he carried. It was our sorrows that weighed him down. We
thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was
wounded and crushed for OUR sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was
whipped, and we were healed! MAY ALL BE BLESSED!....(){:)
BLESSINGS TO YOU! DeeDee
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God found it necessary for Jesus to die for us for a variety of reasons. One
is to show the measure of love that he has for his people. Another would be to
fulfill the raising of Christ after burial to show people of all times that this
was not a mere moral man but truly the Son of God.
ekathary@bnin.net
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Jesus didn't HAVE to suffer like that! He CHOSE to suffer like that because
He loves us so much, He could have just walked away
and left us to die. He is our Creator and He is Holy, His Law is Holy and it
reveals His Holy Character of Love. It cannot be
changed, Like a mirror it shows us our defects but it cannot save us from our
sin. The only solution was for Jesus to live a sinless
life and keep the Law, as a human like us and die in our place. If we accept His
Love and His Sacrifice He will accept us. He was willing to die even if there
was only one person to accept Him as Saviour, we are
so special to Him. He says "If you love Me keep my Commandments!"
and we will show the world that we love Him when we don't want to sin
anymore. We will want to be sinless like Him.
We can't keep His Commandments in our own strength ,because we fall from
grace so often, but His Blood covers all our mistakes
if we ask for His forgiveness. What a Wonderful
Saviour!. God bless
Noeline Cutts
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The Holy Trinity teaches that there are three Persons in One God: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Christianity teaches that Faith is a Gift from God. There
are also Mysteries that we are not meant to understand, because God does not
reveal them in our time, but in His and with His wisdom.
Jesus Christ, Son of the Father was sent to earth in a human form, although He
was of the Father, but Divine. He experienced the very same pain that a human
could possibly, before during and the crucifixion.
Crucifixion was the capitol punishment of the day, reserved for the worst of
criminals. Jesus Christ was humiliated, forced to carry the cross, beaten, spat
at, and verbally abused as he carried His cross. He was crucified in this manner
to show the people that he was like any other "criminal spreading deception,"
showing Him suffer as a man and not revered as the Son of God. His teachings and
followings proved a threat to those who ensured His life was taken because they
did not believe He was the Son of God, with a mission to preach, teach, and draw
the people in God's Presence. The unfaithful believed only in what they could
see, except for those accepting him through faith, His Apostles, parents, and
followers. Those in power, under Pontius Pilate, were afraid of Jesus Christ's
influence on His people. Pontius Pilate wanted to be a "supreme ruler" in the
human sense, not understanding or accepting Jesus Christ, as "King" of the
people, as He is, the way they followed him. Pontius Pilot's followers had their
own political agenda and were self-serving.
His body torn apart, riddled with physical and emotional pain made his
prosecutors believe they had proven their point - that He was not the Son of
God, and of a divine nature. His suffering on the cross lasted until He died.
His endured pain and death for us, but despite His suffering, dying and being
buried, on the third day resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven,
whole, according to Scripture.
His earth parents, Mary and Joseph, a widower with children of his own (Mary's
was merely a "human mother" chosen, but Jesus was of a Virgin birth, the
Immaculate Conception.) were chosen as his earthly and human parents, but He was
created by God the Father as the Son of God, infused life by the Holy Spirit. He
was sent to earth as a sacrifice for our sins in order to redeem us and for our
salvation, as our Savior and Redeemer.
Although Mary knew she was chosen to be the earthly mother of Christ, it wasn't
until He got lost and she found him in the temple that she realized here was the
Son of God for the manner He spoke, saying that He was in the temple to do what
His Father wanted Him to do, preach, and teach about the Father.
She nonetheless treasured and loved him as a devoted, loving, and dedicated
mother would love her son, unconditionally, but with a the reverence for her
son, acknowledging Him asthe Son of God.
As a youngster I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Redeemer when I realized
that only Someone with a Divine form would've suffered as much as He did for us.
When the Holy Trinity was taught to me, I realized that two things were
necessary for me to understand one of God's many mysteries: That Jesus Christ
was the Son of God. That there were Three Persons in One God. I finally
"rationalized" it as this: As there are numerous limbs, yet connected to one
tree, as we have different limbs, but one body, so could there be Three Persons
in One God who is all divine and all encompassing.
The one greatest gift I was taught was that faith is a gift from God. And, that
there were mysteries that God revealed in His own time that we were not to
question, because we were given this gift so that we would believe in His
Existence, unconditional love and Presence in our lives. His dying for us,
stripped of His dignity, goodness, and holiness told me that there was none
other who would have stood such despicable torture, offering us His spiritual
and eternal life, while rising to heaven, whole as He did. For He is the Alpha
and the Omega.
In His Love, Rose
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There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.
Chosen406@aol.com
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Because God knew that it would take the ultimate sacrifice
to make our sins void.
Dave
