THE PERSON ON THE CROSS
“For even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 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. For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”—1 Pet. 2:21-25.
Jesus Christ is the Person of the cross, the One who was (1) undeserving of, uniquely qualified for, undeterred by and undefeated at the cross.
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDESERVING OF THE CROSS
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth … “(v. 22).
The Way Jesus Lived
Jesus lived a life undeserving of the cross, which was intended for transgressors of the Law. He never broke the law, and “He knew no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22). When He asked, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” (John 8:46), there was no response. “Such an high priest became us,” says Hebrews 7:26, “who is harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heaven.” We have been redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19).
The Witnesses Jesus Had
There were plenty of witnesses to Jesus’ sinless life as he came into this world (Matt. 1:20-25) while he was here (Mark 7:37; John 4:29, 42). and as He prepared to leave. Even Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man (Luke 23:4).
But, He who knew no sin, became sin for us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “The wages of sin is death,” but Jesus as God’s gift, died on the cross for us all that we might have life in place of eternal death (Rom. 6:23; John 3:16).
JESUS WAS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED FOR THE CROSS
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved”—Acts 4:10, 12
Even though He was undeserving of the cross, Jesus was uniquely qualified for it. NO one but He was qualified to accomplish what He accomplished there.
Jesus’ Identity with Prophecy Uniquely Qualified Jesus for the Cross
Jesus met all the criterion of prophecy for identifying the promised Messiah. He perfectly fulfilled all of the prophecies pertaining to the Christ of God. This is why he said to the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
Jesus’ Incarnation Uniquely Qualified Him for the Cross
Another thing that qualified Jesus for the cross was His incarnation spoken of in 1 Tim. 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
The prophecy of Isaiah seven hundred years earlier, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son “ (Isa. 7:14), was fulfilled when Jesus was born. A sinless birth was essential to the sinless Son of God to come and sacrifice Himself for us. He who was God “made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDETERRED BY THE CROSS
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously
Jesus was also undeterred by the humiliation and hard treatment He knew awaited Him at the cross. Nothing ever devised by man compared with the shame and suffering men experienced when crucified. But Jesus was determined to suffer—“even the death of the cross”—for our sakes.
The Shame Jesus Endured for Our Sakes
In ancient Israel death on a cross was the ultimate shame. “He that is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:23). Nothing was more contemptible to the society into which Jesus came than crucifixion. It was a death reserved for vilest of criminals; so terrible, that one of the privileges of Roman citizen was exempted from crucifixion. It goes far to explain the depth of the Jews hatred for Christ that they insisted that He be put to death by way of crucifixion.
But Jesus didn’t draw back from the shame of the cross. He, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right handoff the throne of God” (Heb. 12:3).
The Suffering Jesus Endured for Our Sakes
The physical suffering that crucifixion was notorious for caused no wavering on the part of Christ. Not the terrible scourging that came beforehand (Isaiah 52:14 tells us that our Lord was so brutally beaten and scourged that He scarcely resembled a human being) or the way His body was transfixed on the cross so that every breath taken required an excruciating effort.
“I gave my back to the smiters , and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 53:5, 6). The key words here are, “I gave,” and “I hid not.”
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDEFEATED AT THE CROSS
“For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” 1 Pet. 2:25).
The Consistency Jesus Maintained
At the cross, Christ’s enemies cried, “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:42). He could have, but He didn’t. Instead He demonstrated his consistent love for souls. When one of the thieves being crucified with Him cried to Him for salvation, He answer was, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42, 43).
The Conquest Jesus Made
His death wasn’t arbitrarily decided for Him. It was decided by Him. He’d already said of His life, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down , and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18).
“For even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled , reviled not again ; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 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. For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”—1 Pet. 2:21-25.
Jesus Christ is the Person of the cross, the One who was (1) undeserving of, uniquely qualified for, undeterred by and undefeated at the cross.
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDESERVING OF THE CROSS
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth … “(v. 22).
The Way Jesus Lived
Jesus lived a life undeserving of the cross, which was intended for transgressors of the Law. He never broke the law, and “He knew no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22). When He asked, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” (John 8:46), there was no response. “Such an high priest became us,” says Hebrews 7:26, “who is harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heaven.” We have been redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:19).
The Witnesses Jesus Had
There were plenty of witnesses to Jesus’ sinless life as he came into this world (Matt. 1:20-25) while he was here (Mark 7:37; John 4:29, 42). and as He prepared to leave. Even Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man (Luke 23:4).
But, He who knew no sin, became sin for us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “The wages of sin is death,” but Jesus as God’s gift, died on the cross for us all that we might have life in place of eternal death (Rom. 6:23; John 3:16).
JESUS WAS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED FOR THE CROSS
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved”—Acts 4:10, 12
Even though He was undeserving of the cross, Jesus was uniquely qualified for it. NO one but He was qualified to accomplish what He accomplished there.
Jesus’ Identity with Prophecy Uniquely Qualified Jesus for the Cross
Jesus met all the criterion of prophecy for identifying the promised Messiah. He perfectly fulfilled all of the prophecies pertaining to the Christ of God. This is why he said to the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
Jesus’ Incarnation Uniquely Qualified Him for the Cross
Another thing that qualified Jesus for the cross was His incarnation spoken of in 1 Tim. 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
The prophecy of Isaiah seven hundred years earlier, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son “ (Isa. 7:14), was fulfilled when Jesus was born. A sinless birth was essential to the sinless Son of God to come and sacrifice Himself for us. He who was God “made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDETERRED BY THE CROSS
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered , he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously
Jesus was also undeterred by the humiliation and hard treatment He knew awaited Him at the cross. Nothing ever devised by man compared with the shame and suffering men experienced when crucified. But Jesus was determined to suffer—“even the death of the cross”—for our sakes.
The Shame Jesus Endured for Our Sakes
In ancient Israel death on a cross was the ultimate shame. “He that is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:23). Nothing was more contemptible to the society into which Jesus came than crucifixion. It was a death reserved for vilest of criminals; so terrible, that one of the privileges of Roman citizen was exempted from crucifixion. It goes far to explain the depth of the Jews hatred for Christ that they insisted that He be put to death by way of crucifixion.
But Jesus didn’t draw back from the shame of the cross. He, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right handoff the throne of God” (Heb. 12:3).
The Suffering Jesus Endured for Our Sakes
The physical suffering that crucifixion was notorious for caused no wavering on the part of Christ. Not the terrible scourging that came beforehand (Isaiah 52:14 tells us that our Lord was so brutally beaten and scourged that He scarcely resembled a human being) or the way His body was transfixed on the cross so that every breath taken required an excruciating effort.
“I gave my back to the smiters , and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 53:5, 6). The key words here are, “I gave,” and “I hid not.”
HERE IS A PERSON WHO WAS UNDEFEATED AT THE CROSS
“For ye were as sheep going astray ; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” 1 Pet. 2:25).
The Consistency Jesus Maintained
At the cross, Christ’s enemies cried, “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:42). He could have, but He didn’t. Instead He demonstrated his consistent love for souls. When one of the thieves being crucified with Him cried to Him for salvation, He answer was, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42, 43).
The Conquest Jesus Made
His death wasn’t arbitrarily decided for Him. It was decided by Him. He’d already said of His life, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down , and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18).
RSS Feed