Easter
We just celebrated Easter, the day that we remember when Jesus rose from the dead. Let’s take another look at this, focusing on the sacrifice that God made for us.
Fifth Gospel
Isaiah 53:7 (NASB)
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
Many people have called the Old Testament book of Isaiah the fifth gospel (along with the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament), because Isaiah prophesies so much about Jesus – 700 years before Jesus was born.
One reason Isaiah referred to Jesus as a lamb was because He did not defend Himself when He was on trial. If He had, He certainly could have refuted all of the false accusations that were made against Him. He also could have proven that He actually was the Son of God, not a blasphemer; but He didn’t do any of that.
Matthew 27:13-14 (NASB)
13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”
14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.
Jesus knew that this was His ultimate purpose – to take our place on the cross, to become the true Lamb of God.
John the Baptist
John 1:29-30 (NASB)
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.
John the Baptist recognized Jesus, because of the sign that He saw where the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and remained on Him.
John 1:31-34 (NASB)
31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.”
32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John freely admitted that he was not the Messiah or the Christ. God called and sent him to prepare the way for Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God. Every Jew, including John and most of the people coming to him, knew that lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people. He also knew that was what Jesus would do for us. He was the ultimate, and final, sacrifice.
Vicarious Sacrifice
A vicarious, or substitutionary, sacrifice is where someone or something takes the place of the original sacrifice. Many years ago, people would sacrifice animals. These sacrifices would temporarily cover over their sin, but they still were not enough.
At the direction of God, Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, his son of God’s promise, the one from whom God said he would bring multitudes of descendants. Abraham was completely distraught, but he knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead, even though he had never seen it happen (Heb. 11:17-19). At the last moment, God Himself stopped Abraham and provided another sacrifice for him.
Genesis 22:12-14 (NASB)
12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”
God always seems to come through at just the right moment. It might seem like it’s too late sometimes, but it never is. He provided another sacrifice, a vicarious sacrifice, so that Abraham did not have to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
When we are in our darkest hours, we need to be reminded of what Jesus did for us. He took our place. He bore the penalty for what we have done. He did what no one else could do. He gave us freedom – freedom from sin, shame, and death.
Suffering
Isaiah 53:1-3 (NASB)
1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Jesus didn’t come so that He could rule over all of us. He came and lived as one of us, to give us the perfect example, and show us that it is possible to live a truly godly life. He wasn’t dressed up in royal robes, and He didn’t have an entourage and guards. When people saw Him, they did not consider Him to be rich, powerful, or influential. People who were hungry for God, though, saw Him for who He truly was – the Son of God.
Our Healing
Isaiah 53:4-5 (NASB)
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
His suffering bought our healing – physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Physical Healing
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Healing is part of the good news of Jesus. Whether we receive a physical healing today or in eternity, He already paid for it.
James 5:14-15 (NASB)
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
Not everyone who is prayed for receives their healing immediately, but many do. We need to always believe God for the healing, even when we don’t see it right away.
Emotional Healing
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
There are so many reasons to have anxiety in this world: money, social media, friends, loved ones, parents, children, work. We were never intended to do this on our own, though. God wants to help, if we will only let Him.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Trying to “do life” on your own is really hard. Carrying your own burden is really hard. Being yoked with Jesus and having Him help is easy, and His “burden is light.” Notice that humility is one of the keys. We need to be willing to humble ourselves and admit that we need help, and that Jesus is the One Who can help.
Spiritual Healing
Ephesians 2:1-2 (NASB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Before Jesus, we weren’t just having a hard time; we were dead. Just as when our souls and spirits leave our bodies, bringing physical death, when our spirits are separated from God, the Author and Creator of our spirits, we are spiritually dead. Jesus paid the price and showed us the way for us to have spiritual life, true life, abundant life.
John 15:13-15 (NASB)
13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Jesus calls us His friends, not His slaves or servants. All we have to do is what He commands us to do. The great thing about keeping His commands (not just the Ten Commandments) is that this is how we can live the abundant life, free from sin, guilt, and shame.
Home
John 14:2-3 (NASB)
2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us. He loves us so much that He wants all of us to live next door to Him. He also promises to not leave us here on this earth, in this sometimes good/sometimes bad life. If He goes to prepare that place (which He did), He promises to come back and get us, so that we can be with Him forever.
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