'Appreciating God's Love'
Final Week of Jesus
Hung on the Cross
Deu 28:15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
In the Old Covenant, whoever did not obey the laws and commandments of God, a curse would be upon him, until he had repented by offering the sacrificial lamb for the redemption of their sins.
When the Old Covenant ended, God left the temple of God, thus making the temple of God, priesthood and all religious sacrifices and ceremonies obsolete. Since the animal sacrifices for their sins were no longer acceptable then the associated curses would continuously be upon them.
Out of the great love of Jesus, He offered Himself to be cursed by dying on the cross to redeem the Jews from the curse of the law and the Gentiles under the curse of wickedness and idolatry.
Thank God that both Jews and Gentiles who humble themselves to believe Jesus and accept the gospel of grace will be completely free from curses.
Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
Death of the Testator
Heb 9:16-17 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.
Our Lord Jesus (Testator) was sent by God to bring in the New Covenant to obsolete the Old Covenant. His teachings were the conditions of the New Covenant but in order for the New Covenant of the blood of Jesus to become effective, He had to die to seal the covenant.
On our part, when we believe Jesus as the Messiah and accept the gospel of grace, then we have signed the New covenant. Immediately, our Lord Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit as the seal of redemption and we are born again and become His children.
Tasted Death for Christians
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Since Jesus had to die to obsolete the Old Covenant of the law and bring in the New Covenant of Grace, He chose the slowest and most horrific and painful death by being hung on the cross to take upon Himself all our pains caused by our sins, rebellions and curses.
Because of His sacrificial love, all born again Christians will not suffer any pain when they are tortured, crucified, burned on the stack and killed during martyrdom.
Free From Fear of Death
Heb 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Men fear death because they are not sure of the horrific and painful taste of death and also their future with the possibly of eternal suffering in the fire of Hades.
After the resurrection of Jesus, He gave His godly disciples the Spirit of truth. With the truth in them, they knew that they would not taste death and that they will be enjoying their eternal bliss with the Lord in the kingdom of God.
Painless Death for His Saints
John 8:52 Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'
Of all the various types of martyrdom, our Lord chose crucifixion, the most horrific and painful death on our behalf to take away all our pains so that we will not feel any pain at death.
Stephen saw the Lord coming in heaven before the first stone touched his body so He did not taste death nor feel any pain before his death.
Mat 16:27-28 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
