Crucifixion: Triplets of Sacrifice

 

When putting up the outdoor Nativity last year, my husband Richard was inspired to make a wooden cross and place it behind the Baby Jesus. This made perfect sense to me, as He was born to die. The Son of God wrapped Himself in human flesh (John 1:2) to become the perfect sacrifice to pay our sin debt, to reconcile sinful man to Holy God through His death on the cross.

As we continue our study of triplets in Scripture, echoing God’s Triune nature, we find the same pattern repeated in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, just as it was in His birth. All of Christian doctrine, and our blessed hope of eternal life and of His glorious reappearing (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3), hinges on the sacred triplet of His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

After the trial presided over by Herod, Jesus was led away to be crucified, and Simon of Cyrene was recruited to carry His cross. This was not because the Jews and Romans had any shred of mercy for Jesus, but because they did not want Him to die before He was crucified, so that He would be a public example of what would happen to traitors and blasphemers.

The crowd following Jesus cried out in anguish over their fallen Leader, but Jesus told them, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children, and warned them that they would undergo a tribulation so severe that they would say blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. (Luke 23: 27-29)

Jesus was nailed to the cross at three points: one on each hand, and one at His feet. His resurrection body had three wounds from this ordeal that He invited the disciples and Thomas to examine: one on each hand, and one in His side (John 20:20). The inscription on His cross, calling Him the King of the Jews, was in three languages: Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew (Luke 23:38).

On Calvary’s hill that fateful day, there were three crosses, for the cross of Jesus was between that of two thieves (Matthew.27:38; Luke 23:33). These three represented the entire relationship of God with man: The Savior; those who accept Him; and those who reject Him (Luke 23:39-43).

Among those who rejected Him were passersby who mockingly reminded Jesus of His own words: Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself (Matthew 27:40). Sadly, they were unaware that His prophecy would be fulfilled as He willingly laid down the temple of His body to be destroyed, knowing that He would arise on the third day.

The crucifixion of Jesus began at the third hour (Mark 15 25) and was followed by three hours of darkness, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour. At that moment, Jesus cried out in a three-part lament: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:33-34).

At the cross, the dying Savior, His closest apostle John, and His mother Mary became a triplet of compassion as Jesus asked John to care for His mother as if she were his own, and John accepted this awesome responsibility (John 19:26).

As we approach our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, may we do three things to honor Him.  First, may we be among those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Second, may we always remember His purpose in coming to earth – that through His death, burial and resurrection, all who trust Him may have eternal life! (John 3:16) And finally, may we be faithful to preach Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23).

© 2012 Laurie Collett 

Reposted from the archives

Must We Be Baptized?

 

Photo by JGHowes 2007

An interesting question that came up in the Bible study of the Book of John that I am currently teaching: Why was Christ baptized if baptism is not a necessary step in the path to eternal life?  Jesus said He was fulfilling all righteousness (Matthew 3:15), and that He was perfect, and yet seemingly in need of baptism. Does this contradict our salvation by grace through faith alone? (Ephesians 2:8-9), as we are sinful and imperfect? Is it prideful to think that we do not also need baptism and works to be saved?.

Baptism doesn't make you saved any more than wearing a wedding band makes you married. Both are symbols of a deeper union. In the case of baptism, it is usually one of the first acts of obedience a Christian does once they are born again (John 3:3-8), as a symbol of their spiritual rebirth and belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death and burial of Jesus as the believer is plunged under the water, and it also symbolizes the believer dying to his sin nature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:2-7). When the believer is raised up out of the water, it symbolizes Christ's resurrection and also the believer becoming a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Baptism shows those present that we are not ashamed to be followers of Christ, and that we are obedient to His Great Commission, which includes baptism (Matthew 28:19-20).

But baptism, or any works in general, are not necessary for salvation. To be saved, all we need is the freely given gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We cannot accomplish our own salvation, for we can add nothing to Christ’s completed work on the cross. However, once we are saved, obedience and good works, such as baptism, flow naturally out of our love for and gratitude to Him. Baptism and other good works are the fruit and evidence of our living faith (James 2:17-26).

 

When Philip preached about Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, he asked what would prevent him from being baptized, and Philip replied “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” After this confession of faith by the eunuch, Philip baptized him right away (Acts 8:26-38). This shows the proper order of being saved by believing and verbally confessing faith in Christ, Whom God raised from the dead (Romans 10:9) and then being baptized as an act of obedience.

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, who immersed Him in the river Jordan ((Matthew 3:13-17). Yet John protested before baptizing Jesus, for he clearly recognized long before that Jesus was far more powerful and holier than himself (Luke 3:16-17). Only Jesus would be able to baptize with the Holy Ghost, and only Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29,36). None of these powers were contingent on Jesus being baptized. In fact, John, Mary, and Elizabeth all recognized Jesus as their Savior before He was even born! (Luke 1).

We cannot use Jesus’ example in being baptized to prove that we must be baptized in order to be saved, any more than we can use His example in being circumcised (Romans 2:25-28), or keeping the Jewish feasts, or other works of the law that He kept and fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), as works necessary for our own salvation. The law saves no one, for no one can keep it completely.

The law is only a mirror showing us the extent of our shortcomings and our need for a Savior. As sinners before a righteous and holy God, we deserve eternal punishment in hell, which would be our fate if Christ had not paid our sin debt in full to reconcile us to the Father (Romans 3:20-26).

If baptism or any other works were necessary for our salvation, then the thief who repented and recognized Jesus as Lord just before he died on the cross would not have been saved. He had no opportunity to be baptized or to do any good works, yet Jesus said to him, "Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:40-43).

In a way, it is pride and unbelief that makes some think that God's grace is not enough to save their souls, and that they need to add their own good works to the amazing love and self-sacrifice Christ showed by dying for our sins. The Mormons like to say "We do our best, and Jesus does the rest." But Jesus freely gave Himself for us, and that is enough.

It is as if someone offered you a brand new Mercedes Benz as a gift, no strings attached, and you said -- "No, I want to help pay for it, so here is a penny." Thinking that our penny would make a difference would not only be prideful; it would also be insulting to the giver and would belittle the immense value of his gift. It is prideful to think that we could save ourselves by our good works, because the Bible says that our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Yes, we are all sinful and imperfect (Romans 3:10-23), before and after we are saved. We have no righteousness on our own, before or after baptism. But once we place our faith in Jesus, all His righteousness is imputed to our account, and all our sins are imputed to His account (Romans 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). So, praise God, when the Father looks at a believer, He no longer sees our sins, but only the perfect righteousness of His Son!

© 2012 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

Triplets of Christ-Mind: Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding

Once we are saved by placing our trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we receive three amazing gifts. Not only do we have forgiveness of sins (Matthew 9:6) and abundant, eternal life (John 3:16; 10:10), but we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).

Once the Holy Spirit enters our heart at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22), we have access to all His mind, power and love. Sadly, we do not utilize even a minute fraction of this (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30); because we still have our old sin nature, or flesh, battling the new man, who wants to yield to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25).

The mind of Christ, Who is the fullness of the Godhead encompassing the Father and Spirit (Colossians 2:9; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30), has three essential components: knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 3:19-20; Isaiah 11:1-3). If any component is missing, we will fail to fulfill God’s perfect plan for our lives (Psalm 139:16). 

The first component is head knowledge, first knowing about the historical Jesus, and once we are saved, learning what the Bible says by reading Scripture, memorizing verses, and studying the Word (Psalm 119). These may be facilitated by hearing preaching (2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:3), attending Bible study (Acts 17:10-11), and reading commentaries. But the essential teacher of God’s Word is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26), Who teaches only those who have been born again (John 3:3-8) by inviting Jesus to be their Lord and Savior.

Sadly, there are many who have head knowledge of Jesus but who lack wisdom and understanding, and sadder still, these are condemned to hell unless they get wisdom, or heart knowledge. As our former pastor used to say, the distance between condemnation and salvation is only 18 inches – the distance between our head and our heart.

To be saved, it is not enough to know that Jesus was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), was crucified, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Even Satan and the demons know that He is Son of God, and they tremble (James 2:19). So do many false teachers, preachers and Bible scholars (2 Peter 2:1). There will be many surprises when Christ returns, for many who were faithful churchgoers or even pastors will be left behind if they lack wisdom, meaning an emotional relationship with Christ (2 Timothy 3:1-5), and are therefore unsaved.

Saul of Tarsus was the epitome of knowledge, for he was learned in all Jewish Scriptures, traditions and customs and had been trained at the feet of Gamaliel, the most prominent rabbi of his day. Yet he lacked wisdom to accept that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Christ, and the Son of God (Acts 22:3). Knowledge implies learning, whereas wisdom connotes emotional involvement with what is learned. The emotions evoked by Godly wisdom include fear, peace, and joy.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). We must realize that He is holy (Psalm 99), and we are not (Romans 3:23), and that we have reason to fear without His grace (Ecclesiastes 5). When Christ appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by His great light and filled with fear, remorse and shame that he had persecuted, imprisoned and even killed Christ’s followers (Acts 9:1-6).

True wisdom begins with fear that our sins deserve eternal punishment in hell by a holy and just God (Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)), then moves to peace (Philippians 4:7) as we realize that Christ paid our debt in full to reconcile us to His Holy Father (2 Corinthians 5:18). Then we experience joy in Him (Nehemiah 8:10) and His saving mercy, love and grace (2 John 1:3).

Wisdom is what converts intellectual acceptance of Biblical facts to emotional integration of that knowledge into the very depths of our spiritual being. Wisdom requires faith, or belief that Jesus Christ is God, that He is Who He says He is, and that He will do what He has said He will do (Hebrews 11:6). By faith alone, men have been saved since the beginning of God’s creation (Hebrews 11). Hearing God’s Word without trusting it in faith falls short of salvation (Hebrews 4:1-6)

The person who seeks answers to all his questions before trusting Christ cannot be saved, because faith implies belief without complete evidence (Hebrews 11:1). That person is attempting to be saved by knowledge alone, but without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Yet faith cannot grow without knowledge, for faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Once a believer receives salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), having both knowledge of and wisdom in Christ, he should seek understanding, which is the application of wisdom to his life. As James said, faith without works is dead (James 2:17-26), and a Christian devoid of understanding can still be saved but miss out on God’s perfect plan for his life (Ephesians 2:10).

Like the penitent thief on the cross, we can have knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and wisdom by inviting Him to save us. Yet we can lack understanding if we go no further in our Christian walk. The thief was limited by his circumstances, for his was a deathbed profession of faith. As Christ promised, he entered Paradise that same day (Luke 23:40-43), yet he had no time to prove his love for Christ by living a holy life (John 14:15,21), doing good works, and serving Him (John 21:16-17).

Yet so many Christians who are blessed with time, opportunity and resources to serve Him remain babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1). They enjoy the benefits of their knowledge and wisdom, for they have been forgiven, are saved, and will spend eternity in Heaven. But they do not obey His commandments, show His love to others, or grow to be more like Him (1 Corinthians 3:4).

Sometimes Christians lack understanding because of laziness, selfishness, or lack of discipline. They fail to study His Word, leave the house without putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), and yield to the old man (1 Peter 4:1-2), falling prey to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

Other Christians, though devoted to studying His Word and legalistic in following it, lack understanding because they fail to love one another. An example would be hatemonger preachers with knowledge of correct doctrine, and even wisdom because they fear the Lord and are saved by faith. Although they speak the truth as they stand on the street corner calling out the sins of those who pass by, they lack understanding because they do not speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Without love, we can have all knowledge and wisdom and yet just be spouting a lot of noise, as the apostle Paul warned us. We can show off our sophisticated learning, eloquent speech, and charitable giving, but without love, we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13).

Once we have knowledge of what Christ did for us and wisdom to trust Him, may He grant us understanding so that our lives will glorify Him (Colossians 3:23) in all we think, say and do!

© 2016 Laurie Collett