The Original Condition of Man.
God created the world and all things in it excellently and full of life. He created then Adam in his image, meaning, God endowed in Adam his beauty and righteousness Genesis 1:27. As how the Psalmist says, God created man, he knitted him together and made him wonderfully and has given Adam the freedom to think, to choose, to create, to love and to enjoy life to the fullest Psalm 139:14. God gave him the helper and source of his intimate needs in the person of Eve for it is not good for a man to be alone. God has given them a specific command not to eat the fruit at the middle of the garden for they will surely die, but because of the subtle and alluring words of Satan, Eve was tempted and made to convince Adam to disobey God. It is not the fruit which is the focal point here but the faithfulness of the couple to obey the commandment of God. Because of their disobedience, sin came into the world. The beautiful and blissful relationship of God to men was destroyed. The couple was cast away from the beautiful garden or from the presence of God. The couple's life became so miserable cause the image of God was tainted and the mind of men functioned abnormally, Eve's child bearing and delivery became difficult and dangerous, Adam needs to work and to provide food for his family through his sweat Genesis 3. Death came to men both physical death that shortened men's life expectancy which he had experienced and still experiencing up to now and the spiritual death that means, eternal separation of man's soul from God when he dies which is hell. Romans 6:23.
The Once And For All Offering For The Salvation Of Men.
God sent his precious Son, Jesus on earth to restore this original plan of enjoying beautiful and blissful life on earth but was destroyed because of the broken relationship of men to God due to sin of disobedience. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. Whatever efforts men were doing like giving, helping the needy, offerings, penitence and others, all of these things were just rags before a holy God; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep away Isaiah 64:6. All men's best effort to go to heaven were nothing and God's wrath needs precious life as an acceptable once and for all offering in order to appease his anger and that man will be forgiven and shall not perish in hell for eternity Romans 6:10. Only Jesus life was the only acceptable cause he was blameless and the only qualified offering for the salvation of men from sin, its power and punishment.
The Limited Time Jesus Spent To Save The World.
The life of Jesus on earth was characterized as being obedient, contented, full of faith, love, meekness, humbleness, self-control, endurance and had accepted voluntarily even a death of a criminal just to save men from the wages of sin, which is death. He endured all humiliations, slashes, thirst, hunger, mocking and insulting just for all men in the world including you and me. He cried like a meek lamb which was about to be slaughtered and to offer as burnt offering to God in the temple.
Mission Accomplished - "It Is Finished"
When he has done of all these things, he said confidently, "It is finished" John 19:30. Jesus has accomplished the will of his Father from start to finish. The Son of God learned how to humble himself though he is God and left temporarily his glorious position in heaven just to be like a true man. He was born in a poor family and delivered in a manger, lived a simple life, enjoyed not the luxuries of the world but obeyed the will of his Father, he focused his little time to preach and to teach the good news to all men that he could reached, to heal sicknesses and did many miracles just to open the eyes of people to believe in him and to be freed from sin - its power and punishment until to face the fearful experience a man could have and this is to die physically. And Jesus faced with confidence and braveness, the very humiliating and painful death, a death of a criminal on the cross.
The whole land had experienced an earthquake, the sun stopped to shine from 12 noon till 3:00 in the afternoon, and the curtain was torn literally into two. God the Father can rescue his Son and kill them all easily cause of the pain he had that he can't even looked at his Son's agony and sufferings in the hands of the pretentious religious leaders and in the hands of his chosen nation, the Jewish people. He controlled himself knowing that only through this painful way men can be saved from sin. He showed his power before the eyes of the people and even to the prince of this world - Satan. For Satan and the evil people, the death of Jesus was a losing end but for the Triune God, this was a victory. Jesus knew also that he can call his Father to send angels to prove to their eyes that he is God but he bore all the pains and hardships and just remained calm and silent knowing that his death is the will of his Father. Satan had under estimated again the wisest plan of God, he lost again in the battle. It showed only that Satan is not God, that he is always ignorant compared to the wisdom and power of our God. The miraculous physical events like how the curtain in the temple was torn into two, signified only that men can now go directly to God through faith in Jesus cause Jesus precious blood that was shed on the cross was the only once and for all offering to God Romans 6:10. God the Father's holiness was satisfied, appeased and paid in full.
Because of Jesus obedience through his sacrificial death, the door of heaven for spiritual and physical salvation were opened to all who will humble themselves and will ask God's forgiveness of their sins, and through faith, those who will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, salvation is now within their reach. Satan and his evil forces were declared defeated and can no longer functions powerfully and can't enslaves men again of the power of sin Colossians 2:15. Believers have now the power to live a holy life through faith in Jesus; death has no power over men. For all true believers of Jesus Christ, physical death can now be faced with hope and confidence seeing by faith that he will be in his permanent home with God and other believers in heaven. Death is no longer be considered as a fearful event in his life, as how Apostle Paul said, "It is much better to depart from this body and to be with the Lord." II Corinthian 5:8; Philippians 1:23.
The Awarding Time.
God was so pleased in all things that Jesus did. He exalted his Son at the right hand of his throne and every knees shall bow and every tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In Philippians 2:9-10 Paul says, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."
For more messages about the Seven Last Words Of Jesus, visit our website at savelifewithjoy.com or go to our blogs at hopeandlifeforyou.com and Eugenio "EJ" Juarez or email us at agn623@gmail.com for your comments, suggestions and prayer requests.
May our God richly bless you all.
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