(A Lesson on Determination)
ISAIAH 53:1-12; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11; 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9; MATTHEW 11:28-30; TITUS 2:11-14
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The fall of man in the Garden of Eden necessitated the plan of salvation, which was perfectly executed and accomplished on the cross at Calvary. But the reason why some people still fail to see the need to embrace Christ’s finished work for their redemption is because they focus only on the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the hill of Calvary without giving much thought to the purpose that warranted it. However, Isaiah 53:10 reveals why that had to happen when it says the following prophetic words about Jesus Christ, even before He was born on earth:
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” (NKJV)
If we focus only on the betrayal, arrest, trial, condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, it would paint only a picture of a tragedy foisted on a helpless man by a rogue disciple (Judas) and the politics of religion in those days. But far be it! Jesus had a more noble cause. Each time we think of the sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation, we must do so with the understanding that He could have declined to offer His life for our redemption, but nevertheless offered it that we might have our lost destiny restored to us again. That event was planned especially for you, that you might be united with God and have eternal life.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…. And he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:6, 12B).
When our opening scripture, 2 Corinthians 8:9, alluded to the riches that Jesus Christ sacrificed for our benefit, it was not directly referring to material wealth because God wouldn’t have to sacrifice His Son to make anyone materially rich, seeing that He had made so many people, like Abraham, Isaac and Solomon, rich before that time without any sacrifice. All that God requires to bestow riches on anyone (if He wishes to do so) is a godly life, even as Proverbs 22:4 affirms:
“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life.” (NKJV)
So that allusion was, rather, a reference to the riches of His glorious and divine life, which Jesus Christ laid aside and “…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:7-8 (NKJV).
He did that so that those who would believe in Him and choose to live like He did here on earth might share in His rich and glorious life, which He laid down for their sake, “…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7 (NKJV).
It was necessary to clarify that opening scripture before we delve into the study properly, so as to avoid mistaking that reference for something else, as we see being done by the proponents of the prosperity gospel.
We shall now, therefore, consider below the riches of Jesus Christ being contemplated in this study, which brought salvation to us.
- The Riches of His Love
John 3:16; 15:13; Jeremiah 31:3
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3).
It was His love for us that made it possible for God to draw us to Himself, through Jesus Christ His Son, even when we were undeserving of such love.
Humanly speaking, it is not a normal thing for anyone to love a bad and obnoxious person, but that was who and what we were when God, through Jesus Christ, loved us so much that He gave up His Son to save us from that unfortunate state of affairs. God is so rich in His love for the sinner that He would spare no expense in seeing to it that their spiritual needs are adequately cared for through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:4-5:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” (NKJV).
- The Riches of His Humble Life
Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:5-8
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But 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.” Philippians 2:5-8.
Unless Jesus Christ had humbled Himself and taken on the lowly form of a mortal man, He could not have met the criteria for being the perfect sacrificial “Lamb of God” that should take away the sins of the world.
Humanly speaking, it is not easy to descend from a lofty position to a lowly one for the benefit of others, but that was what Jesus Christ did for us when He stripped Himself of His divinity and humbled Himself to become the object of mankind’s ridicule, just for their own salvation.
Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (NKJV).
He felt no shame in carrying out His role as the sacrifice for our sin, even though He knew the ridicule, hatred and wickedness with which mankind and devils alike would treat Him. That was how rich and deep Christ’s humility was manifested for our sake, that we might be saved. We should also be made humble by that example—humble enough to confess Him as our Lord and Saviour to the world without shame!
- The Riches of His Steadfastness
Luke 12:50; 9:51, 52; Matthew 16:21-23
“But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened till it be accomplished!” Luke 12:50.
Jesus knew the fate that awaited Him at Jerusalem should He go there; Isaiah’s prophecy was to be accomplished there. See Isaiah 53:3-8. But, according to Philippians 2:7, Jesus placed more priority on our salvation than on saving His skin from the horrors that lay ahead of Him.
His disciples tried to discourage Him when they said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” John 11:8 (NKJV).
Yet for all that, He was undaunted; He remained resolute and steadfastly pursued the goal of our redemption, even when He knew that it was not to be accomplished without blood, pain and death.
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51 (NKJV).
- The Riches of His Faithfulness
Revelation 2:10; John 19:1-12; Hebrews 11:35; Isaiah 53:10
“…and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Hebrews 11:35.
Jesus knew it was God’s will that He should die for our sins, and His faithfulness to this cause could not be compromised, even when Pilate offered to set Him free. It was His choice to offer His life for our sins. We ought to be sobered by this. Always!
So far, the four points above have briefly shed light on the riches of Jesus Christ’s life which made His passion on the cross, for our sake, possible. And as has already been said, the riches contemplated here refer to His virtuous life, the fullness of which made Him the worthy Lamb of God for the atonement of the sins of the whole world.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).
In the next two points below, we are going to consider the riches of Jesus Christ’s life after His glorious resurrection and see how we can benefit from His resurrected and glorified life.
- The Riches of His Resurrected Life
John 10:14, 15, 17, 18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43, 50-54; Revelation 20:4-6
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2).
Because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, we, too, can have a new life free from the manipulation of Satan and the dominion of sin, by which the unsaved soul is enslaved in unrighteousness. As born-again children of God, that power of transformation must be reflected in our lives every day until Jesus returns to give us the resurrection life. But for this to be possible, we must also be ready and determined to take on the opposition of the world to our faith in God, in much the same way as He did.
We must totally divorce our minds from the system of this world, which is not pleasing to God.
Romans 6:11-12:
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” (NKJV).
It was the sheer personal determination of Jesus Christ to carry on with the redemption process that brought salvation to mankind, and it must also be the same personal determination that should help us to endure the tyranny of this unfriendly world so that we can share in His resurrected life. If at any point we relapse into sinful compromises with this world and would not be immediately reconciled back to God, then we would be counted as unworthy of the glory that should have been ours in Christ at our meeting with Him, whether at death or at the rapture of the Church.
Hebrews 10:35-36:
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” (NKJV).
“…Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Hebrews 11:35 (NKJV).
- The Riches of His Grace
Romans 6:1-14; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-9; Hebrews 4:16
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8.
All the riches of Jesus’ life are freely given to whosoever is willing to truly accept Him as their Lord and personal Saviour. It is a gift of love that must be received only with the same reciprocal love from a heart that is sincerely ready to obey God, shun ungodliness and submit totally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If this harmony of spirit is achieved, it will be the point where the riches of His grace can restore to us the lost image and likeness of God, without which no one can enter the Kingdom of God.
The grace of God did not come to us without cost to the Godhead: God grieved over the maltreatment and crucifixion of His Son, Jesus Christ, who also had to endure the agony of the ultimate sacrifice that brought salvation to sinful mankind.
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” Matthew 27:46 (NKJV).
Today, we are called upon by our conscientious vow of allegiance to God to match the sacrifice which the Persons of the Godhead made for our salvation. Here also, there is a cost we must pay, but not in blood, pain and death (although that might be necessary if God so ordains it), but in unwavering self-determination, self-denial and separation from sin, to honour Him who died for our sins—even Jesus Christ our Lord.
“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:13 (NKJV).