Jesus Is Risen - Part 670

How can we neglect such a great salvation -- knowing that Jesus -- our Lord God and Saviour shed His precious blood for us. The same God who descended is the same God who is now ascending to His throne -- from whence He had descended. God Himself, becoming all things to all men so that He might gain you and I. In other words, God's plan of salvation was to rescue fallen man by means of free redemption.

Thus, in so doing, God could renew and ensure the uninterrupted fellowship with Jesus -- the Saviour and Redeemer that was intended from the beginning of time. So that God could restore each and every one of us to our original purpose through faith in the redeeming grace of God Almighty at Calvary. Redeemed and translated into the Kingdom through the shedding of blood on the cross.

Jesus, housed in a prone to sin flesh body was received whilst still in the womb of a surrogate mother named Mary. His flesh, as we read in the scriptures was capable of being tempted in all points even as all of Adam’s offspring. But as we also know, inside that flesh body did dwell the Holy Spirit of God. The seeds of life issuing from the Holy Spirit. As it is written, Jesus, the only "begotten" son of God.

Yes, Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit which is why in Jesus' veins did flow the life-giving blood of the Holy Spirit. It is written that “God was in the man Jesus the Christ, endeavouring to reconcile sinful man to Himself.”

Still, as recorded in the scriptures, Jesus' Spirit suffered. He was tempted and tried by the devil, and likewise many others who were entrenched and delighted in the pleasure of sin. Then Jesus was judged by the then present judicial system, who found in Jesus no fault. In effect, Jesus was pardoned. Free to go. But in response to the crowds, the Judge washed His hands as if to say, "I played my part ... now let's go home."

Pilate the Judge then delivers Jesus into the hands of a frenzied religious mob who demanded that Jesus be crucified. Jesus was whipped, spat upon and stripped, and a crown of thorns placed upon His head. In the midst, His beard was torn. He was mocked and scorned, all of this occurring prior to Jesus being led away to a place called Calvary!

Jesus was also responsible for bearing the cross on which He was about to be crucified. Jesus now being physically weakened stumbled with the burden of the cross. He was assisted by a young man, arriving at the place called the place of a Skull. There, the condemning crowd nailed Jesus' hands and feet to a cross. The cruel mocking continued with the eventual plunge of a sword into His side. From this wound poured blood and water. Indeed, as the scriptures reveal, Jesus' flesh was more marred than any other person!

Within this retelling of events, what we must recognize is that the body of Jesus, being the body in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, was the point upon which the fury and wrath of sinful men expended all their religious/sinful animosity. In reality, the body by itself cannot feel. Rather, the pain is felt by the spirit in the body (For the body without the Spirit is dead)

In retrospect, whatever was said and done to Jesus' body was factually absorbed by His Spirit -- the inward man -- the Holy Spirit. In today's terms, yes indeed, it was our sinful nature that killed His body. Still, the good news of salvation is that we could not kill His Spirit.

The other good news is that all that transpired was not forgotten as soon as the sun went down. For what we did to Jesus, we did to the Holy Spirit body too. Therefore, the crucifixion and all active deeds pertaining to the demise of the life of the Son of God are as relevant today as they were at that time! In the end, Heaven watched as the greatest love for anyone unfolded for one and all to see. If Jesus upon the cross had called for deliverance, we would not be reading this good news message. Further, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, the earth trembled and the sun darkened. For it is declared, that “truly this WAS the Son of God."

God was in the man Jesus and it was His Spirit that suffered through it all so that we had a way to escape. Amazing grace -- how great Thou art. Stand in the offering plate.