John 12:20-33.
This passage of scripture reveals that Jesus knew the manner of His death. We also know from other areas of scripture that Jesus willingly laid down His life for our sake and what was accomplished could not have been achieved any other way.
First: Jesus knew the manner of His death (v32). This event follows the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11), and the anointing of Jesus by Mary, the sister of Lazarus, in preparation for His burial (John 12:1-8). The chief priests made plans to kill Jesus because “many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in Him.” (John 12:10-11) We see from the passage starting in verse 20 that Jesus basically ignores the request of the Greeks to see Him. Jesus then describes the manner of His death (vv23ff). He begins by saying His death was necessary, He was willing to lose His life to obtain our salvation and that anyone who desires to serve Him must also be willing to lose their lives. Similar to His prayer in Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42), He does not ask the Father save Him from this hour but that this is the reason He came. Jesus' death also brings the ultimate defeat of the devil (v31).
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14-15). 1Corinthians 2:8 tells us that if the princes of this world had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Jesus then describes the manner of His death on the cross. The word excruciating literally means, “from the cross.”
Second: Jesus willingly laid down His life on the cross (John 12:27-28). In John 10:14-18, Jesus explains that no-one takes His life, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I knew the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it up again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.” When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus why he would not answer to the accusations against Him. He asks, “Don't you know I have power to release you, and have power to crucify you?” Jesus answer to Pilate was, “You would have no power over me unless it was given to you from above.” (John 19:10-11)
When Jesus was being arrested at the garden of Gethsemane, Peter tried to protect Him but Jesus stopped him, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then, would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matt. 26:53-54)
Two prominent Old Testament prophetic passages are Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Psalm 22:1; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?...” (22:7-8); “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the Lord,’ they say, ‘let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’ (22:12-18); “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hand and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”
Isaiah 53:1-12; “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Third: What was accomplished could not have been achieved any other way. A quote from Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, by John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim's Progress) “Satan is loath to part with a great sinner. “What, my true servant?” says Satan. “My old servant, will you forsake me now? Having so often sold yourself to me to work wickedness, will you forsake me now? You horrible wretch, do you not know that you have sinned beyond the reach of grace, and do you think that you can find mercy now? Are you not a murderer, a thief, a harlot, a witch, a sinner of the greatest size, and do you look for mercy now? Do you think that Christ will defile His fingers with you? It is enough to make angels blush,” Satan says, “to see so repulsive a one knock at heaven’s gate for mercy, and will you be so abominably bold to do it?” “This is how Satan dealt with me,” says the great sinner, “when I first came to Jesus Christ.” “And what did you reply?” asked the one who was being tempted. “Why, I agreed that what was said about me was indeed true,” says the other. “And did you despair, or what did you do?” “No,” said the great sinner. “I said I am Magdalene, I am Zacchaeus, I am the thief, I am the harlot, I am the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of Christ’s murderers; yes, worse than any of these, and yet God was so far off from rejecting me, as I learned later, that there was music and dancing in His house for me, and great joy that I had come home to Him.” A blackmailer only has power over their victim if they have something to hide. Satan only has as much power to accuse us as we allow him to.
Hebrews 9:22 says, “…without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” Nothing can be added to the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. When the thief on the cross cried out for Jesus to remember him when He entered His kingdom, Jesus’ reply was, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Nothing but the spotless Lamb of God was a sufficient sacrifice to purchase us from our sin and set us free from the condemnation and power of the devil to hold us hostage. Satan can no longer blackmail us.
1 Peter 1:8-12, 18-21; “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
(1:18-21) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
Revelation 5:1-10; “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
(1) Jesus knew the manner of His death. He knew the horrific manner He would suffer and die for our sake and momentarily be separated from the Father. (2) Jesus willingly laid down His life for our sake and (3)what was accomplished could not have been achieved any other way.
Isaiah 43:11; “I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no saviour.”
Acts 4:12; “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved.”
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