THE PASSION. WHY OUR SAVIOUR DIED A BRUTAL DEATH.

HE was our ransom price. Matthew records ‘The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.’ (20:28) No man could do what the Creator of mankind did. Mao Tse Tung , the Communist leader of China captured Chiang Kai Shek, putting a substantial price on his head. The godly wife of the General with the gold ransom, flew her light plane into enemy territory to rescue her husband. Mao was so moved at her courage, that he released the General to his wife. Taiwan , enterprising, and mostly Christian, developed as the outcome of this daring plan. Our Saviour paid the ultimate price to ransom us. We owe HIM all.

Psalm 22 tells of the appalling death of the Messiah: and the spiritual cost He endured. The psalmist cried, and the Lord echoed from the cross the words, ‘My GOD, My God, why have you forsaken Me? His physical, deforming sufferings cut off the Son of Man from His slayers; while His spiritual afflictions separated Him from the beloved Father. Their eternal union was traumatized during the hours our Lord endured on Calvary, showing sin’s degrading and destructive nature. ‘Why are you so far from helping Me?’

When He had accomplished our great salvation, He cried, ’Father, into your hands I commend My Spirit. The eternal oneness was restored ; the redemption complete. The three hours of darkness were like eternity. Oh, what a reunion in heaven when our beloved triumphant Lord ascended to glory. Heaven resounded with festival music.

More of HIS psychological agony showed , ‘I am a worm ( lacking in backbone ) and no man ( He was the perfect Man) . A reproach of men, and despised of the people. All those who see Me laugh me to scorn’. Christ’s buffering was undeserved. though fiercest during His greatest need. ’They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,’ He trusted in the Lord, Let Him rescue Him‘. The Father could not release His beloved Son until our salvation had been perfected. Nor would the Lord call 12 legions of angels to deliver Him.

David continued, ‘ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.’ (v14) The shock and wounding caused our Lord to cry, “ I thirst.’ Dehydrated, exposed, naked before the fierce, Jerusalem sun, The living stream of eternal salvation began to flow then. ‘If any man thirst, let Him come unto Me and drink’ was the Lord’s sweet invitation at the Feast of the Tabernacles. It was possible only with His unbearable thirsting at the cross. .

The shedding of His precious blood brought redemption for us. Paul expressed it, ‘In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ( Ephesians 1:7) Only Christ could free us from slavery and satan’s domination.

Field Marshal Mountbatten, the victorious English general drove back the South East Asian enemy forces during WW11 Many stunned prisoners, fretting hopelessly, dared not leave their barracks, ignorant of peace having been secured. A rifle volley would bring them down in attempting to flee. Mountbatten, with loud-hailer shouted, ’Your General calling. You’re now free. My men died to redeem you. Leave your barracks.’ Emaciated, skin and bones, frail, they staggered joyfully into freedom. In suffering on the cross, our beloved Lord has redeemed us. Our Commander calls, ‘Leave your sin. You’re free?

Redemption through His blood brought that priceless benefit of sins forgiven. The treasure chest was the unlimited ‘riches of His grace.’ An old chorus goes like this:

Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin has left an ugly stain. He washed me white as snow.

Corrupt men nailed the hands and feet of God’s Son to the beams of the cross. Yet the Lord said,’ I (deliberately ) lay down My life for the sheep.’ He died vicariously, in place of the sheep, Yet His missionary heart beat for ‘the other sheep I have which are not of this fold. I must bring them, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one fold and one shepherd.’ (John 10:15,16) Our Lord knew that his sufferings would provide salvation for every race, who must hear the great news, and respond to the gospel.

Three times the Lord Jesus said, ‘I lay down My life,’ despite the brutal, Roman soldiers. He insisted that ‘No one takes it from Me.’ He explained, ‘I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father’ The Christ knew beyond the suffering, He would rise from the dead in great power and glory.

He also said, ’I Am the Good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

The torment of the cross showed how the shepherd gave Himself in spite of the vicious enemy. Christ completely controlled the scene, despite His multiplied wounds of hands and feet, brow, side and plowed back, coupled with exhaustion, shock and dehydration. He donated His life for our eternal well-being. Shortly a friend will donate a kidney to a young nephew, relieving him of recurring dialysis. The two operations will be performed in adjoining theatres. Calvary was our recovery operation as the Lord gave His total Self.

God’s authority was established in the dying of His Son. ‘Paul wrote, ‘ The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them to them who perish, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God. ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ) So our Lord Jesus submitted to the shameful pain of the cross to reveal the endless strength of the eternal God. Of course, it does not make sense to the godless, but it is the joy of the believer who has been saved from sin’s curse. . ‘They overcame him ( the enemy ) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.’ ( Revelation 12:10 ) His death must be the sole basis for your personal salvation.

God the FATHER was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.( 2 Corinthians 5:19 )

explained the mystery of Calvary suffering. The heavenly Father entered into the shameful rejection, inflicted by religious leaders, to bring together sinners to Himself. Of course, this is beyond human understanding. The Lord’s mighty plan allowed His beloved Son to be rejected, even crucified; that we might be restored to fellowship with the Father.

Rwanda’s Hutu and Tutsi tribes engaged in genocide in 1994. God’s Spirit has worked amazingly; many tainted sinners being cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus; and have been prepared to accept each other. Peace and harmony have followed. Praise God!