THE WORK OF JESUS ON THE CROSS

Today, we remind ourselves of the perfect work of the perfect man (Jesus Christ) on the cross at Calvary to perfect forever those who are being sanctified and I want to share with all our friends here “THE WORK OF JESUS ON THE CROSS”.

Hebrews 10:14 says “For by ONE OFFERING He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

The emphasis is the “ONE OFFERING” and that is the offering or sacrifice JESUS made of Himself on the cross, and by that ONE OFFERING, He provided every need for time and eternity, in every area of the life of every individual who trust and believe in Him.

With this in mind, there is nothing more that JESUS has to do, He has done it all. What JESUS did was once and for all.

When you read the New Testament of the Bible, you will realise that one of the last words of JESUS on the cross was “IT IS FINISHED – John 19:30”. Which signifies that something was done and completed.

Talking about THE WORK OF JESUS ON THE CROSS, we must understand that before JESUS could say IT IS FINISHED on the cross, a DIVINELY ORDAINED EXCHANGE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.

All the evil that was due to the human race by justice was visited upon JESUS that all the good due to the obedience of JESUS might be made available to us or those whose BELIEVE.

It is at this point that many say “how can He die to save me since am not guilty of any sin” but the issue is we might not be guilty of drinking, fornicating, stealing, and chasing after peoples husbands and wives but we are all guilty of REBELLION (i.e. we have all turn to our own way). Isaiah 53:6

Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” so there was the need for JESUS to restore the lost glory.

Before we go through the actual work on the cross or to put it in a better way, the exchange Jesus made on the cross, let’s look at the Prophecy by Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 53 (NKJV)

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

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.

⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

⁹ And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

NOW THE EXCHANGE ON THE CROSS AT CALVARY.

1.      Isaiah 53:4-5; JESUS WAS PUNISHED THAT WE MIGHT BE FORGIVEN. Note: Forgiveness has been made possible because JESUS received the punishment for our transgressions.

2.      Isaiah 53:4; JESUS WAS WOUNDED THAT WE MIGHT BE HEALED. Note: Matthew confirmed this in Matthew 8:16-17 and the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:24.

3.      Isaiah 53:10; JESUS WAS MADE SIN WITH OUR SINFULNESS THAT WE MIGHT BECOME RIGHTEOUS WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Note: JESUS’ soul was made the sin offering. The Holy Spirit led the Apostle Paul to also confirm this in 2 Corinthians 5:21

4.      Hebrews 2:9; JESUS TASTED DEATH FOR US THAT WE MIGHT SHARE IN HIS ETERNAL LIFE. Note:  Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death so when JESUS was made sin, there was no way He could escape death.

5.      Galatians 3:13-14; JESUS WAS MADE A CURSE THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER. Note: JESUS on the cross became a curse. Deuteronomy 21:22-23.

6.      Hebrews 2:9-10; JESUS ENDURED OUR SHAME THAT WE MIGHT SHARE IN HIS GLORY.

7.      Matthew 27:45-51; JESUS ENDURED OUR REJECTION THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HIS ACCEPTANCE. Note: The veil or thick curtain of the temple was torn to signify our acceptance by God. Our Acceptance is again confirmed in Ephesians 1:3-6.

8.      2 Corinthians 8:9; JESUS ENDURED OUR POVERTY THAT WE MIGHT SHARE HIS ABUNDANCE.

Beloved friends and family, this is just a few of the wonderful exchange our Lord and saviour JESUS CHRIST did on the cross at Calvary for us.  You might ask “WHY WOULD HE GO THROUGH THAT FOR ME?” THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE “HE LOVES YOU”

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO BELIEVE AND RECEIVE IT BY FAITH.

WE THANK YOU JESUS FOR DYING TO SAVE US. AMEN.

GLORY BE TO GOD.

#Christian Essel.