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Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama
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. (Is. 53:7 NIV)
Knowing His betrayal and arrest were imminent, Jesus was in anguish. His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. The time had come. Death was no longer in the distance; it had arrived at His doorstep. How could He go through with it? How could Jesus suffer not only abandonment, humiliation, torture, and crucifixion, but bear the sins and sorrows of humanity? Christ was able to be committed unto death because of His humility, trust in God, and love for us.
Humility.
[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Php. 2:6-8)
Jesus wanted the cup to pass from Him and prayed that it would, but He humbled Himself and accepted God’s plan (Mt. 26:39). The divine Son of God willingly assumed the lowest social status, served, sacrificed, and suffered so He could sympathize with us and secure a means of salvation. According to the previous verse in Philippians 2, we are called to have the same Christlike mindset and attitude of humility (v. 5)!
Trust in God.
Because Christ humbled Himself and submitted to death,
God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php. 2:9-11)
Jesus trusted that God would take care of Him and glorify Him at the appropriate time. His faith was greater than His turmoil. “Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly…” (Lk. 22:44). Jesus poured out His heart in prayer. He didn’t hold back His emotions or His pain. He also didn’t hold back Himself; He fully obeyed His Father and laid down His life (Jn. 10:17-18). Christ’s deep trust in the Father enabled Him to commit to death.
Love for us.
While someone might possibly dare to die for a righteous person, dying for an unrighteous person would be generally considered preposterous. However, Christ died for us while we were still sinners: “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6). In addition to creating us, giving us the very breath in our lungs, and holding all things together in the Son, Romans 5:8 identifies how God demonstrates His love for us: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Truly Christ is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (Jn. 10:14-15).
Christ’s commitment to death was more than a commitment to His own death; it was a commitment to our death as well.
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Co. 5:14-15)
As disciples of Christ, we should follow His example. We should be willing to die for our Lord.
Rather than one monumental sacrifice we might make in the future, our focus should be on daily devotion: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Lk. 9:23-24). That calling comes with a promise: “…be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
We are called—committed—to die to ourselves and to live in Christ, for Christ, because of Christ, and with Christ in us.
For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:19-20)
In light of Christ’s commitment to death and our calling to follow in His steps, “let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
Like our Lord, let us practice humility, trust in God, and love. How can you excel still more in each of these areas?
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Written by Beliza Kočev, Brazil Coordinator with Iron Rose Sister Ministries
In 2023 I had the opportunity to meet sisters from several African countries who were in Angola for a church event. I, along with two more sisters, represented Iron Rose Sister Ministries, developing activities and classes. In one of the classes, we talked about the temple in Jerusalem and the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Ex. 26:33). When we taught about the death of Jesus and about how at that moment the temple veil was torn (Mt. 27:51), we illustrated this by tearing a piece of fabric apart while we narrated what happened, and their reaction surprised me…
They were so excited! They started to celebrate! You know when it’s the tournament final and everyone celebrates when their team wins? That was the scene that I was witnessing! Those women were celebrating that the death of Jesus gave us direct access to God. The price for sin was paid.
This is how we should all celebrate, knowing that Jesus conquered death when He was resurrected! Jesus’ resurrection is the most important fact of Christianity (1 Co. 15:14). The resurrection is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, the manifestation of the things Jesus had announced to His disciples, and the confirmation that He is the Son of God.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Php. 3:10-11 NIV)
Paul was in prison when he wrote the letter to the Philippians—in prison as punishment for preaching the gospel. And even though in some moments he likely didn’t expect to survive, he invested his time in captivity writing much of what today we know as the New Testament. Even amid his difficulties, Paul shared his great desire to know Jesus and experience the power that raised our Savior out of the tomb.
The resurrection of Christ brings us hope. The evil and pain of this world are small compared to His power. And not only small, but temporary. 1 Corinthians 6:14 says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” If we want the hope of resurrection, we cannot live as if Jesus had not been resurrected—as if we were on the losing side.
Reading Romans 6 we understand that just like Jesus died and was resurrected, it is God’s will that we die to sin and live for Christ. By following Him, Jesus gives us the opportunity to resurrect to a new life; not only eternal life when we leave this earth, but starting now to enjoy communion with God and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin.
Imagine the life of those who saw Jesus die and later resurrect. Their lives completely changed. Faith is the certainty of what we don’t see, and the resurrection of Jesus changed our lives even though we were not eyewitnesses.
The power that took down death is the same power that takes down the power of sin in our lives. May our desire be like that of Paul: to know Christ deeply and feel within us the power of His resurrection.