JESUS HAD TO SUFFER FOR OUR SALVATION

JESUS HAD TO SUFFER FOR OUR SALVATION

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. —Mark 8:31

Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.  He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. —Psalm 98:1-3

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” —Romans 1:16-17

            Jesus had to suffer (Isaiah 53).  He had to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 2:2).  He had to open up a new way for us (Hebrews 10:19-22).  This, the Apostle Paul said is of “first importance” (I Corinthians 15:1-8) and the foundation on which we stand (I Corinthians 3:10-15). 

            In the gospel the righteousness from God is revealed.  We are not righteous in our own selves.  No, we have no righteousness of our own… none.  But when we call upon His Name for salvation we are given the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5:21) and are made like Jesus, accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6).  His righteousness is credited to us upon belief in His  finished work (Romans 4:24)— “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:23-25).

            Yes, Jesus had to be handed over and suffer.  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  Let us rejoice in the love that God has for us— “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

Now… let us get that message out to those who do not know Him and rejoice with those who have called upon His Son.

Dear Father it is truly astounding what You have done for me.  Thank You for saving me from being condemned forever and to be able to serve You now.  May I faithfully do so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.