The Whys of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of the Messiah

A Big Picture Look (at the Death and Resurrection of Jesus)

In looking into the details of the cruelty which the Lord Jesus suffered as recounted in the gospel accounts (Matt 26:47-28:15, Mark 14:53-16:13, Luke 22:54 -24:10 and John 18:1-20:17), we will understand the abuse, pain, mocking and insults He went through.  But, it is also helpful to look at the Big Picture of what this all means so we don’t miss the deeper meanings of this great event.  Please join me in reflecting on these four significant observations related to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1. The Lord Jesus died as the Passover Lamb 

 When we hear Him say, “My time has not come.”  The time He was referring to was this appointed time, His coming to the cross on Passover.  As such, He had to die, not on any other day, but on this day, the Passover.  He had to die during Passover, because the killing of the sacrificial lamb, whose blood had to be applied on the door posts and lintel (to save the first born in every house) points to the shedding of His own blood for the salvation of many.  He was and is the Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

2. He lived a perfect, sinless life  

The Lord Jesus was virgin born and, therefore, did not have the stain of the sin of Adam.  He lived His life under the Law and even under the scrutiny of the religious leaders and Pilate in His trial, He was innocent.  Remember the charges against Him?

2.1 Blasphemy – The accusation from the religious leaders was that He was a blasphemer; He, being a mere man (from Nazareth), a son of a carpenter, makes Himself equal to God, as the Son of God.  But, us, we know this to be true.  He is the Son of God and, therefore, the accusation that He was a blasphemer is false.

2.2 King of the Jews – Before Pilate, the Jews had to accuse Jesus of a crime worthy of death.  Blasphemy must not be a crime punishable by death, so, before Pilate they changed the charge to rebellion (treason) accusing Him to be the King of the Jews and if a king, then a leader of a rebellion against the emperor, Caesar.  But, when Pilate asked Him if He is a king, He said yes with a caveat to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  This means He was (is) not after the domain of Caesar because His domain is in the spirit, not of this world.

Why is it important that Jesus is found not guilty of these accusations and was without sin from the start? 

The bible says that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”   If all sinned, none of us is able to offer himself to pay for the sin of another.  We all have our own sin to account and pay for.  Only a sinless perfect man is a qualified substitute (sacrifice) for another.  The idea that sheep offered as burn offerings have to be perfect and without blemish suddenly makes sense.

Furthermore, the Lord’s saying “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” will now make perfect sense.  The reason He is the only way is precisely, He is the Sinless One.  No other person is a qualified substitute to pay for the sin of another.  Only the Sinless One, in this case, the Lord Jesus, is able.  He is the only Way.

3. These are what was accomplished by His suffering and death 

3.1 Salvation – Daniel prophesied that “Messiah shall be cut-off, but not for Himself”, but in this same event, these will be accomplished – “finish the transgression, make an end of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring everlasting righteousness and anoint the Most Holy” (Dan 9:24).  At this event, God reconciled sinful man to a Holy God through the death of His only begotten Son.

3.2 The curse was broken and fell on Him – The curse pronounced by the LORD in Genesis 3:16-19, at the fall of Adam, fell on Him.  For as Isaiah 53:5-6 says, “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.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  

3.3 His triumph over sin and death made Him the “First Born from the Dead.”  This means He was the first to rise from the dead, and believers, trusting in His resurrection, even if (when) they die, will be following after Him in the resurrection.

4. The Lord rose from the dead, victorious over death in a sacrifice accepted and pleasing to God

This is how we know His sacrifice was accepted by the Father:

4.1 Speaking prophetically long before it happened, Isaiah wrote: “Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” (Isa 53:10).  This means all these that transpired were in the plan of God.  This reveals God’s love for you and for me. Through the death and resurrection of His Son, God was willing to endure all the pain and suffering, and even separation from His Son, for us to be saved.

4.2 Later, again speaking through Isaiah in 53:12, “So, He said, I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong.”  Much later, with the passage of time, in Ephesians 1:20(b), Paul said, “He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”  “And, He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things…” (verse 21)  

4.3 Lastly, a burnt offering, offered freely and with the right motive, is pleasing to God.  The smell of the burnt offering rises to Him as a sweet aroma.  We know that after the Lord rose from the dead, He too, like the smoke of the burnt offering, rose from earth to heaven, rising up to him as a pleasant aroma, having accomplished all that has been the plan and purpose of God for mankind. 

Glory to God! And, Praise to His name!

Conclusion