The Lord Jesus left Eternal Glory, His Godly and eternal Spiritual Body, and the side of God the Father to endure the humiliation of a human body that was earthly and fragile. And if that were not enough, He was arrested, tried, convicted, nailed to the cross and killed by the ones He created and loved!
Isaiah had a vision of that day and wrote:
“…He had no impressive form or majesty…”
The suffering that His beloved creation inflicted upon the Creator gave Him an inhuman appearance, since His face was beaten so savagely. This is why it says:
“…no appearance that we should desire Him.”
The Creator was thrown into a pit of suffering by His creation. He was alone. He agonized.
The psalmist also saw that day, heard the cry of Jesus and prophesied:
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it…” Psalm 69.1-4
Isaiah continues describing his vision:
“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. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” Isaiah 53.3,4
This was the price of our rescue. Sacrifice, sweat and tears were the price to be paid for rescuing each member of the True Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because of this, our Eternal Lord and God expressed His joy in an unprecedented way when He called the Redeemed Church His Treasured Possession.
Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a hidden treasure, which someone finds and, for joy over it, immediately goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13.44
This “someone” could be you who are reading this!
The experience of conquering the Kingdom of Heaven, or being born of God, requires character, courage and the determination to renounce our sinful lives in exchange for the immeasurable treasure that is being offered to us.
But the Lord Jesus did the exact reverse of that. He left all His glory and took upon Himself the curse of sin to serve as a ransom for those who want to be rescued.
Would it be unfair of Him to demand our all in exchange for HIS ALL?
Would it be unfair for Him to demand the sacrifice of your messed up life in exchange for the sacrifice He made for you?
Cristiane Cardoso
Afternoon Bishop,
I remeber watching a film called about the war that took place in Vietnam, and in the film the leader of the Vietnam army told his soldiers how to fight but never went out himself to fight. The leader of the American army would not only explain to his soldiers what to do but he was the first to leave the plane and the last to get in, not to mention he was there in the battlefield! Our Lord could of told someone else to take on the curse of Sin,but instead He himself left His throne and came to the 'battlefield' and fought for us, and he had no 'soldiers' to share the pain he went through. Jesus is BEST example,Leader,Master and there is no-one like Him.
Paula Mateus,UK
And it amazes me how we are His treassured Possesion.
Good Evening Bishop,no it is not unfair that Jesus asks for my messed up life in exchange for the life He gave His ALL so I could have.this message is too strong,thankyou for sharing.
They are beyond reasonable demands.
Thank you and God bless you for helping us keeping the flames of faith burning.
An oportunity one can not miss or let it passby. The question is: Who does n't want to go to Heaven? But one have to sacrifice to enter, one must sell out his old life to get posess the new one/treasure. I must win the war against satan and his demons no matter what. If Jesus overcome the world I must overcome it too for I am in HIS foot steps. May God bless you Bishop.
No. It would not be unfair. Every time I think of what He had to go through fro me, I am ashamed because i fail Him many times. The lyrics 'Like a rose trampled on the ground' of the song 'Above All' make me understand how Someone so perfect could go through such heavy torture and disregard to literally save my life.
It's not unfair to give Him my messed up life for His ALL.
Dear Bishop
What I know I was blinded and now I see. Long before, I was so far away from Jesus. I did not recognize the pain,the sufferings and the agonies that was inflicted on Him.Jesus suffered so much.He endured. Only then when my eyes were opened,I realized how dreadful I am.I repented;I ask for forgiveness; and above all, slowly I started to change what needs to be changed in my inner being and made sure to be continously in covenant with Him.And I am now a changed person.Praises and worship to God Almighty.
Thank you Bishop.Very strong message.
God has given us a powerful example of what it means to sacrifice.
It is necessary to live our lives devoted to serve him as best we can. Fearful of
Not ever doing enough.