Written:  Good  Friday,  April  22,  2011

Jesus' fundamental mission on earth was to 


fulfill God's plan "To seek and to save the lost" 


(Luke 19:10). Jesus was aware of His purpose, 


even from a young age (Luke 2:49), and 


actively sought out to accomplish it.

The purpose of Christ's coming 


was to save the sinners.


Jesus was very compassionate. He would visit 


and dine with sinners, share with them, and show


 them the love of God. (Luke 5:32). In fact, He was 


often criticized for spending too much time with 


"sinners," individuals who the self-righteous 


religious authorities of the day had rejected and 


cast away.


 Jesus not only spent time with such people, He 


actively sought them out, because His mission was


 to save those who needed saving.

During Jesus' ministry He purposefully made 


it a point to extend forgiveness to the outcasts.

 

Jesus offered them a new life... a fresh start.

Christ was aware that God's plan for Him 


included dying on the cross to right wrongs for 


the sin of those who put their faith in Him... and


 to rise again from the dead to triumph over both


sin and death. 

 God came to earth as a human being, in the 


person of Jesus Christ. In His humanity, Jesus 


cared for those in need (Matthew 25), taught 


God's truth, carried out God's purpose, and served 


as a faithful friend (John 13).



Jesus willingly offered His life in order to save others. 


Jesus laid down His perfect life for sinful mankind. 


He assumed full responsibility for all our sins and


paid the price. Jesus took the punishment that we 


deserved.

Christ not only ministered to us and


taught us by His life, but He has also 


spoken for us and taught us by His 


death.

God gave us life; the Spirit of life; newness of 


life; eternal life and abundant life because of the 


depth of His' loving-kindness and most tender 


compassion.

None of us is beyond the reach 


of God’s saving grace. 


Isaiah 59:1


It doesn’t matter who we are or 

what we have done. 


Jesus Christ came into this 

world to save sinners. 

1 Timothy 1:15 


All have sinned and fall short 


of the glory of God.


Romans 3:23

Jesus has always existed as One with the Father, 


before time and before anything was created. 


Jesus' life did not begin at the moment of conception.


Jesus came into the world from pre-existence. Jesus


 is the only baby born into this world who existed 


before His birth.


John 1:1; 17:5

The birth of Jesus was a unique 


event that has never been 


replicated on any level!



Jesus is God, the Son,



manifested in the flesh, justified



 and exalted in the Spirit, 



sent by God, the Father, 



to dwell with man.



Immanuel - 



God is with us.


God is universally present in person, in wisdom, 


in understanding, and in power at all times.


The Person and the Work of Jesus Christ are 


the centrathemes of the Scriptures


He is God. He evolved into a human being, 


died by crucifixion, and was buried. 


He was resurrected from the dead. 


He alone is the world's 


all-sufficient Savior.


He will return again to this earth. 

.

Joseph was unaware of the extraordinary 


circumstances surrounding Mary's conception 


when he found out she was pregnant. According 


to Matthew, Joseph, a righteous man, did not


want to disgrace Mary when he discovered she


 was pregnant. God spared her from Joseph's 


secret plan to send her away. In a dream, an


angel of God urged Joseph not to be fearful of


 marrying Mary,as the child she carried was 


conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a


 virgin. 


The Child Mary carried 



was...

 


the Son of God.



GOD IS 



THE MASTER 



OF ALL

 


POSSIBILITIES.

"... the things which are impossible 


with men are possible with God."


Luke 18:27

Luke's gospel relates Mary's encounter 


with the angel Gabriel, who explained that


 God will bring an unexpected addition into


 her family. He will be great, and will be 


called the Son of the Highest.



Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can


 this be, since I do not know a man?' And 


the angel answered and said to her, the 


Holy Spirit will place God's Son in 


your womb.


Matthew 1:35


A simple peace and composure guided 


the exchange between Mary and Gabriel.



God arranged the earth and the 


moon's orbits so that the earth


would periodically pass


 between the sun and the moon


 and eclipse the light of the 


moon.

The complexity of the Universe 

is not a result of random chance. 


The Universe, our Galaxy, our Solar System, and 

the Earth were wisely, skillfully, and intelligently 

designed by God. God created everything visible 

and invisible,and nothing was created except

 through God.



The same God,


 Who orchestrated


the orbits of the 


earth, the sun, 


and the moon... 


also enabled


 Mary, an 


ordinary young


woman, to aid



 in the birth of 



His only


begotten 


Son.

God is beyond and greater 


than what any of us can


 know or understand. God 


is Infinitely above anything


and everything we can 


attempt to comprehend or 


express. God, Who is 


greater than the universe...


 created and sustains the


entire world!


This same Power would


bring an unexpected 


addition into Mary's life.


"Jesus is Himself the greatest miracle

 of them all," declares the Scriptures.

Scripture teaches that God (Jesus) was 


supernaturally conceived in the womb of


 a virgin. This is the same God who put the


 sun, moon, and stars in the sky.



Let us remember... a miracle is an event that 


would be impossible under natural lawbut is 


brought to pass by the supernatural power 


of God.



The Scriptures are unequivocal in their declaration

that God is ultimately... incomprehensible to us.


God is able to do immeasurably 

more than we can comprehend.


God could say...


"BE"...


and it will be!

God is limitless in every attribute He possesses. 


According to Ephesians 3:20, God is able to do 

above and beyond anything we could ever ask,

 think, or imagine.

It was foretold, by Isaiah, Jesus would be 


born of a virgin. The Bible teaches that God 


Almighty, the God of possibilities, was


 supernaturally conceived in the womb of 


a virgin.


Matthew 1:23

The Bible prophesied hundreds of years in 


advance, before the birth of Christ, the 


coming of God's Son. All of this occurred 


to fulfill what God declared through 


the prophet.

The Bible prophesied hundreds of years in 


advance, before the birth of Christ, the 


coming of God's Son.

"God with us"



was the baby’s distinctive identity.


The gospels of both Matthew and Luke place 


the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

God's promise came to earth


in an unadorned package of human innocence, 


without any ostentatious boastfulness or vanity.



Jesus was born in an obscure 


village, in Bethlehem, in a stable, 


to a virgin. The promised one 


entered human life while still


 being totally divine.



The idea of the humanity of Jesus co-existing


with His supreme divinity is difficult for


 some to comprehend, but God does not 


always do things the way we would do them... 



God is God.

Mary is a model believer. She took God 


at His word. God's choice of Mary to carry 


His only begotten Son comes from God's grace... 


not from any intrinsic asset that Mary possessed.



Mary did not ask for or seek this role in God's


 plans; God simply stepped into Mary's life and 


brought her into His service. Mary's distinction 


was her faithfulness.

God is beyond and greater than what any


 of us can know or understand. God is Infinitely


 above anything and everything we can attempt 


to discern or express. 



God who is larger than the universe... 


created and sustains the whole world!



God... humbled Himself... became an embryo... 


bound in flesh. His nourishment was from


 a young virgin.

Mary should be recognized, 


not worshiped, for her model of 



faithfulness and her receptiveness

 


to serve God.

We can never fully comprehend God's whole 


being. Our limited faculties are incapable 


of defining or fathoming the greatness of 


God. God's majesty far exceeds anything


 we can comprehend.



God's greatness, power, grace, holiness, 


thoughts, ways,justice, wisdom, and God's 


past, present, and future judgments are perfect 


and beyond our perception.


Jesus Christ, God the Son, was 


born in a manger.


The complexity of the unusual conception and 


birth of Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God, is


 one of the Bible's most amazing miracles.


Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 


as predicted.



 “O Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are but a


 small Judean village, yet you will be the


 birthplace of my King Who is alive from 


everlasting ages past!”


Micah 5:2



 Jesus entered into this world 


in a lowly manner.


Jesus went from the throne of heaven...


to being born in a stable and laying in a 


long open box or trough that horses and 


cattle used to eat and drink water from.



Jesus went from the presence 


of angelsto a humble structure 


filled with animals!

Jesus was Servant of all, and He went about


 doing good. However, when He came to 


visit His hometown of Nazareth, He was 


rejected by both the people in His own 


hometown and His own family members. 



He came to His own people to set up the


 promised kingdom of God, but His own 


people rejected Him and His hometown 


of Nazareth gave Him little or no respect.


Jesus was poor; He was despised; He was 


tempted; He was persecuted; He suffered


 physical pain; and He endured the sorrows 


of a prolonged and most atrocious death...


 on the cross.



Jesus faced all the same kinds of


 trials and tests we are subjected 


to... and more.



Because Jesus had these human 


experiences... He could 


sympathize and empathize with


 our weaknesses, struggles, and


 temptations.



Jesus has been there and gone through it all.


 Jesus is fully aware of and sensitive to... the 


feelings, thoughts, and experiences we now 


have.



Jesus' humanity enabled Him 


to sympathize with our human


 frailties in ways others never 


could.


Jesus lived a human life, but He did not 


possess a sin nature as we do. He grew up 


in still another village called Nazareth, 


where He worked as a carpenter until


 He was thirty years of age. Then for


 three years He was a wandering 


preacher.


Jesus was tempted, but never sinned. 


Because Jesus did not have a human father... 


He did not inherit a sin nature. He 


possessed the divine nature from God, 


His Heavenly Father.


Jesus was introduced by a


messenger, as foretold.

( John the Baptist)
Jesus was criticized, persecuted

 and rejected as predicted.

🤔 Some people are so bound up with jealousy,


 envy, greed and self-righteousness... they can 


not bring themselves to see the truth. These people 


knew Jesus came from God, but they were so 


bound up with legalism and religiosity that their 


eyes were blinded to the truth that Jesus was 


God incarnate


The beautiful healings that were performed 


by Jesus Christ were twisted into something 


profane.

They labeled Jesus a blasphemer and sinner 


Who made Himself to be equal with God, 


which infuriated the religious leaders of


 the day. For this reason, they sought all


 the more to kill Jesus.


They spat in Jesus' face, struck Him with their 


clenched fists on His temples and tormented Him.


 Others slapped Him with the open palm of their


 hands. They blindfolded Him and cursed Him. 


Jesus was even beaten by some of the council. 


They too, ridiculed Jesus. He was falsely 


accused by so-called witnesses, unjustly 


condemned by His judges, and insulted by 


all. They continued to strike Jesus and even 


beat Him with a whip before He was 


crucified. 


This was the greatest contempt and most 


disgraceful punishment which could 


possibly be shown.



Jesus died on the cross for us all... even the


 very same people who crucified Him. 

So... by Jesus' own words, He offers this proof, 


"The Son of Man is going to be delivered into 


the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And 


when He is killed, after three days 


He will rise." 

Not for one moment does Jesus

 cease to be righteous.

The Romans led Jesus to a place called 


Golgotha which means Place of a Skull.


Matthew 27:31-33


Jesus was pierced in His side, 


as prophesied.

One of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with


 a spear, and blood and water flowed out.  


John 19:34

"The enemy, this gang of evil men, circles Me


 like a pack of dogs." When the soldiers had 


crucified Jesus, they put his garments into


 four piles, one for each of them. But they 


said, “Let’s not tear up His robe,” for it was 


seamless.“Let’s throw dice to see who


 gets it.”


This fulfilled the Scripture that says,


“They divided My clothes among them 


and cast lots for My robe." 


John 19:23-24

According to John 4:10, it is not


 our love for God:


it is God's love for us in sending 


His Son to be the way to take 


away our sins.

As foretold,


Jesus would suffer crucifixion.

Jesus saved man. Jesus is grace, love, 


compassion, forbearance, patience, humility,


 care, and tolerance. So much of the work 


Jesus did was the redemption of man. 


As for His disposition, it was one of compassion


 and love, and because He was compassionate 


and loving, He had to be nailed to the cross 


for man. 

Jesus endured the cross. 


As He hung on the cross, the judgment and 


wrath of God was poured out on Him instead


 of on us.

Jesus was born into this world, 


taking on human flesh,


 for one purpose.



Jesus was the only person in 


the history of the world who 


was born to die.


All people die, but death is not our life’s 


purpose.

They pounded the nails through 


Jesus' hands and feet.

They set up the cross and 


hung Jesus there.

Each of the prophecies were fulfilled 


precisely,although, predicted hundreds 


of years before time.


The most compelling and dramatic example


of sacrifice and substitution for our punishment


 is... Jesus' blood shed on the cross for us.

The Romans murdered the Son of God.


When Christ died on the cross, 



He paid the price for our sin.


May we bless Jesus' Name, and proclaim Christ 


as Sovereign over life and death!


Under normal conditions, a person’s greatest 


accomplishments are completed while he


 or she is still alive, but think about what 


Jesus achieved through His death.


Christ has not only spoken 


to us by His life, but has also 


spoken for us by His death.

Jesus offered up Himself 


in His entirety.

 Jesus was saying, "Yes, I'm the Messiah, 


the King, but I came not to live, but to die. 


I'm not here to take power, but to lose it;


I'm here not to rule, but to serve.


And that's how I'm going to defeat evil and


 put everything right."

“Then I will pour out the spirit of grace and prayer 


on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on 


Him they pierced, and mourn for Him as for 


an only son, and grieve bitterly for Him as


 for an oldest child who died.


Zechariah 12:10

“In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 


‘No one knows what it is like. No one 


understands’


But the Son of God perfectly 


knows and understands,


for He has felt and bore our burdens 


“and because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice...


He has perfect empathy


and can extend to us His arm of mercy.”

Trust...

God knows what 

suffering feels like.

Jesus became the Sacrificial Lamb and faced 


an agonizing death because of you and me.

Jesus was the final, perfect sacrifice that 


satisfied forever God's wrath against sin 


(Hebrews 10:14).

Jesus' divine nature made Him 


fit for the work of Redeemer; 


His human body allowed Him


 to shed the blood necessary to 


redeem.

As humans with a sin nature... we could never 


pay such a debt. We could never meet the 


requirements to become the sacrifice for the


 sins of the whole world.


If Jesus were merely a good 


man, as some claim, then He 


had a sin nature and was not 


perfect.


If this had been the case... Jesus' death


 and resurrection would not have had the 


power to save us.

Because Jesus was and is God 


in the flesh, Jesus alone could


 pay the debt...that we owed 


to God. 

Sooner or later, all of us will need the Savior. 


We all make mistakes we cannot resolve. We 


will all experience losses we cannot recover, 


and face pains, persecution, tragedies, burdens,


 and disappointments we cannot handle alone.


The Good News is...


we don’t have to handle any of them alone.



Let us always remember and never forget:


No matter who you are or who you were... 


"God is with us."

May we return to the Word and tell our 


children about the price Jesus Christ paid


for our salvation.

The Greatest Main 


history... His Name is 


Jesus.

In spite of all that Jesus went through,


three days later, the boulder 


that formerly sealed the tomb... 


had been rolled away from the 


tomb. The body was gone! 


Only the grave linens were found in the 


tomb. Critics and followers of Jesus 


agreed that the tomb was empty and the 


body was gone.

The Resurrection of Jesus


 is important for many 


reasons.


It witnesses the immense power of 


God Himself. In resurrecting Jesus 


from the grave, God reminds us of 


His absolute sovereignty over


 life and death.


Jesus' victory over death and the grave


won the victory for everyone who puts


 their trust in Him.


(John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 17) 



To believe in the resurrection is to 


believe in God.


God is all powerful, and 


God has the power to raise 


the dead.


It was impossible for death 


to keep its hold on Jesus.


Acts 2:24

He was buried in a tomb, yet,


He lives today.

When Jesus Christ rose from the grave, He 


broke the power of sin and death in the


lives of all who believe.

“Death has been swallowed up in 


victory.”

 Jesus' supreme evidence of deity was His own


 resurrection from the dead.


Several times in the course of His life, Jesus 


predicted the way He would be killed and


 affirmed that three days later...


He would rise from the 


dead... and He did!

Only God who created life can resurrect it 


aftedeath. Only God can reverse the 


hideousness that is death itself. Only God 


can remove the sting and gain the victory


 over the grave. 


1 Corinthians 15:54-55

God became Man, died for 


our sins, and was resurrected 


the third day. The grave could 


not hold Him.



The Resurrection brings life meaning, 


direction, and the opportunity to start over... 


regardless of our circumstances.  

Jesus had no servants;


yet they called Him 


Master. 

Jesus was a Servant. Mark 10:45 teaches, 


"For even the Son of Man came not to be served


 but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom


 for many."


 Philippians 2:6-7 says, "though He was in the 


form of God, [He] did not count equality with 


God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, 


by taking the form of a Servant."

Jesus washing the feet of the 


disciples was the display of His 


humility and His servanthood.

Jesus was perfect and never sinned as a person, 


despite temptations from the devil 


(Matthew 4:1-10). 


Jesus quoted God's Word to resist temptation


 and avoid sin. Hebrews 4:15 teaches Jesus was


 "one who in every respect has been tempted


 as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus Teaches Truth.



Jesus had no degree; 


yet, they called Jesus 


Teacher.


Jesus was perfect in wisdom. Even at a young 


age, the religious teachers recognized this attribute,


 "And all who heard Him were amazed at His


understanding and his answers" 


(Luke 2:47).


Jesus was a great teacher. Following His 


Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, 


we are told, "And when Jesus finished these


 sayings, the crowds were astonished at His


 teaching, for He was teaching them as one


 who had authority, and not as their scribes"


 (Matthew 7:28-29).

Jesus was a person of compassion. He saw


 the people as sheep without a shepherd


(Matthew 9:36), met their needs for hunger 


(Matthew 15:32), and wept at the tomb of 


Lazarus 


(John 11:35).

Jesus was a miracle worker. The Gospel writers 


record at least 35 miracles by Jesus. Many 


additional miracles were clearly not mentioned 


(John 21:25).

Jesus had no medicines; 



yet, they called Jesus



Healer.

Jesus was a Healer. Numerous healings 


by Jesus are recorded in the Gospels. 


Matthew 14:14 notes, 


"When He went ashore He saw a great crowd,


 and He had compassion on them and healed


 their sick."

Jesus healed every disease and sickness 


among the people.

Jesus had no army; yet, 



kings feared Jesus. 

Jesus won no military battles; 


yet,


 

Jesus conquered the 



world.

Jesus committed no crime; yet,

 


they crucified Him.


Jesus was buried in a tomb; yet, 



He lives, today!

It was impossible for death to keep its hold 


on Jesus.


- Acts 2:24

Jesus' life provides a perfect example 


for us today to live as those focused on 


God's priorities and honoring the Lord 


with our lives.

When problems try to bury you 


on Friday, always remember 


and never forget, Sunday is 


on the way!

May we always remember and 


commemorate the death and 


resurrection of



Jesus Christ,

 


our Friend, Leader, Guide, 



our King, our Well-spring



of Life, the Light, our Savior 


Who can save the 



sinner, heal the hurting and rescue 



the perishing.

The love of God for mankind appeared in 


the person ofthe Lord Jesus Christ Who, 


went up on the cross without the slightest 


self-regard, laid down His life for the sin 


and redemption of the whole of mankind.

Jesus Christ stretched wide His arms of love


 and willingly gave up His life for His friends...


for you and for me.

  

The effort to seek God is 


gift from God. 


May we all wholeheartedly 


continue to seek after Him. 


.Jeremiah 29:13.

Jesus did for us... what we could not do 


for ourselves. 

When our Savior cried out from the cross, 


“It is finished” 


John 19:30


our sin debt was forever paid in full. 


Jesus Christ saved us from a horrible, 


godless eternity.

Christ’s finished work on the cross 


saved us from eternal separation from 


God, and it also saved us from the 


power that our lower nature currently 


has over us in this life. 


Once we accept Christ, His Spirit lives


 in us, and we are no longer controlled 


by the flesh. This freedom makes it possible 


for us to say “no” to our lower


 nature and overcome our 


enslavement to the wicked and 


unrighteous desires of the flesh.


Praise God, Christ conquered


 Satan and sin... on the Cross and 


saved us from eternal separation 



from God.

Thank You Father for Your Love towards me, 


and for the abundance of Your gift of Life, 


which is simply through faith in the Person 


of the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross.

When our Savior cried out from the cross,


 


“It is finished” 


(John 19:30), 


our sin debt was forever 


paid in full.


May we never forget the price Christ paid for 


our sin, for we were not redeemed with 


perishable things like silver or gold, but with 


His precious blood.

Jesus is fully God and fully man, but He chose 


to set aside His heavenly glory and come to 


earth in the form of a man, and live the perfect 


life the Father wants all of His people to live - 


a life totally dependent on HIM; a life that 


listens to His voice; a life that obeys His voice; 


a life that is walking in spirit and truth; a life 


that dies to self and lives for Him - a life that is

 

willing to say NOT my will but Thine be done, 


so the Father may be revealed.

Thank You, Father, for allowing Jesus to come


 to earth and turn our bitterness into sweetness. 


We have been saved by Your grace. May we 


keep low at the cross and broken before You.

May we live our lives in a way that is pleasing 


to God so that through us God's life-giving


love may stream out to those who are lost and 


hurting.

Jesus not only spoke about love, He provided 


powerful actions to match His teachings. John 13 


offers a clear example in which Jesus washed the 


feet of His disciples to teach them to serve one 


another in humility. His death on the cross offered 


the most powerful evidence of love "in deed and 


in truth." He endured suffering, ridicule, and death 


from those who should have recognized Him as


 the Messiah. Yet, His actions also included His


 resurrection, offering love in action that changed


 the course of history.

Jesus lived and endured this world in human 


form. Jesus taught and loved others, while 


pointing them to the Father. Jesus then 


conquered death, hell, and the grave.


‘Let us fix our eyes on...


Jesus, 


the Author and Perfecter 


of our faith. 

The path to living a godly life is not easy. 

But the solution is found in Christ, Who 

came to earth as a man, was proved 

immaculate and pure in His Spirit.

Christ gave His perfect life 


for sinful mankind.


He assumed full responsibility for all 


our sins and took the punishment that 


we deserved.


We have been saved by grace through 


believing. May we never lose sight of 


Christ’s triumph on the Cross. 


Jesus shines forth the radiance of the glory


 of God, for He is the exact image of the


 essence of God, and upholds all things by 


the word of His power. He is the visible 


representation of the glorious, eternal, 


invisible God, who has invited us all to


 COME.

Christ calls all to draw close to Him. He alone 


can lift the heavy yoke of the bondage of sin


 and set the captives free. And Jesus' 


invitation is open to all who will believe on 


His Name.


''Come To Me,"


is an invitation for the broken-hearted


 soul and the burdened sinner. 



COME, 


just as you are.


Come unto Me, all you who labour and are 


heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This 


promise of rest that Jesus offers is a rest that 


He freely gives. It cannot be earned or purchased. 


The rest He offers is freely available as God’s gift


 of grace. It is true rest for the soul and perfect


 peace in our heart. This offer is to whosoever will


 COME to Him for salvation.

The invitation to 


"Come" is from Jesus... 


and contains no limitations 


or restrictions. 


Jesus will turn no one away.

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