Enter your e-mail address below to get Musing Upchurch sent directly to your in-box!

Past Ponderings

Sunday, January 4, 2015

PONDERING... What Kind of Death Did Jesus Die?

WHAT KIND OF DEATH DID JESUS DIE?

GIST: Jesus died a death that glorified God, defeated sin, judged the unbelieving, and called sinners to Himself. As Christians, those who reflect Christ, we should live lives that glorify God, turn from sin, and spread the word while calling sinners to come to Him.

 

John 12:27-33 Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.  28  Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."  29  The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."  30  Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine.  31  Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.  32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  33  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 

 

Quick Background: The Hour

Just as a reminder, throughout the gospel, Jesus has referred to His death and glorification as His hour. That hour has now come. I never want to read into the text what is not there, but really do feel this passage sheds light on why Jesus came-- the purpose of His hour.

 

What Kind of Death Did He Come To Die?

1. One That Would Glorify the Father

28  Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 


It's worth pointing out that immediately after saying "for this purpose I have come" He says, "Father, glorify your name." This was His priority. The focus of His ministry was the glory of God. To see the Father lifted up. All things fall under this purpose. He knew the world needed to see God's greatness--His wrath, His mercy, and His love. That's why He came. Thus, everything He did was exactly what God wanted.


It is also worth noting that He told those around Him that the voice, the evidence of His divine personage and purpose was for their sake and, by implication, ours. We need to remember who Jesus is and why He came as much as those disciples who were about to see Him die and would wonder why.

 

2. One That Would Bring Judgment?

31  Now is the judgment of this world; ...


Wait, so did Jesus come to judge the world or not? Some passages make it seem like He did (like this one), and others like He did not (John 3:16-17, John 12:47). Which is right? As mentioned, the previous verse says the voice was not for His sake, but ours. Could these be connected? He has come pointing people to the truth and condemning those who reject it. He did not come to judge, but to save. Saving was his purpose. For example, and this may be a very poor example, the reason a light socket exists is to provide electricity. However, if you ignore this purpose and just do your own thing there are a few possibilities: 1. you will never have power from the socket...it'll just be a strange ornament on your wall, or 2. you'll do something silly with the socket and get electrocuted. Both of those results come from the light socket being on the wall, but that is not the reason why it is there. Jesus came to save us. Nonetheless, those who do not believe are judged already. In His death, there would be, and still are, many who, though seeing, do not believe. I feel John 12:47-48 sheds a lot of light on this. Those who have heard His word and do not believe are under judgment already. They are without excuse. John 12:47-48  If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  48  The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

 

3. One That Would Cast Out The Ruler Of This World

31  ... ; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.  

The ruler referred to is Satan. This was a common expression at the time. It is not meant to imply that Satan has any actual authority, but rather that his dominion is represented by the sinful hearts of men. Jesus came to put an end to this once and for all. There is a lot of eschatological weight placed upon this phrase, but I think the key is to realize that Jesus came to defeat sin. This was not immediate (for He is allowing time for more to come to Him and be saved). Nonetheless, the death blow was dealt (pun intended).


(Side Note: Contrary to popular misconceptions, Satan does not rule in Hell either. Unfortunately, there is a popular caricature of Christianity that paints a pagan picture that is akin to dualism. You have your good God ruling Heaven and your bad God ruling Hell. This is not the case. Satan is a fallen creation of God. He is not the evil counterpart. He is punished in Hell--experiencing the full wrath of God.)

 

4. One That Would Draw All People?

32  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  33  He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 


This lifting up is twofold. Physical (the cross is actually lifted up) and spiritual (glorified, magnified, raised up). Thus, what kind of death would He die? One of physical crucifixion. One that glorifies God. One that defeats sin. One that the judges the unbelieving. And, one that to calls. But calls who? Are all people to be saved? This is a popular thought, and a very compelling one, but not true. All peoples, Jews and Gentiles alike will be amongst those saved, but not all will believe (we'll see this a lot in the next part of this chapter). The mystery of who will and who will not be saved is one that remains in the heart of God. What we do know is that He does call, and His sheep do come. We are blessed to be part of that ride.

 

What Kind of Life Then Should We Live?: 

1. One That Glorifies God:  This is thrown around a lot, but at the core, lives that glorify God are lives that are lived for Him. This was Jesus' priority; it should be ours. This has been something that God has really been teaching me lately. I can say I love Him as much as I want, but unless I mean it...my life becomes about me. When it's about me, it is lived in my own strength which makes the next point (turning from sin) impossible.


2. One That Turns From Sin:  We must never forget that we are all filthy sinners saved by miraculous grace. Turning isn't a onetime thing; it's a daily activity (take up your cross daily!). 1 Peter 5:8-11  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  9  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  10  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  11  To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Within context, these verses were even being specifically direct toward spiritual leaders. We must all be on guard. I am frequently reminded of how fallen I am. Jesus died for us sinners.


3.  One That Is Used to Spread the Word While Calling Sinners to Come to Him: We do not judge people. That is not why we're here either. However, we are to warn people of the wrath to come. Those who do not believe are judged already for rejecting God who has revealed Himself to all men. 


Romans 1:18-20  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.  19  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  20  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

John 3:17-18  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.


Jesus died a death that glorified God, defeated sin, judged the unbelieving, and called sinners to Himself. As Christians, those who reflect Christ, we should live lives that glorify God, turn from sin, and spread the word while calling sinners to come to Him.


Conclusion

In a nutshell, here's a challenge for 2015. Are you living up to this? Surely no one in this room can comfortably confess that there is no room for improvement. I know that I have seen my need for more grace. I really want to live a life that glorifies Him, turns from sin, and calls others to Him. Pray right now that God would reveal a specific area where you can move more toward Him and His purpose. This isn't a New Year’s resolution; don't let it be anything as trivial as that. This is you and God.

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment