I think it is very important that mankind understands this one fact; no one overpowered Jesus and killed Him, not the Romans and not the Jewish nation.

Some religious people, and others who are religious about nothing, have been stating that “Jesus was a nice man. He taught many good truths. He is a great example to follow. Too bad ‘they’ murdered Him.”

For hundreds of years the Jewish people have been ostracized, hated, tormented, tortured, murdered, run out of their homes, enslaved, and most anything else demented minds can come up with because they “murdered” Jesus, a good man.

For some reason, the Gentiles by Roman proxy have never taken any credit for the same thing the Jews are hated for, even though they, the Romans, were the ones who actually carried out the crucifixion.

Prior to the Church there were only two classifications of people on earth; Jews and Gentiles. Since the Church came into existence at Pentecost, there are now three classifications of people on earth; Jews, Gentiles and Christians. Yet still, only the Jews are found guilty by the world court for “murdering” Jesus. Now that’s really “the pot calling the kettle black.”

However, I return to the opening sentence, “no one overpowered Jesus and killed Him,” and this is important to know. Jesus made this very clear.

“As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:15, 17-18)

Jesus said three times that He alone laid down His life. He said that no one took His life. He went on to say that He has the power to lay it down and twice He said He has the power to raise it up.

Now is there any possible way to be clearer than that? Of course not. No one overpowered Jesus. No one took His life. He freely gave His life for us. Maybe we should ponder on that for a moment and really let it sink in. No one but Jesus has the power and authority to be in absolute control of their life. We haven’t the power or authority of preventing our death or resurrecting our own person, but Jesus does. To me this emphasizes the fact that no one took His life. He gave His life for our sake, and was raised on the third day, just as He prophesied.

When reading the Gospels, we see over and over that He knew where He was headed. His gaze was fixed on a Roman cross. There were times the mobs tried to take Him, but they couldn’t do so because it wasn’t His time. It is most obvious that no one was able to apprehend Him if He didn’t allow it. When His time did come, He allowed them to take Him.

Isaiah tells us that when His time had come He didn’t even open His mouth to object as He stood before His accusers.

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

The Apostle Paul tells us that Christ died for the ungodly. He says someone just might die for a good person, but it’s rare anyone would die a for righteous person. However, Jesus Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Read his words yourself.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11 NIV)

Think about this now. It’s rare anyone would die for a good person, but Jesus died for us even though we were His enemies. He reconciled those to God who look upon Him and believe in Him. All of this is because He freely chose to. No one made Him. He chose to die for us in order that we would have a path, the only path by the way, to God.

Jesus Himself said,

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

All who come to Him in belief are His friends. He is our God and He is our friend, not just in time of need, but all the time.

No one could love us more than Jesus Christ, not even our own family. We can know that love by asking Him to come into our lives. He will never turn anyone away.

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37 NIV)

You may ask, “How do I know I’m one the Father gives to Him?” The answer is obvious, if you come to Him, the Father has given you to Him, and He will not turn you away.

Jesus gave His life for all sinners, and that certainly includes all of us.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

If you really desire to know how Jesus feels about you, just remember that He GAVE His life for you and me. No one took it.

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

 

 

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)

Jesus is very clear in what He offers mankind with regard to salvation. He says we must be born again, not just “turn over a new leaf,” but “born again,” a new person.

Although Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, he was having trouble understanding this. Satan is still hard at work confusing mankind about Jesus’ words in this passage.

People down through the centuries and in our day are plastering Band-Aids in critical areas of their lives, thinking this will square them with a holy God. None of us will enter Heaven because a Band-Aid was used to supposedly make us righteous. Let me explain.

People commonly believe that if they just fix that problem in their lives God will be pleased and welcome them into Heaven with open arms. If they just live a good life, God would never refuse a good person, but God says,

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

Someone may say, “Oh, but I’m not like that at all.” However, Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) that even though we may not commit an act of murder (for example), if we have unjustified anger in our heart toward someone, we have committed murder in our heart. The same is true with adultery (for example). We don’t commit the act, but we lust. Therefore, we have committed adultery in our heart.

At our very best, we can never satisfy what God requires to be saved; i.e. absolute righteousness.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

We must be righteous, even as He is righteous.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The Apostle Peter says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

We must be born again from above, and that can only come by truly believing in Jesus. That means we believe and accept who Jesus says He is and what He has done. We must realize that only Jesus can cause us to be born from above, thereby becoming a child of God.

Sometimes folks prefer to self-diagnose their physical ailment, and then attempt to cure themselves with home-made remedies. We might try that physically and get away with it, but it will never work spiritually. If we continue to “do it our way,” we will die in our sins, regardless of how good we think we are. We will meet Jesus on judgment day as our Judge, and He will say, “… I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23)

Thousands, perhaps millions of people call themselves “Christian” thinking a change of character will save them, turning over a new leaf (which never lasts), but God says there must be a transformation from old to new.

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)

“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:10)

Born again Christians are no longer Jew or Gentile, but a new people, made possible solely by faith in Jesus Christ.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” (Ephesians 2:15)

[This translation may be clearer: “He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.” (Ephesians 2:15 NLT)]

One final thought, if we are born again and are thereby a new creature in Christ, why do we still sin as a child of God? The Apostle Paul explains.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6:6)

[This translation may be clearer: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6 NIV)]

We still sin because our new nature still resides in unredeemed flesh. When we are resurrected by Jesus Christ our old flesh (body and old sin nature) will be gone forever and we will be given a new body that corresponds with our born again spirit.

The Apostle Paul said, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

If we have examined ourselves, as Paul stated, and found ourselves to be wanting, let us throw away the Band-Aids and rely on the only cure for our soul, Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html