Who Sent Jesus to the Cross?

Who sent Jesus to the cross? Was it the Jewish leaders? Was it a mob? Was it the Roman government? None of these were powerful enough, influential enough, or persuasive enough to be able to do it. When Jesus spoke to Pilate, Jesus reminded him that he had no power to crucify Him even though Pilate thought he did as the Roman ruler. When the disciples tried to keep Jesus from being arrested, he reminded them that if He wanted to escape the cross He could call a multitude of angels to come and rescue Him. The One who sent Jesus to the cross was God the Father. This was the reason why God sent His Son into the world. It was the will of Jesus to embrace the Father’s will. Jesus said that it was for this reason that He came. It pleased the Father to bruise Him, and it brought joy to the Son to please the Father. 

When Jesus died upon the cross He didn’t die as a martyr, He died as a sacrifice for sin. He didn’t die for His sins, for He was without sin. He died to make atonement for us. He died so that each person who turns from his or her sin, and believes in Him, could be forgiven. He gave His life freely, and lovingly. God sent His Son because He loves you. Jesus shed His blood because He loves you. Jesus didn’t die just for the world—He died for you. Do you know how much you are loved? You are loved with all the love that God could give.

Jesus took the judgment for our sin upon Himself so that we wouldn’t have to be judged. He tasted death so that we wouldn’t know the sting of death. He descended into hell so that we would never need to know its awful grip upon our lives. And after three days He rose from the grave so that we could know resurrection life. His resurrection is our victory song, our shout of joy, our daily praise, and our eternal hope. Because He lives we shall live also. He has promised it, He has guaranteed it. He has secured it. Jesus is our life and heaven is our home. He is the perfect gift that we can know and enjoy forever.

Jesus in the Passover Cup and Bread

The power and meaning of communion has its roots in the Passover feast. When Jesus met with His disciples for His last Passover meal, He took the Passover cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant.” When Jesus took the Passover bread he said, “This is my body broken for you.”

The redemptive work of Jesus is seen in the Passover Cup.

1. The first cup is the cup of Sanctification. Jesus is our sanctification.

 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—“ 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NKJV)

2. The second cup is the cup of Freedom. Jesus has set us free from our bondage and slavery to sin.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 (NKJV)

3. The third cup is the cup of Redemption. Jesus has obtained our redemption.

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11-12 (NKJV)

4. The fourth cup is the cup of Praise. Jesus is worthy of all honor and praise.

     “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the
     earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
    "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne
   , And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" Rev. 5:13 (NKJV)

When Jesus partook of the cup at Passover, He made this application regarding His death…

“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:27-28 (NKJV)

The redemptive work of Jesus is seen in the Unleavened Bread.

1. The unleavened Matzah is striped. Jesus body received many stripes. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)

2.  The unleavened Matzah was pierced. Jesus body was pierced by a
           Roman soldier’s spear after His death upon the cross.

            “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately
            blood and water came out.” John 19:34 (NKJV)

 3.   The prophet Isaiah makes these stirring statements about the coming
       Messiah’s broken body…

            Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we
            esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But 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. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NKJV)

4. The Afikomen is a picture of Jesus’ redemptive work. The three pieces of Matzah speak to us of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the Passover service, the Afikomen (the middle piece of matzah) is taken, wrapped, buried, brought forth, broken, distributed and received. Jesus, the Son of God, came from heaven, died upon the cross, was buried, rose from the dead and received by all who believe.

5. The meaning of the word Afikomen is “He who has come.” Jesus, God’s Son and the promised Messiah, left His home in heaven and came to earth. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death upon the cross. Three days later He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. One day, He will come again and reign and rule in righteousness.

6.  The bread was unleavened. Leaven, in the bible, is a type of sin. Jesus
     was without sin.

     “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
     the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5:21 (NKJV)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the
      form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made
      Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in
      the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He
      humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the
      death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given
      Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
      every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and
      those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
      Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philip. 2:6-11 (NKJV)

When Jesus partook of the unleavened bread at the Passover, He made this application regarding His body…

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Matthew 26:26 (NKJV)

Note: This is taken from my book "I Am Passover/Communion Collection" which brings together the meaning of Passover and the significance of communion. The book is available from DaySpring.com

Jesus Our Passover

Next week begins the Feast of Passover. Passover is a feast of the Lord that remembers the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. In great detail, the Passover points to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Here are six ways we see Jesus as our Passover Lamb.

1. The Passover would not have happened without a lamb. Jesus was the lamb of God.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NKJV)

2. The Passover lamb was to be without blemish. Jesus was without the blemish of sin.

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NKJV)

3. The Passover lamb was the lamb of redemption. Jesus is our redeemer.

 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into  the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:13-14 (NKJV)

4. The Passover lamb was to be slain. Jesus was slain upon the cross.

 …"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" Rev. 5:12 (NKJV)

5. The Passover lamb’s blood had to be shed and applied to save Israel. Jesus’ shed blood provides salvation when applied (appropriated) by faith to our hearts.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Romans 5:8-9 (NKJV)

6. The Passover lamb was to be received into the home and partaken of by all inside. Jesus must be received by faith by all who desire to become God’s children.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” John 1:12 (NKJV)

Note: This is taken from my book "I Am Passover/Communion Collection" which brings together the meaning of Passover and the significance of communion. The book is available from DaySpring.com