What a humbling experience to read how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Through the New Testament writers, God provides extraordinary detail about Christ’s birth, ministry, death, burial, resurrection and exaltation. Our loving Father clearly reveals to us why Jesus had to die and how we obtain righteousness and eternal life when we confess Christ as Lord and surrender our lives to Him.
Here is a beautiful passage about Christ’s submission to the Father’s plan for our salvation.
- Philippians 2:7-9 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 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. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
But the New Testament writers were not the first to document the truth about Messiah. Not only did God speak directly about Christ in the Old Testament (Genesis 3:15, 22:18, 2 Samuel 7:16, etc.), but He also spoke through many of His Old Testament prophets about Jesus (Psalm 22, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, etc.).
One of the most powerful Old Testament prophesies about Jesus Christ is given to us in Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12. This prophesy was written about 700 years before Jesus lived and is both beautiful and graphic in its descriptions of His purposes and punishment.
Centuries before His death on a Roman cross, Christ’s death for the atonement of our sins was proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah.
- Isaiah 53:5 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.
The following verse from this section of scripture presents a complex truth that is followed by a clear explanation of that truth in the form of beautiful promises.
- Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
- The Complex Truth
- God the Father desired to crush His Son
- God offered Jesus as an offering for our sin.
- The Promises that Clarify this Truth
- The Messiah will rise from the dead and see the results of His suffering (the church).
- God’s eternal desire for the redemption of man will be fulfilled in Christ’s obedience.
God Planned Our Adoption in Christ
God choses us to be His children through His only begotten Son.
- Ephesians 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
- John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
- God has a one-of-a-kind and completely unique Son in Jesus Christ. Through His Son, God adopts all who confess Jesus as Lord.
God Created Our Family in Christ
The mystery of the church was revealed to the New Testament apostles and prophets.
- Ephesians 1:9-10 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
- Ephesians 2:19-20 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
- Believing Jews and Gentiles are joined together in one family, the Universal Church.
God Fulfills His Purposes for Our Lives in Christ
God works mightily in the hearts and minds of His children to give them the desires and gifts needed to shine brightly for Christ in this dark world.
- Philippians 2:13-14 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
- Romans 12:5-8 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Together we are the body of Christ. We exist to glorify God and fulfill His purposes.
His Good Pleasure
Is The Reconciliation
And Completion
Of All Things
Through Jesus Christ
And His Church
Prayer
Dear Father, I hate that Jesus Christ, Your Son, had to die for me. But I love and appreciate the fact that He did. Thank You for being willing to sacrifice the best You had to save my soul. Thank You for loving me and saving me! Your good pleasure is my greatest blessing. I praise Your Holy Name and lift up this prayer of praise and thanksgiving in the name of Jesus Christ. Please use Your Word to draw many to salvation in Him. Amen.
