There were two kinds of sin upon Jesus that day. They added up to an almost insurmountable mountain of soul crushing lethal burden. What happened to all of those sins?”

So how does the sacrificial Lamb of God escape the law of sin and death? He is sin at that point. We all know the story. We should see that there are two goals for the Son of Man, not one. The second one He cannot avoid. It is physical death to satisfy the Law for us. The first goal is to show us the Way to eternal life. So before dying what did He show us?

Jesus as the Son of Man rightfully could have condemned mankind. Right is not always righteous. Had Jesus killed us like we kill others, with Words of His mouth (heart), the Father’s plan for mankind would have collapsed.

Thankfully the plan did not end with Jesus’ intercessory death. It began! We see a critical test taking place. It is not a test of Jesus the Son of God but a test of us as Jesus the Son of Man represents us. Oh the glorious potential we have!

So what did He show us? Nailed to the Cross Jesus says, “Forgive them Father they know not what they do!” He not only forgives, He intercedes! In hindsight we revere this grace from Him. We know it is the beginning of His intercessions for mankind. For centuries we have attached this act to His divine origin, separating it from his (and our) earthly limiting existence. The divine in origin was always intended to be spiritually applied but can not apply in agreement with carnality. The Son of Man, obediently applied this grace even while suffering! Dying first to His human rights, the Word of God that He taught us then applied to Him because He was a real human. He is proving to us our potential, our likeness to Him first here and then as eternal brothers and sisters. As it was to Him, it is our deliverance, our key to the narrow gate of eternity!

Jesus has endured unbelievable pain and maybe worse, rejection. What do you do when you are rejected? What do you do when you feel ripped off by someone, insulted to your face by someone, physically accosted by someone, or someone threatens your security on purpose? At the heart of it all is rejection. I have learned that instinctively, rejection rejects. In relational conflicts most are experiencing rejection or actions masked as rejection. Often we push back. The enemy knows this. This will never happen in heaven! We cannot smuggle this reactionary response into heaven. We must empty ourselves of this carnality.

I absolutely believe when Jesus forgave us of everything, all the sins He bore for mankind vaporized! As He forgave He was forgiven. Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB) The death Christ first died, superseded the death He died physically. His dying to self by compassionately forgiving the sins perpetrated against Him protected Him! His grace set us free to potentially be saved because He did not retain our sins against Him.

Nothing was left (in Jesus’ heart) for the devil to point to. Nothing was left for the Word of God to judge! If we forgive, if we forgive all others FROM OUR HEARTS, there is nothing for the Word of God to judge except to find us without spot of blemish, holy and blameless! If we pursue peace with all men, it sets us apart, we will see God! (Hebrews 12:14) Once reconciled to God, (Romans 5:10) our personal sins going forward are covered by the Christ like forgiveness we grant others. Resurrection life was His reward. It will be ours also if we exercise the same discipline Jesus did.

“We must die before we die, to live after we have lived.” jme

Once, I believe forgiven, Jesus was left for six more hours? He wondered why? Next post we will talk of another example He set for our benefit and what He may have shown God, what He may have forgotten, that delayed His departure.

You are loved and being guarded. Guard others likewise and invite all, as we are leading up to how “We initiate the return of Christ.”

Michael