One writer has called it, Christ’s “magnificent obsession,” and I would say that he is correct. All of His life, Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. Especially in the last three years of his ministry, everything that Jesus did led inexorably to the destiny of the cross. In you mind’s eye, envision the last few days that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Looking at Christ’s Passion, we see the agony of Gethsemane, His struggle in prayer and travail as He considered the cup. We see the courage of Jesus to rise up and be betrayed by one of his closest friends and begin in earnest the road to the cross — His cross of suffering, separation from God and of redemption of lost sinners. We see and we wonder at what would motivate Judas to sell Christ out for 30 pieces of silver and we have to admit that there have been times when we have sold Him for much less. We see the mockery of truth on trial and experienced the cruel indifference to righteousness and justice. We see how the Jewish leaders and Pontus Pilate, the Roman prefect over Judea, sacrificed Christ for their own political gain and expediency, ignoring the truth for the comfort of a lie. I believe that if we aren’t careful, we can lose perspective on the sacrifice and Passion of Jesus. There are some who mistakenly view Jesus as a helpless victim of fate, or a pitiful martyr. But that is just not an accurate view at all. This sacrifice and Passion of Christ is the very core of the God’s predetermined plan of the ages. It was the very reason for which Christ was born.
Peter explained this clearly in his very first sermon on the day of Pentecost: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” Do you see that? Without relieving any men of their responsibility in Christ’s death, Peter declares the eternal plan of God to redeem man and women and express His loving grace that would bring us eternal life.

God planned it and the prophets foretold it. Again Peter preaching, this time on Solomon’s Porch, makes this statement, “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” Peter knew what he was talking about. Nine hundred years before the birth of Christ, before crucifixion was even known in the world, David gives this spot-on description of Christ’s death. Psalm 22: 16-18: “For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Just look at the detail in those few verses. It is amazing.

Read Isaiah 53, and if you didn’t know it was the Old Testament, you would think the prophet’s description of Christ’s death was one of the gospels. And there is more…Zechariah, Genesis. We have to remember that the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not just some huge miscarriage of justice. The crucifixion was purposed by God, prophesied by the prophets, but the Passion, capital P, of Christ was the passion of His life. We must never forget that Jesus embraced the cross. He freely chose to go to the cross and redeem us and to endure all of the suffering and wickedness that led up to it. It was on His mind continually. He was always speaking of His time, speaking of the suffering and death that would be His as He went to Jerusalem. His entire life was lived for this moment, the sinlessness, the holiness, the goodness, the healings, the power, the miracles…all leading up to this moment. In speaking of the death that would be His, Jesus would say, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself, (willingly). I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Jesus went to the cross willingly, with full understanding of what it would cost Him, and exactly of what His blood would purchase. He would purchase life for His people, by pouring His out, freely and fully.

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