Obedient Unto Death

INTRODUCTION

Good Friday is the day God displayed the greatest act of His love for mankind. God not only sent His son into this world but allowed His son, Jesus Christ to be crucified in our place to give us eternal life. What we see in the life of Jesus is a story of complete obedience to the will of His Father.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

In Philippians 2, Paul details to us a number of steps that Christ took to humble and obey His Father in heaven in order to save us.

1. Jesus did not consider equality with God.

Philippians 2:5-6 ⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

The Lord Jesus Christ, before He could come into this world existed as eternal God, seated at the right hand side of God the Father.

John 1:1-2 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. When it was decided in the triune Godhead, that God needs to come into this world, live and die to bring men and women to God, it was decided that Jesus Christ take upon that mission. Jesus obeyed His Father for the commission.

He was willing to give up His position in heaven just to obey the Father.

2.  Jesus emptied Himself of His glory.

Philippians 2:6-7 ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; ⁷but made himself nothing…. Christ emptied His glory and took the form of a bondservant to come to earth.

3. Jesus took the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:5-8 ⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, being made in human likeness.

In Jesus Christ, God became a man. Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.

4. Born of a woman.

Galatians 4:4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman……

Eternal God, found an earthly father and mother. God, who created man and woman had to be under His parents just because he obeyed His Father in heaven.

Luke 2:51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

5. Born under the law.

Galatians 4:4-5 ⁴But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Certainly I believe that it should be very clear to us by now how much Christ has given up in His descent from heaven to earth. We still have not seen the full extent of that poverty and obedience of Jesus Christ.

6. Obedient unto death.

The ultimate picture of Christ’s obedience is Him being obedient unto His death.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Of all of these very humbling steps that Christ took in order to descend from the riches of heaven to the poverty of earth, we cannot compare to the step He took to obey Himself to the point of death on a cross. Christ could not go any further down. He had reached the proverbial bottom to obey the Father. In the history of the world, there has never been nor ever be an act of obedience so costly.

So how costly was it for Christ to humble Himself and become obedient to the point of death? We are going to see the suffering of Christ in obedience to His Father.

OBEDIENCE IN GETHSEMANE

Matthew 26:36-38 ³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, (Gethsemane means oil press —Jesus is about to be crushed and pressed so the oil of salvation can freely flow to each one of us.) and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Greek—meaning to be immersed, surrounded, engulfed by sorrow.) ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

What is the cup? What was inside the cup? In that cup was every sin that every person would commit through the ages. The cup contained the wrath of God.

Psalm 75:8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices, he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

Jesus had to drink that cup; drinking means He had to become that sin. He was perfect and holy, but He chose to take all that upon Himself. Jesus cried out, “Lord if there is some other way if I can take the sins of people, show me now because it is going to be a very high price to pay but if it is your will, I am willing to obey you.”

Luke 22:44 And being in anguish/agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 

Anguish means mental or physical pain. Many feel that Jesus was afraid to die. Jesus did not fear physical death. Jesus had to die taking the cup; the cup contained the wrath of God. He had to die a sinner; without God, separated from God.

Luke 22:43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

Every life has its Gethsemane. Our sufferings do not compare to Jesus but Jesus himself told that we have trouble in this world. He feels our pain. What is your Gethsemane? Every life has its Gethsemane, and every Gethsemane has its angel! God sends an angel to help us.

Whatever is your winepress that God wants you to walk through, when you say, “Thy will be done” God sends an angel to strengthen you. Then, when the ultimate Gethsemane (death) comes, thank God, for we can be carried away to heaven by the angles if only we trust in Jesus!

What happens next? Judas who betrayed Jesus knew where Jesus would be. He came to Gethsemane with a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They have come with a plot to arrest Jesus.

John 18:4-6 ⁴ Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” ⁵ “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) ⁶ When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

JESUS’ OBEDIENCE DURING HIS TRIAL

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

As per the scripture, Jesus could not open His mouth in the trial. Jesus keeping quite was His obedience to the father even though an unjust trial had been done to Him.

The night he was arrested, Jesus was produced in the place of the high priest. Jesus suffered the entire night with no sleep. Early in the morning, He was sent to Pontius Pilate for trial. Pilate finding nothing wrong with Jesus sent him back to King Herod. Herod sent him back to Pilate finding no charge against Him; he sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion because of the persistent shout of the religious leaders and people.

Jesus’ trial was a sham. It was a shameful and illegal mockery of justice. Everything about the trial of Jesus was illegal – from start to finish, and Jesus kept quiet.

The mockery of Jesus.

Matthew 26:67-68 ⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

The height of humiliation is a spit in the face. Jesus was spat upon many times throughout His trial. This is the face that wept at the grave of Lazarus, this is the face that smiled in welcoming little children, and that looked at this world in love. That’s the face they spit upon.

When someone rejects the offer of eternal life and the love of God, in a very real sense, you are spitting on that lovely face as well. When you disobey God; you are saying, “I don’t care that you love me, died for me, were humiliated for me, were tortured for me!”

Mark 14:65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

They mocked Jesus’ deity.

They blindfolded Him and then hit Him, mocked Him and asked Him who was it that hit Him. Even with the blindfold, Jesus did know who hit Him but Jesus remained silent. Why? It was because of His obedience to the Father. They mocked His deity.

The soldiers mocked Jesus’ human nature.

 Matthew 27:28 They stripped him …… Every human has to be given dignity for his human body. Jesus was stripped half naked and naked many times. They mocked the human nature of God.

They mocked Jesus’ royalty.

Matthew 27:28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in His right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of Jews!” Purple robe, rod, and crown show royalty. They made fun of Him. The royalty of Jesus was mocked.

THE PHYSICAL ABUSE OF JESUS

John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. Jesus’ body was beaten black and blue from head to toe. He was beaten with the cat of nine tails- a handle with 9 whips on it, with shards of metal, glass, and bone attached, and the Bible says that with His stripes we are healed!

His back was torn.

They spat on Jesus. Jesus’ face was black and blue by the fists of the soldiers.

The crown of thorns pierced His brow and blood came from His head.

They put a purple robe on Him. Suddenly, all the wounds were covered with the robe that took the place of a bandage. Jesus would have felt comforted. Suddenly they took off his robe like peeling off a bandage. It opened all the wounds again. Jesus was bleeding more profusely.

Psalm 22:14-15 ¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. ¹⁵ My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

According to scripture, already He wasn’t recognizable—what a man He is.

Isaiah 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness. You do not know who Jesus is now, he is disfigured. Jesus was obedient to the Father for this scripture to be fulfilled.

Matthew 27:31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

John 19:17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (Which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Can you imagine the depth of Jesus’ suffering? Jesus was beaten, his body was bleeding profusely, sweating on one side, people are watching Him, the shock of death is upon Him, and now He is walking to Golgotha with the Cross. Jesus was so tired by now that He could not pick the cross.

Luke 23:26-27 ²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Luke 23:32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.

Mark 15:22-23 ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

Once they reached Golgotha, they stripped His clothes again, put on a loin cloth. The cross was laid on the ground. Jesus with His back lacerated was thrown backward on the cross and crucified.

Crucifixion was developed by the Persians and perfected by the Romans. It was the most cruel and painful death ever devised by man. Jesus went through all the points of crucifixion. A trial, scourging, leading the man with the cross to the crucifixion site and final crucifixion.

They put nail through His wrists. They pulled the feet together and nailed the arch of the feet. Now Jesus lying on the ground is nailed to the cross both His hands and feet. He is crying in pain and agony. The erected the cross on a hole, His body came down and hung on the nails. What pain He would have gone through?

As Jesus hung there, His hand sent excruciating pain to the brain so He would stand on His feet. When He felt the pain on His feet He would hang on His hands and ease the feet. When He would go on His hands He would inhale, when He put weight on His leg He would exhale. Jesus kept shifting weight from the hand to the feet to breathe.

As Jesus hung there in pain, Jesus uttered 7 short sentences. Jesus who was not speaking in His trial suddenly said something on the Cross.

THE SEVEN SAYINGS ON THE CROSS

1. Father forgive them.

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

2. Today you will be with me in Paradise.

Luke 23:39-49 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus spoke this to the thief on the cross who believed in Him. This teaches us that salvation is available to anyone, at anyplace, and at anytime.

3. Dear woman here is your son.

John 19:25-27 25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

With the weight of the sins of the world in His shoulders, Jesus is concerned about the welfare of His mother. Joseph had died; now He is concerned about His mother. If at the cross, Jesus knew His mother’s heart, he knows your condition today.

4. My God, my God why have you forsaken me?

Matthew 27:45-46 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This prayer is deeper in mystery and higher in meaning than any other prayer that Jesus ever prayed. What we see here is God forsaking God…how could we ever understand this? Now Jesus is being judged for sins. Jesus has taken the sins of the world, He has owned our sins. God Judged Jesus, so he is no more the tender Father, He is God. God is the Judge; Jesus’ Father is behaving like God. It was not the father who turned His back upon Jesus, it was God Almighty. Here Jesus 100% God and 100% man on the cross is in the man mode, a sinful man who took our place, being judged. How can we ever understand this?

Listen, when God the Father judges, it is a judgment of wrath. Praise God Jesus went through that judgment. The judgment of wrath results in death and Jesus died. Now we are judged by Jesus, which results in life. Jesus judges us with mercy and love.

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

5. I am thirsty.

John 19:28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

6. It is finished.

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus said it because He had finished a masterpiece at the Cross, a story that had been written for ages. Now mankind’s sins could justly be forgiven and man could be reconciled to God.

Well, God has certainly left none of His work unfinished. God completed all what He started. In creation, when He created the heavens and the earth, God finished His work. God rested only after He had completed the work.

Genesis 2:2 But the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Jesus gathered His disciples around Him just before His death and prayed His great prayer.

John 17:4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

Now just a few days later, He is crying out from the cross, “It is finished!”

Everything needed for the mankind is complete. Our forgiveness is complete, the way to heaven is complete, the scripture is completely fulfilled. The provision for all those who are saved, to go to heaven in rapture is complete. It is finished.

God is able to complete the work He has started in you, no matter what the difficulty maybe.

Moses completed the work of the tabernacle. God had commissioned him to oversee the building of the huge and elaborate Tabernacle in the wilderness. Thousands of details were to be carried out. In a multitude of ways, the Tabernacle was to be a type of Christ.

We read in Exodus 39:32 So all the work on the tabernacle was completed.

When Nehemiah built the wall, he faced insurmountable problems. He fought discouragement, fear, doubt and much opposition. There were plenty of reasons why it couldn’t be done, but he did it just the same!

Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed in the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Lying on his deathbed, Paul the apostle gave that testimony that ought to strengthen us.

He said: 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

God is able to complete the good work in your life.

Philippians 1:6 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Again He feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of His feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through His muscles, knotting them with deep relentless, throbbing pain. Hours of relentless pain, cycles of twisting, joint wrenching cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against rough timber. Jesus still did not die.

With great agony and pain on the cross, Jesus could feel the chill of death upon Him and said:

 7. Into your hands I commit my spirit.

Luke 23:44-46 44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Christ Jesus obeyed His father unto death, even death on a cross.

Christ’s obedience provided us complete forgiveness and redemption. 

Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

John 19:32-34 ³²The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

There was a fountain opened in Calvary, a fountain of blood and water. The blood brings salvation for all those who believe in Him and the water is the symbol of abundant life that Christ provides to us. Jesus completed His task in obedience to the will of the Father.

Isaiah 53:11a After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied….

Looking at the complete obedience and suffering of Jesus Christ from His birth, finally which ended up in His death on the cross, the father saw through the darkness (darkness of the world because the sun had become dark and also darkness of the sins of the world) and He was satisfied.

Isaiah 53:11b by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

We are all here because someone shared about the gospel to us. When we know what Jesus did was for us and accept Him into our life, Christ will justify us and bear our iniquities on the cross. We have a responsibility to let the people know the mission of Jesus.

CONCLUSION

Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the saviour of your life.

To the believers, as we examined the obedience of Christ unto the father for our sake, it is my prayer that we will be able to walk in His steps and fall in love with Him more deeply than we have ever loved Him before.