Reflections

But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”  Isaiah 53:10 NASB

 

When Jesus was baptized a voice came from heaven and declared “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NASB).  The Father was pleased with Jesus’ obedience and His life on earth.  God made this declaration even before Jesus started His ministry.  We see the love between the Father and the Son.  Jesus knew His purpose to fulfill the desire of the Father and carry out His will.

In another scene we see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, before His arrest, pleading with the Father about the cup of wrath He is about to bear.  Again Jesus surrenders His will to the Father’s and prays that God’s will be done. (Mark 14:35-36)

God designed man’s plan for salvation, from the moment Adam had sinned.  God knew the law could not save man and animal sacrifices were not enough to atone for mankind’s sin.  So God turned to Jesus in whom all things were created.  Jesus is the source of life and now God was ready to sacrifice His only begotten Son as a ransom for man’s sin.  Jesus was without sin.  Jesus did nothing wrong.  Jesus was obedient until His death on the cross.

God was not just pleased with a Jesus’ life but ain’t pleased God to crucify Jesus on the cross.  God found great pleasure in sacrificing Jesus so that mankind would be saved.  As much as God loved His Son Jesus, He desires to be reconciled to His creation.  God has given us the one thing that pleased Him the most and that was Jesus.

God is not interested in our human sacrifices.  He desires that we all will come to know His Son Jesus and put our faith in Him.  When God sees us He is reminded of the gift He gave us through a His son Jesus.  That is why salvation is a gift, Jesus fulfilled the law’s requirement of sin and death.  Jesus took our place so that we may live and be reconciled to God.

Jesus’ death on the cross was deemed a Good by the Father.  Jesus death put an end to the curse of sin and the damnation of mankind. Adam introduced sin and death into the world. As sin came through Adam, now salvation comes through Jesus.  Let us remember why we call this Good Friday – Jesus’ death was a good thing.