Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Old Ajegunle, Lagos HQ
9th September 2018
Study 64 – THE PURPOSE AND THE PROVISION OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION
John 19:23-42
“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout” (John 19:23). There is one word in this verse to note, the word ‘Crucified’. But before He was crucified, He had to carry His Cross to the place of His Crucifixion (John 19:17,18). Then, He said, It is finished (John 19:30), and then blood and water came out of His body when He was pierced by the soldier (John 19:34).
What was the purpose, why was He crucified? What provision have we as a result of Christ’s Crucifixion? There are many people who know the story and details of the Crucifixion of Christ but do not understand why He was crucified.
- Looking at Him on the Cross, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we ill believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:42-43). They mocked Him that He healed and saved others, calmed the storm, provided for them, and solved their problems, but now He couldn’t save Himself. This was true, but He had to die for you and me because if he came down from the cross we would not be saved. He counted your salvation as priority and preeminent thing in His mind; that was why He did not come down from the Cross. There is no way that anyone could be saved without Jesus Christ taking our place on the Cross of Calvary. You must see Him on the Cross, because without seeing Him on the Cross you cannot see Him wearing the Crown. The Cross comes before the Crown. You have to see Him dying for you before you can see Him making a place for you in Heaven. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). He died on the Cross so that through that cross and that crucifixion, the power of God will be channeled unto you. Man has many challenges and enemies: Satan, sin, suffering and sickness, and nobody can confront and overcome them by his own natural strength. But when the power of God comes into your life through Jesus Christ, you will overcome them all. It is through the Cross that this power will be transferred to you. There are people that hear the story of the Cross, and they do not understand nor believe, but count it as foolishness. Such people will perish if they do not believe. But thank God for you here tonight, that you will not perish. As you picture Him in your mind on the Cross, then the power that enables to live a righteous life will come into your life in Jesus Name. He will make you a new man through transformation of the Cross, “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:16). Jesus reconciles both Jews and Gentiles, those near and afar off, all of us, to God by His death on the Cross at Calvary. It is only through Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross that we can have access to the Father. You will always carry guilt and condemnation except you have forgiveness coming from Jesus Christ and that was why He died for you on the Cross (Colossians 2:13). Every time you do something evil and sinful since you were born on earth, there are invisible policemen that are following after you and recording everything down against you, they know everything you have done and in your thoughts as well. They are waiting for you to come over to the other side of eternity after your death so that you can give account of your life with all what they have written against your life while you were on earth in the books of record. Your sin will silence you, but Jesus Christ did not want you to face that eternal and final Judgement, that was why He went to the Cross on your behalf so that everything written against you, and all that you have done, He nailed to the Cross, carried it to the grave, and when He rose up, it will never come up again. But you must accept and believe that. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14,15). The principals of the powers that oppress people are supervising and managing everything so that nobody on the face of the earth will go scot-free, but Jesus says you will be free. As you believe on Him, He spoilt, paralysed and made impotent all the principalities and the powers.
- Looking at Him Crucified: “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24) It is Christ’s crucifixion that will bring you salvation, forgiveness, a change in your life and reconciliation with God. As you respond to that call of God and look to Jesus Christ who took your place at Calvary, today salvation and forgiveness are yours and your name will be written in the book of life in Heaven in Jesus Name. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This is the provision that He made for us on the Cross at Calvary where He was crucified; wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption are ours. Also, we have a part in that crucifixion of Christ, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It is the personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and acceptance that He crucified for you on the Cross that will give you salvation and get you to heaven; not your religious titles, position or rites. Because He died for you then He is going to share His life with you as well. The implication of this for your own life is, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). The evil affections and the lusts are crucified with Christ and so you are free. Lusts and evil affections that are troubling you in the past are now nailed to the Cross, and thank God tonight you are free. Even the world and its pollutions that were troubling you in the past are crucified to the Cross (Galatians 6:14). Thank God you are free and powerlessness in your life is over tonight. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). Tonight you know about the death and the crucifixion of Christ for you, and the victory that you are going to have, you know. It is what you know that will give you the victory. The people who are ignorant are in bondage because they don’t know about Christ, His Crucifixion, the Cross and the purpose why; but thank God you know. The thing you need to know tonight is that the old man is crucified with Christ on the Cross; that the body, nucleus and the very root of sin is destroyed so that you will not serve sin any more, and you are free.
3 points:
Point 1. ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ALL SCRIPTURES FULFILLED
John 19:23-29; Genesis 3:15; Zechariah 13:7; 11:12,13; Psalms 22:1,16-18; 69:21; Isaiah 53:10; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 3:17-19,26
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The Seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, who came through virgin Mary without any intercourse with a man. ‘Bruise His heel’, that was the Crucifixion on the Cross. The life of Jesus Christ was not an accident; everything that happened to Him had been prophesied before they were accomplished (Zechariah 13:7 – He was the good Shepherd and 11:12,13 – 30 pieces of silver his betrayal price; Psalm 22:1,16-18 – forsaken by God, his hand and feet pierced and lots cast for his vesture; Psalm 69:21 – given vinegar to drink; Isaiah 53:10 – his death as sacrifice for sin). And after resurrection, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44) Jesus Christ accomplished and fulfilled all what was written more than a thousand years before He came concerning Him. This makes us to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. This is the reason why everything He has done on your behalf, He is going to accomplish and fulfil in your life. What then should we do? “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). A new day of refreshing and new life will begin and come for you as you believe and repent from all your sins.. Because He had made the sacrifice so that your sins might be taken away, forgiven and you have peace with God, now we should declare and proclaim it everywhere. “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26) Salvation is for everyone. You can be free tonight
Point 2. ATONEMENT FOR ALL SINS FINISHED
John 19:30-37; Leviticus 17:11; Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:23-26; 5:6-11; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 10:10,14; 13:20,21; Revelations 1:5,6; 12:9,11; 1 John 1:7; Daniel 9:24
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). When you finished something, you don’t come back and work on it again. Jesus said, It is finished. All judgement, oppression, suffering in hell finished, you will not perish nor go to hell. What does ‘it is finished’ mean? The Atonement has now been finalized; not to be done again. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). It is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. The soul that sins shall die. Material things do not have blood and cannot atone for sin, only blood; and the blood of Jesus Christ made atonement for the sin of mankind. Remember the story of Cain and Abel, Cain brought the fruits of the ground that was cursed and has no blood, but Abel sacrificed a lamb, and that sacrifice of Abel was acceptable in the sight of God. He was forgiven and saved, now in Heaven, while Cain was lost. When the blood makes atonement for your sins, then we shall see you in heaven, for it is the Blood that makes the atonement for sins. “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The thing that will grant us favour with God, appease Him and take His anger away from us is the Blood that Jesus shed for you and everyone on the Cross. As you believe, that blood will avail for you. All have sinned, and all the world have become guilty in the sight of God, so you cannot be alright without the blood of Jesus (Romans 3:23). “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). We don’t have any strength against Satan, sin, evil spirits, sufferings and the judgement of God, but Christ died for us. As you accept that tonight, a change will happen. God will take your name from the book of condemnation into the Book of Life, and you will have the joy of the Lord and peace of mind. We are justified by His blood not by our good works or money given to beggars. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). This tells us about the centrality of the blood of Jesus. Without the crucifixion and death of Christ, and His pure and precious blood is no removal of sin nor forgiveness. Thank God, you have salvation, forgiveness and redemption through His blood.
Also through that blood we are sanctified, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). He has done it once and for all. He washed us from all our sins through faith in His blood, and He promotes us on high to reign with Him over all sickness and afflictions here on earth (Revelations 1:5,6). Victory and triumph are yours, and the power to overcome every challenge of life will be yours in Jesus Name. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelations 12:11). We have the victory through the blood. “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). Daniel prophesied that someone is coming, and when He comes, He will finish transgressions. In your life, family and the Church, Jesus will finish all the transgressions, and sin will not be your problem anymore, you will not be rising and falling into sin, but you will overcome, and He will make an end of sin. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) As the Lord has finished the work of Atonement on the Cross at Calvary, He will accomplish this in your life in Jesus Name.
Point 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SAVIOUR FORETOLD
John 19:38-42; Isaiah 53:9-12; Psalms 51:1-12; 103:12; 130:8; Isaiah 45:22; 61:10; 63:1,8; Jeremiah 23:6; 31:33; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Acts 13:22-23,38,39,46-48
Joseph of Arimathaea, a rich man and Nicodemus, a popular Jewish leader, both came to bury the body of Jesus Christ in acknowledgement that this is the Saviour. “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). He died with the wicked, the two thieves on the cross, and with the rich. Prophesy was fulfilled. What has this to do with you? Like King David, say “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalms 51:1-3). Because Jesus died for you, then, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:12). The Lord has removed all your sins as the far horizon of the sun rising to sun set, and the sins shall not come near you again in Jesus Name. The Lord shall redeem you from all iniquities (Psalms 130:8). Salvation is for everyone all over the world, and thank God it is yours tonight. When you come to the Lord, He will clothe you with the garment of salvation and robe of righteousness. No matter how far or how deep you have gone into sin, Jesus tonight is mighty to save, for this was foretold concerning Him as your Saviour. Tonight He is our Saviour, and as you believe so it is in Jesus Name. It was foretold and because He has finished it, it is going to be fulfilled in your life. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Salvation, Sanctification and Holy Ghost baptism were all prophesied, and Christ has finished the work for these three Christian experiences, and they will be fulfilled in your life in Jesus Name. Your own time of fulfilment has come. You believe tonight, eternal life is yours (Acts 13:48). You are coming to Christ tonight!
Ponder on this! You must see Him on the Cross, because without seeing Him on the Cross you cannot see Him wearing the Crown. The Cross comes before the Crown. You have to see Him dying for you before you can see Him making a Place for you in Heaven. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Ponder on this! Jesus Christ did not want you to face that eternal and final Judgement, that was why He went to the Cross on your behalf so that everything written against you, and all that you have done, He nailed to the Cross, carried it to the grave, and when He rose from the death, they will never come up again. Then you must accept and believe. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – The thing that will grant us favour with God, appease Him and take His anger away from us is the Blood that Jesus shed for you and everyone on the Cross. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – As you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, He spoils, paralyses and makes impotent all the principalities and the powers. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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