The King of Glory Died. On Purpose.

Everything that happened to Jesus, including His death on the cross, was part of His planned victory.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   But you say, “Clif, what about the cross? No victory there. That is defeat. That is horrible defeat.” On the surface it absolutely looks like horrible defeat. A man who lived a pristine and perfect life, only to have been nailed to the cross for no justifiable reason. And in one major way it was defeat. It was real death. Jesus really died. But that is not the major defeat. For you see, death on the cross was the purpose of His life. He came to become a ransom, and to give his life for many; he came to serve His people in that very way. So the cross, too, was a victory! It was a success in that Christ fulfilled the plan for which he was sent to accomplish. "Then in what way was it a defeat, you ask?” Sin was defeated! You were defeated! Your sin was defeated! Your own kingdom was subdued and destroyed. The old man of the believer in Christ was buried in the grave. You lose your old self at the cross, but it is also at the cross that we gain. The one who has put their hope in Christ gains the gift of forgiveness. You gain the transference of your guilt on to Christ. But you may ask, “What good is a dead king, because that is what you are saying Jesus is. He died on the cross.” Yes he did. The king of glory died. On purpose. As part of God’s plan. But, as Abraham Kuypier once said, ““There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry ‘mine’.” —including the grave. You see, Jesus had victory over the grave, in that he came back to life, proving that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, proving that God had awarded forgiveness to us based on the merits, not of our accomplishments and righteousness, but based on the merit of Jesus’ perfect life and righteousness. Al Mohler puts it this way—“The most visible star and the invisible atom sit under the rule of Jesus Christ. Every throne on earth, every king in authority, every power in the cosmos, submits to the reign of the One who conquered the grave.