Who Is Jesus #12

Remember the Death of Christ

Fred R. Coulter

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{transcriber’s note: the audio for this sermon is distorted in many cases. Track one is reasonable, but track 2 is very distorted. I did the best I could in capturing the essence of the message} 

In relationship to the meaning of the Passover, 1-Corinthians 11:23: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread”—which tells us when we should take the bread and the wine; the same day He did. 

Verse 24: “And after giving thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.’ In like manner, He also took the cup after He had supped, saying, ‘This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in the remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes” (vs 24-26). 

• Why are we to remember the death of Jesus? 
• Why is that emphasized? 

We know that in years where there are three days from the Passover to the Sabbath, then we have a the same sequence as the year that Jesus died. At the end of the Sabbath we know that He was raised from the dead. 

• Why do we remember His death so profoundly? 
• Much more specifically than a command to observe His resurrection? 

It’s not wrong to observe His resurrection, and it would be fitting that we should remember His resurrection. Although whenever you have a Thursday Passover and the Sabbath coming right afterward, then it’s not exactly the same sequence as it was in the year that He died. 

      Why are we told to remember His death? 

Let’s understand something about God, first; let’s understand something about the nature of God. This ties in with this whole sermon series that we are doing, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I’m not going to burden you down with going through the Holy Days (Lev. 23:4-7)—about the Passover and the first and seventh day of Unleavened Bread. It does tie in with the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread because we are to remember the death of Jesus Christ!

Let’s look at something concerning God, first. Isaiah the prophet was one of those prophets that had the unusual experience of having God reveal Himself to him in a rather direct way. 

Isaiah 6:1: In the year that King Uzziah died, I then saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.” I don’t know exactly what that means! 

• Was it the train of his clothing that He had? 
• Was the spirit glory following God? 
• Was it angels ministering to Him? 

I can’t tell you exactly!  

Verse 2: “Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, isthe LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of the one who cried, and the house was filled with smoke” (vs 2-4). 

Here is Isaiah’s feelings at this time, v 5: “Then I said, ‘Woe is me! For I am undone…’” Anyone who comes directly in the presence of God that way really literally feels undone!

Remember the Transfiguration where Peter, James and John went to the Holy Mount and saw Jesus and what looked like Elijah and Moses with Him. What did they do? They fell on their faces! Just like Moses and Aaron did when they came to the tent of the congregation into the presence of God. 

Here Isaiah is “‘…undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth and said, ‘Lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin atoned for’” (vs 5-7). 

We can be thankful that’s not how we are baptized today. God has many different ways that He can take care of sin. This is how He did it in this vision: 

Verse 8: “And I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ And He said, ‘Go… [here’s the prophecy that Jesus quoted several times, and that Paul quoted] …and tell this people, “You hear indeed, but do not understand; and you see indeed, but do not perceive.” Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts,and return, and be healed’” (vs 8-10). 

What does this do to the theory that God has been struggling madly from the days of Adam to try and restore mankind to Him? God hasn’t been struggling madly! When God sets His hand to do it, it will be done! Here is God in all of His glory! Let’s see the tremendous sight that John saw: 

Revelation 4:8: “And each of the four living creatures had six wings respectively; and around and within they were full of eyes; and day and night they cease not saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty…’” 

In Isa. 6:5 it is “the Lord of hosts.” Someone is going to jump on it and say, ‘They didn’t repeat the same words, therefore there must be a conflict, it can’t be true.’ 

It is true, because the obvious thing is one time they say, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of hosts” and another time they say, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” and whatever else they may say that hasn’t been recorded for us. 

“…Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come” (v 8). 

Revelation 5:5: “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion Who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the book, and to loose its seven seals.’ Then I saw, and behold, before the throne and the four living creatures, and before the elders, was standing a Lamb… [Who is the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world? Jesus Christ!] …as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes… [in reference to the Church—the seven churches—that is in the very mind of Christ] …which are the seven Spirits of God that are sent into all the earth” (vs 5-6). 

What is message to the seven churches? It is ‘he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!’ One of the seven spirits is giving a message to each of the churches. That’s the explanation of it. 

Verse 7: “And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him Who sits on the throne. And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation’” (vs 7-9). 

I want to just make one little comment: I got a letter and he said in relationship to ‘sacred names’ that I think he made the best comment I have ever heard: 

I am English-speaking, therefore, I worship God in English. Besides, God created all of the languages, so therefore, I worship the Creator, not the created. 

I thought that was absolutely the best answer to ‘sacred namers.’ God created all of the languages, and if you’re worshipping the language, then you are worshipping the created. You are to worship the Creator, Who made them. 

Verse 10: “‘And did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.’ And I saw and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne, and the voices of the living creatures and the elders, and thousands of thousands” (vs 10-11). 

Maybe this is what Isaiah saw when he looked up and said, ‘I saw the train’ (Isa. 6:1) It was a magnificent splendor. 

Besides, how could you really write it down what you really saw anyway? Isaiah said, ‘I’m undone.’ In other words, there are not words to really express this. He did the best that he could. 

Verse 12: “Saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing.’” 

Why was he worthy? Because He was slain! Even in heaven they are remembering His death, though He lives! 

Verse 13: “And every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and sovereignty into the ages of eternity.’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen.’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him Who lives into the ages of eternity” (vs 13-14). 

There is a tremendous, magnificent scene. Let’s learn a little bit more about God before He became human so we can understand why it is that we have to remember His death and how important that is for us. Let’s get a view as to what God looks like. In proving that Jesus was God before He became human this becomes really important for us to grasp and understand. 

Psalm 104:1: “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with honor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a garment…” (vs 1-2). 

This would be a good place to go back to Rev. 1, to Jesus in His glorified form. Remember what Jesus said in His final prayer: ‘Now, O Father, I come to You and grant to Me the glory that I had with You before the world was!’ We saw how that meant before the world existed!

Here in Rev. 1 it shows Him in the glory that He had before the world was. When it is says that ‘the Lord clothed Himself with light’ that’s hard for us to imagine. I’ve thought on this an awful lot: What would it be like to see that kind of thing? I mean to literally see it, not just read it, but to literally see it! 

Revelation 1:13: “And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of man, clothed in a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden breastplate. And His head and hair were like white wool, white as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire” (vs 13-14). This is what John saw, when he saw Jesus in His glorified form!

Verse 15: “And His feet were like fine brass, as if they glowed in a furnace; and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He had seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword went out of His mouth, and His countenance… [His visage] …was as the sun shining in its full power” (vs 15-16). 

Here is the untouchable, the unreachable, the great and magnificent God! Here is this magnificent God, clothed with majesty, clothed with honor, shinning in brilliance and glory, and He made us in His image! That is awesome to contemplate! 

Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the high and lofty One Who inhabits eternity…” 

This is hard for us to contemplate, because inhabiting eternity is a level of existence that is so great. He says, ‘I inhabit eternity!’ A level of existence so great that our finite minds go BOING! whenever we try to contemplate it. 

What is the name of the Lord? Yahweh! The eternal, ever-existing, undying God! Here is God Who does not die! He inhabits eternity! We’re going to learn through this what it is that God really did in becoming a human being, and why we are to remember His death. The answer lies in this: As God—as Yahweh, the eternal inhabiting eternity—God cannot die!

That’s why it’s impossible for Jesus to have said, ‘I am God’ when He was here in the flesh! He gave up this eternity. We saw in Philip. 2 how that Jesus existed equally with God—subsisting, existing as God—emptied Himself; devoided; gave up everything as being God that He could possibly give up and still remain living to become that begettal of life in Mary. 

It says that He humbled Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant, not a king, not a potentate, not a beautiful or wonderful looking man; not superman who somehow transforms Himself. He gave that up entirely! He humbled Himself unto the death of the cross!

Verse 15: “For thus says the high and lofty One Who inhabits eternity; Whose name is Holy; ‘I dwell in the high and Holy place, even with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Did not God Himself do that? Yes, absolutely, yes, He did!

We have to realize also that Moses did literally see God, so we know that this was not the Father. Why? Because in John 1 says that ‘no one at any time has seen God, nor heard His voice!’ But Moses heard the voice of God—Yahweh—the One Who became Jesus Christ. 

Exodus 33:18—after the great debacle of the children of Israel when they made the two calves, and Aaron meekly gave into it: “And he said, ‘I beseech You, show me Your glory.’ And He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.’ And He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon a rock. And it will be, while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back parts. But My face shall not be seen’” (vs 18-23). 

This is what he did, Exodus 34:5: “And the LORD came down in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God… [Yahweh Elohim] …merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, to the third and to the fourth generation’” (vs 5-7). There it is!

You find this in the Bible, whenever God does some super, powerful thing to destroy someone—every time He’s about ready to do something disastrous like He did here in killing so many people because they committed idolatry—He reminds everyone that He’s gracious, merciful and longsuffering. He said to Moses, ‘You stand aside and I’ll destroy all these people, and I’ll fulfill My promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through you. 

Moses said, ‘No, Lord, please don’t do this. Blot out my name out of the Book of Life…’ There are dashes in the Bible, so we don’t know the complete conversation. 

God said, ‘Okay, for your sake, because of your prayer, I will be merciful and spare them.’ Tremendous! There is God in His great glory, fantastic and marvelous glory! 

Considering that and considering Who God is in all of His glory, power, wonder and splendor go to Psa. 144, which is the very theme of the Days of Unleavened Bread, when we understand it thoroughly. Not only does leaven at this time picture sin—putting sin out of our lives—but also it pictures a whole lot more. 

Psalm 144:1: “Blessed is the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” We might remember that in relationship to overcoming. We have to fight and war against sin!

Verse 2: “He is my loving kindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and He in Whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. O LORD, what is man that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a shadow that passes away” (vs 2-4). 

Especially when you consider all that God has done! Consider everyone who has seen God, or a vision of God, what happens to them? They become undone, just like Isaiah! It’s like vanity; what is vanity’s very great estate altogether? Vanity!

We find the same thing in Psa. 8 and also Heb. 2. We find the Psalm very much the same way: 

Psalm 8:1: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouths of babes and suckling You have ordained strength because of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens…” (vs 1-3). 

When David stood up in the top of his palace—of course, Jerusalem was the high place there in all of the area of what we call Palestine today—and looked at the heavens, guess what? No smog; no city lights, perfectly clear! I suppose it’s like those from Texas that say the stars in Texas are closer than anywhere in the United States. If you drive through there at night you believe it. 

I’m sure it was like that with David standing out there, and I can just see him standing out there looking at the stars and saying, ‘God, what is man that You are mindful of him?’ 

Verse 3: “When I consider Your heavens the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained.” 

Sidebar: Last night about eleven o’clock the moon began to be full, which is the way it should. The moon was coming up just as the sun was going down. The Calculated Hebrew Calendar is exactly correct. It has not been wrong in all the time that I have been observing it. If you truly have the new moon correct, you will have the full moon on the 14^th and 15^th of Nisan. 

When David was out there on one of these Holy Days—maybe it was the evening of the night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread—and saw the moon coming up, all the stars and everything that He has ordained. That makes you feel small like a little worm. 

Verse 4: “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? For You have made him a little lower than God and have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the birds of heaven, the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (vs 4-9). 

That’s a tremendous humble prayer! There are certain times when you get into circumstances like this when you can really feel that. If you’ve never experienced that in your life, you will. One of these days you will!

This is quoted in Heb. 2 in relationship to the nature of Jesus. God had to do something extraordinary, of His own free will and of His own choosing. 

Hebrews 2:6: “But in a certain place one fully testified, saying, ‘What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You visit him? You did make him a little lower than the angels; You did crown him with glory and honor, and You did set him over the works of Your hands; You did put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that was not subjected to him….” (vs 6-8). 

That’s why we have the desire as human beings to go into outer space. What limits us? ‘Nephesh’ right here! {our physical bodies} This limits us. What does it take to travel in the universe? It takes living forever!

• the desire is there 
• the mind is there 
• the thought it there 

“…But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him” (v 8). 

We find that with all the promises of God that we will be kings and priests on the earth, that we will enter into New Jerusalem (Rev. 22). 

Verse 9: “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering the death…” 

God gave up Himself—one of Elohim—for the very purpose of dying, because as God He cannot die. But if He becomes a human being, and takes on the proper nature—the same as we have—He can die. That’s why we are to remember His death! That is such a phenomenal thing that God did so that He could die! We will see why God had to die! Why did God choose to do it this way, that He would die? 

“…in order that by the grace of God He Himself might taste death for everyone” (v 9). Showing total humility!

• He gave up being God 
• He became a human being 
• He made Himself solely He is singularly responsible for every human being 

Isn’t that what He said in the prayer in John 17—‘Father, You have given Me power and authority over all flesh. That You should give eternal life to as many as You give Me.’ That’s something! 

I heard a hopelessly mental man say, ‘If there’s a God in heaven why did he let all these things happen’—the death of people, accidents—‘why is there evil in the world if there’s a God in heaven?’ God says, ‘I’m still going to be responsible for making a way if that man repents and he can share in My plan! That is something! That is awesome! 

Verse 10: “Because it was fitting for Him, for Whom all things were created, and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” 

• God, as God, cannot suffer like human beings 
• God, as God, can know no pain 
• God, as God, can know no death 
• God, as God, can know no depression 
• God, as God, can know no sorrow 
• God, as God, can know no anxiety 
• God, as God, can know no fear 
• God, as God, can know no temptation 

Verse 11: “For both He Who is sanctifying and those who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; in themidst of the Church I will sing praise to You.’ And again, ‘I will be trusting in Him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.’ Therefore, since the children are partakers of flesh and blood…” (vs 11-14). 

I got a paper that says that the Word was a thought of God, and the Word was in flesh. That’s not what the Bible says. The Bible says, ‘The Word was made or became flesh.’ 

“…in like manner He also took part in the same…” (v 14)—‘homoimati’—which means identically the same!

“…in order that through death He might annul him who has the power of death—that is, the devil” (v 14). When you really think about it, when you really think about the death of Jesus, you really think about the crucifixion: Who killed Christ? 

We know that Peter said, ‘Your wicked hands have crucified the Holy One of Israel,’ meaning that our sins had their part in crucifying Christ. 

We can take it individually. Just like the life of Jesus individually is applied to every man, so likewise, all of us with our sins have killed Christ. 

• What did God put in us that we have no control over? Human nature!

If God is going to have the same flesh as we do: 

• What did God give up to take upon Himself? Human nature!
• Who literally killed Christ; beyond what I just described? Satan the devil!
• Did not Satan possess Judas when he went out to betray Jesus? Yes!
• Was not Satan there stirring up the crowd to say, ‘Crucify Him!’? Yes!
• Did not Jesus say of the religious leaders, ‘You are of your father the devil’? Yes!

The great God Who Creator over everything, in order to reconcile everything in heaven and on earth, He allowed Satan to kill Him!

Does that not fulfill to the greatest nth degree “…in order that through death He might annul him who has the power of death—that is, the devil” (v 14). Because God is God and at anytime could destroy the devil—right? 

• Is God not all powerful? 
• Is not God almighty? 
• Could He not destroy—in that form, in that Being as God—the devil? Yes!

But to destroy Satan or take away his power by overcoming him as a lesser being, as a human being, is that not greater? Is that not more fantastic? Let’s see how God fulfilled His own words. 

• Does God live by His own words? Yes, He does!
• Did God also do this even to Satan the devil? Yes!

He’s not going to destroy and condemn Satan just because Satan did what he did, but: 

• God is going to do it because God is love 
• He’s going to do it because God lives by His own words 
• He’s going to do it because He fulfilled—as God becoming a human being—the greatest and most important thing that there is 

Matthew 5:43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies…” (vs 43-44). That’s why God loves the world. 

Are we not enemies in our mind by wicked works against God, which alienates us from God? Yes! Did God love us? Yes! ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.’ Unique! Special! Particular! The One Who was Yahweh Who became a human being; literally took upon Him flesh and blood, and we’re going to see a little more than that as we go on. 

“…love your enemies, bless those who curse you…” (v 44). 

• What did Jesus say when they crucified Him and He was on the cross? Father, forgive them for they no not what they are doing!
• DidHe did not fulfill that? Yes!

“…do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you” (vs 44). That’s why Jesus had to come in the flesh! That’s why God had to do this. Isn’t that absolutely amazing, that God would do that! 

Hebrews 2:15: “And that He might deliver those who were subject to bondage… [of sin] …all through their lives by their fear of death. For surely, He is not taking upon Himself to help the angels…” (vs 15-16). 

If you were an angel you could walk around and do all the things of a man, hands down; no sweat; no problem. He didn’t take on that basis. 

“…but He is taking upon Himself to help the seed of Abraham. For this reason, it was obligatory for Him to be made like His brethren in everything that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest inthings pertaining to God, in order to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered, having been tempted… [If He didn’t have the same nature as we do, how could He be tempted?] …in like manner, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (vs 16-18). 

• to help 
• to nuture 
• to rescue from 

We will get a tremendous insight into what it is that God took upon Himself. This is really a tremendous and absolute, just mind-boggling challenge that God gave Himself to do. Not only to divest Himself of all that is God, all that is in eternity to become a human being and be subject to death, the only spark that kept Him with God is that He was impregnated by God the Father. Therefore, He had: 

• the character of God the Father 
• the strength of God the Father 

in his physical inheritance as well as by the Holy Spirit! He also took something upon Himself that’s very important for us to understand. 

Romans 8:2: “Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has delivered me from the law of sin and death.” 

That’s the Bible way of explaining human nature and death. We have in our very genes and chromosomes that law of sin and death. That’s why sin comes so naturally for us. That’s why death inevitably happens to every one of us. 

Verse 3: “For what was impossible for the law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh…” No law anywhere ever made anyone do anything righteous! It only states what righteousness is. But with the law of sin and death in us, it is weak and it cannot fulfill the righteousness of the Law, because the Law is not powerful to enforce it. It only states it! 

(go to the next track) 

{transcriber’s note: much of the sound from this point on is inaudible; did the best I could to get the Scriptures and some commentary for it to make sense} 

“…God, having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (v 3)—‘homoiomati’—the exact same likeness as sinful flesh! 

What did Jesus say was inherent in Himself? We know that He died! We know that He was made in the “…likeness of sinful flesh…” 

He had to have the law of death in Him! But He also had the law of sin in Him for the specific reason to be able to fulfill this particular part. If Jesus did not have that in Him, if He was not subject to death then He couldn’t die. 

IF Jesus did not have that in Him, if He wasn’t subject to death then He couldn’t die!

Galatians 4:4: “But when the time for the fulfillment came, God sent forth His own Son, born of a woman, born under law.” Subject to the Law! What is the wages of sin that the Law says? The wages of sin is death!

God gave up everything; risked absolutely everything! But impowered by the Holy Spirit of God took upon Him the same nature that we have. We have concluded that He had the law of death in Him because He died; otherwise, He couldn’t die. 

Now we will see something that is absolutely fantastic about what Jesus did, that wasn’t understood in the past: 

1-Peter 2:21: “For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His footsteps, Who committed no sin…” (vs 21-22). 

The Greek there means He practiced not one sin though ‘He was tempted in all points like we are,’ yet, was without sin! He did no sin! How hard was this? 

“…neither was guile found in His mouth; Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when suffering, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him Who judges righteously, Who Himself bore our sins within His own body…” (vs 22-24). 

He had the law of sin in Him, yet, He never sinned! He was supremely righteous; completely and absolutely righteous. Because He 

• took upon the nature of a human being 
• took upon the ability to die 
• took upon Him the ability to sin 

Yet, never sinned! He carried within His body no sin; so Jesus had to have that death. That’s why His death can cover the death of every human being. Every human being is going to have to acknowledge that He is Christ, because of that very thing. 

God requires of Himself the same thing that human beings do. Isn’t that something? God could do it from heaven at His throne and sort of ‘wave a wand’ and all is taken care of. Isn’t that what the Days of Unleavened Bread are really all about? How we’re unleavened in Christ? 

Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows; yet, we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (vs 3-4). 

With the law of sin and death He had to potential of every sickness, every disease that any human being has ever had. The potential! 

Verse 5: “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray… [that ties in with 1-Peter 2] …we have turned each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (vs 5-6). God really did an absolutely fantastic act of love! 

Verse 7: “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet, He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.” 

• Did God humble Himself? Yes, He did!
• Did God reduce Himself down to lowest possible that God could ever reduce Himself down to? 
• Did God humble Himself so much that He died? Yes!

That’s why it so vital and absolutely important and incumbent upon Jesus Christ who had been wholly, having human nature as we have human nature so that He could experience these things and, yet, never sinned once! Not once!

I tell you, brethren, this ought to make us love God so much more. This ought to make us understand that salvation and Christianity is not a ‘religion,’ it is not a game; this is a way of life, a calling, and we do not ever turn our backs on it regardless of what the situation is. That’s why God wants you to know, that regardless of your situation, regardless of your life, God has paid the penalty for your sins. He has done it!

Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a High Priest…” 

That’s why all judgment is given to the Son of man; now you know why He could not say, ‘I am God in the flesh.’ He gave up being God for that short temporary time. He said on the cross, ‘Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.’ 

Verse 15: “For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses, but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He waswithout sin. Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (vs 15-16). 

That’s what the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us about. We go through it every year, and it’s very important that we do so we can completely understand this. 

Hebrews 5:7: “Who, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because He feared God.” 

That’s why Jesus is the Firstborn among many brethren; salvation through the resurrection of the dead. 

God had completely given up Himself. Yahweh became Jesus Christ. He was brought back into the God Family by the power of God the Father through the resurrection. 

Verse 8: “Although He was a Son, yet, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered; and having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him and having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him” (vs 8-9). That is absolutely the most powerful thing that God can do!

I want you to think of the worst thing you have ever gone through in your life. 

• Who has given up more than Jesus? No one!
• Who has suffered more than Jesus? No one!
• Who has been despised more than Jesus? No one!

What did Peter do after he denied Christ the third time? He went out a cried; he was a broken man! No one suffered more than Jesus. Absolutely no one! He bore all of our sorrows; He bore all the sins of the whole world up Himself. 

2-Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us…” He had ‘the law of sin and death’ and never sinned! 

That is absolutely tremendous! Absolutely beyond all… I’m at a total loss of words… God sent His Son, Who did no sin; Who knew no sin for us! 

“…so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (v 21). 

That is absolutely the greatest thing that could ever be, without a doubt. That’s the most profound thing that God has done since the creation of the world. Let’s see why this is going to occur: 

Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Let this mind be in us!

I call your attention to what is says concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread; the unleavened breast of sincerity and Truth. Why? Because our Passover—Jesus Christ—is sacrificed for us! When we read that and understand that and think upon this, we should think upon: 

Verse 5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, and was made in thelikeness of men…” (vs 5-7). 

• the same flesh and blood 
• the same subject to sin as we are 
• the same subject to death as we are 

“…and took the form of a servant; and being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has also highly exalted Him… [that’s what we need to look to] …and bestowed upon Him a name, which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings in heaven…(vs 7-10)—because He is Creator of all that there is and humbled Himself and overcame Satan the devil as a man! Even the death of the cross. 

Maybe that’s far more meaningful and powerful to us now that we understand it. How great, magnificent and exalted act by God. Yet, God transfers that to us now, and that’s why He exalted Him; “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings in heaven…” 

“…and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (v 10-11). 

No one is going to be able to say: God, You don’t understand. He is going to say, ‘I was a human being and Satan the devil tempted Me with all the power of all the nations, and all the people.’ 

Someone else is going to say, ‘God, you never knew what it was like to lose one of Your loved ones.’ He can say, ‘Yes, I know what it’s like. I lost a loved one.’ Didn’t He love Lazarus? Yes! And He raised him from the dead! 

• No one is going to have any excuse to God! 
• No one is going to have anything that they can say to God that God does not understand! 
• No one is going to be able to say, ‘You don’t know what it’s like: 

      to be sick 

      to suffer pain 

      to be tempted 

He’s going to say, ‘Yes, I do!’ 

Verse 12: “So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure” (vs 12-13). 

God is the One Who provides that for us. So, at the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, let’s really keep this in mind. Let’s understand this totally and completely. It should open our mind even more so that we can grasp it even more. 

1-Corinthians 11:23: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and after giving thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.’ In like manner, He also took the cup after He had supped, saying, ‘This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood…. [how precious that blood really was] …This do, as often as you drink it, in the remembrance of Me’” (vs 23-25). 

• What are we testifying when we take that? 
• What are we witnessing? 
• What are we reassuring to God? 
• What are we re-covenanting to God? 
• When we take that bread and wine? 

We will see why this is so important for the Days of Unleavened Bread. We have to live our lives through Christ, and He’s the only One Who can make that possible. When we sin, what do we do? We go to God and confess our sins! And He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why? 

John 6:56: The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me” (vs 56-57). 

• the way Christ lived 
• the way He thought 
• the way He conducted His life 
• all of the things that He has given us to do 

To understand the reason why Jesus had to die. God had to give up everything that He was and die!

1 Corinthians 11:26: For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” 

Now you know why we are to remember His death. That’s the most profound thing that God has done since the creation of the entire universe!

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• Isaiah 6:1-10
• Revelation 4:8
• Revelation 5:5-14
• Psalm 104:1-2
• Revelation 1:13-16
• Isaiah 57:15
• Exodus 33:18-23
• Exodus 34:5-7
• Psalm 144:1-4
• Psalm 8:1-9
• Hebrews 2:6-14
• Matthew 5:43-44
• Hebrews 2:15-18
• Romans 8:2-3
• Galatians 4:4
• 1 Peter 2:21-24
• Isaiah 53:3-7
• Hebrews 4:15-16
• Hebrews 5:7-9
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Philippians 2:5-
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
• John 6:56-57
• 1 Corinthians 11:26

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Leviticus 23:4-7
• Revelation 22
• John 17

FRC:bo
Transcribed 2/27/13
Reformatted/Corrected: 2/2020