Lost Crusader #249Giving Up the Ghost

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

It seems almost nonsensical in its simplicity that there can be no resurrection of Christ without His death. That He died is as integral to every creed and statement of faith in Christianity as are His birth and His resurrection. Crucifixion was the manner of His death, but strictly speaking, it was not the cause of death.

I offer as proof of this the words told Mary by the angel at the tomb. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.  Herein is heavenly assurance that everything happened “as He said”. None of the events in Jesus’ life or His passion were ever out of His control, not for a moment. That includes His death. He was crucified as He said, but that wasn’t all He said about His death.

Jesus said He, as the Good Sheperd, was loved by the Father because He laid down His life for the sheep that He might take it again. In His own words, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 

Jesus, having finished the work that His Father gave Him, voluntarily laid His life aside. No one took it from Him. No one killed Him. His human body did not stop working until He allowed it to do so. Jesus lay down His life when, and only when, He decided He had finished the work He was sent to do. Then, when he was ready, He took it up again. He confessed from the start that He possessed the power to do so, then made good on His word. We can trust Jesus because He makes good on His word. He does what He says He will do.

He gave His life, as an offering of reconciliation to the Father. On the Father’s part, that settled the debt of sin owed by mankind. Jesus took His life up again to offer His life to us. Now, Jesus is in us reconciling us to God, but only if we ask Him to do so. He, in us, is the only way we can have peace with God the Father.