No one takes 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 command I have received from My Father. (John 10:18)

It Was His Choice

The death of Jesus is the central theme of God’s plan to redeem the world from sin. In the Garden of Eden, God promised the Seed would bruise the head of Satan as the devil bruised the heel of the Son of God. Through the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God intertwined His divine plan to bring His Son into the world through a virgin birth and save mankind from sin, death, and Hades. Jesus was the answer to the plight of sinful man. His one sacrifice would atone for sin by one act of selfless love for His Father and for the world. When Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty, He knew He had little time left to live.

The authority of Jesus came through His teachings and His miracles. He was the good shepherd who would lay down His life for the sheep. After healing a man who was blind from birth, Jesus caused a stir among the Jewish leadership when He challenged them of being blind to the will of God. He explained that He was not like a hireling watching over sheep who would run in fear at the first sign of danger. As a good shepherd, Jesus would die for His sheep. He also told the Pharisees His death was His choice and His choice alone. The Father loved His Son for His willingness to leave the glory of the divine to become a servant and die a horrible death.

Jesus had the power to call twelve legions of angels to rescue Him. He chose not to bring the heavenly host to earth. The miracles Jesus performed proved He was the Son of God, and He could have used His divine power to lessen His suffering, but He chose not to diminish His pain. Every part of the human experience was shared by the Son of God. He was tempted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Through it all, Jesus never once succumbed to the wiles of the devil. His perfection was not by divine power but the will of the Son of God to please His Father and bear the cup of sorrow needed to redeem the world.

The sacrifice of Jesus must be viewed in its singular story of one man’s choice to suffer an incredible death to save the ones who were killing Him. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who blasphemed Him, hurled insults and threats, and cursed Him. He prayed for the Romans who paid no heed to the man in the middle. When Jesus died, the crowds walked away with little care or concern about what they had witnessed. Only the few disciples (including the apostle John and Mary, the mother of Jesus) walked away with hearts crushed with love. The world had no interest in the man in the middle. They did not realize that God had died and the first day of the week was coming.

Jesus offered Himself by His own authority. He was never forced to come to earth, and He was not forced to die on the cross. Everything about the death of Jesus was the choice of the Son of God alone. He loved His Father so much that He was willing to bear the sins of the world, becoming the sacrificial lamb for all mankind. His choice was to finish the task given to Him by His Father. When Jesus died, the Father rejoiced. His Son had committed Himself to His will – fully. Three days later, God raised His Son to be Lord, Christ, and Savior. Hallelujah for Jesus making a choice to save the world. He laid His life down because of love.