"The Cross"
Please share this lesson with your family, friends, Facebook pages, and all who you can, for the expansion of the Kingdom of GOD.
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2 ESV).
On July 4th, 1976, 100 Israeli commandos invaded Entebbe Airport in Uganda and freed 102 hostages, killing all the hijackers, 45 Ugandan soldiers, and destroying seven Ugandan warplanes in the process. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one was killed in this one-of-a-kind, 90-minute movie-style expedition dubbed Operation Thunderbolt. This midnight operation was undoubtedly one of the most successful and spectacular military expeditions ever recorded in history.
Nearly 2,000 years earlier, a similar yet infinitely more spectacular and cosmic expedition took place—this time in Israel. One Man from heaven invaded the kingdom of darkness, confronting the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and evil spiritual forces in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Single-handedly, He vanquished them to set the captives free. His name is “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Revelation 5:5, KJV), also known as Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The prince of this world claimed to be strong until the Stronger Man arrived. Jesus invaded the “strong man’s” house, bound him, and stripped him of his weapons (Luke 11:21-22). The captor became captive and powerless. Praise the Lord for the victory granted to humanity! We are no longer captives of Satan but “citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God” (Ephesians 2:19, GNB).
However, Christ’s weapons and warfare were entirely different. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, ESV). Have you ever heard of a war like this? A war where an omnipotent opponent allows his weak adversaries to torture and kill him without even a word in self-defence? That is what Jesus did to save you and me: He died our death on the cross so that we might live His life in heaven.
The cross was the worst, most shameful, and cruel instrument of torture devised by the Roman government, reserved for the vilest criminals. Yet Christ, who was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV), willingly offered Himself out of love for us, to die on that cross.
Satan, the originator of sin, concealed his real motives behind cunning schemes. At the cross, he was granted full freedom to unleash his wrath upon Jesus. He seized this opportunity, pouring out all the hatred he had harboured since the great controversy in heaven. Thus, his character was fully exposed for all to see: he was a murderer. If possible, he would have killed God and seized the throne of the universe!
On the cross, two characters were laid bare: Love versus selfishness. The ultimate aim of selfishness, as seen in Satan, is to rise higher and higher, no matter the cost—even to dethrone God if possible and take His place. But love, in contrast, seeks not its own but the good of others, willing to descend to the lowest depths to save a life. Jesus loved us so deeply that He would rather endure hell itself than let one of us perish. His love is immeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite. What a contrast! The two are like night and day, compelling us to exclaim: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb!” Our hearts melt at the love that moved Jesus to such humility so that we might be exalted.
Please share this lesson with your family, friends, Facebook pages, and all who you can, for the expansion of the Kingdom of GOD.
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2 ESV).
On July 4th, 1976, 100 Israeli commandos invaded Entebbe Airport in Uganda and freed 102 hostages, killing all the hijackers, 45 Ugandan soldiers, and destroying seven Ugandan warplanes in the process. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one was killed in this one-of-a-kind, 90-minute movie-style expedition dubbed Operation Thunderbolt. This midnight operation was undoubtedly one of the most successful and spectacular military expeditions ever recorded in history.
Nearly 2,000 years earlier, a similar yet infinitely more spectacular and cosmic expedition took place—this time in Israel. One Man from heaven invaded the kingdom of darkness, confronting the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and evil spiritual forces in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Single-handedly, He vanquished them to set the captives free. His name is “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Revelation 5:5, KJV), also known as Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The prince of this world claimed to be strong until the Stronger Man arrived. Jesus invaded the “strong man’s” house, bound him, and stripped him of his weapons (Luke 11:21-22). The captor became captive and powerless. Praise the Lord for the victory granted to humanity! We are no longer captives of Satan but “citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God” (Ephesians 2:19, GNB).
However, Christ’s weapons and warfare were entirely different. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, ESV). Have you ever heard of a war like this? A war where an omnipotent opponent allows his weak adversaries to torture and kill him without even a word in self-defence? That is what Jesus did to save you and me: He died our death on the cross so that we might live His life in heaven.
The cross was the worst, most shameful, and cruel instrument of torture devised by the Roman government, reserved for the vilest criminals. Yet Christ, who was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV), willingly offered Himself out of love for us, to die on that cross.
Satan, the originator of sin, concealed his real motives behind cunning schemes. At the cross, he was granted full freedom to unleash his wrath upon Jesus. He seized this opportunity, pouring out all the hatred he had harboured since the great controversy in heaven. Thus, his character was fully exposed for all to see: he was a murderer. If possible, he would have killed God and seized the throne of the universe!
On the cross, two characters were laid bare: Love versus selfishness. The ultimate aim of selfishness, as seen in Satan, is to rise higher and higher, no matter the cost—even to dethrone God if possible and take His place. But love, in contrast, seeks not its own but the good of others, willing to descend to the lowest depths to save a life. Jesus loved us so deeply that He would rather endure hell itself than let one of us perish. His love is immeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite. What a contrast! The two are like night and day, compelling us to exclaim: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb!” Our hearts melt at the love that moved Jesus to such humility so that we might be exalted.
"The Cross"
Please share this lesson with your family, friends, Facebook pages, and all who you can, for the expansion of the Kingdom of GOD.
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1Corinthians 2:2 ESV).
On July 4th, 1976, 100 Israeli commandos invaded Entebbe Airport in Uganda and freed 102 hostages, killing all the hijackers, 45 Ugandan soldiers, and destroying seven Ugandan warplanes in the process. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one was killed in this one-of-a-kind, 90-minute movie-style expedition dubbed Operation Thunderbolt. This midnight operation was undoubtedly one of the most successful and spectacular military expeditions ever recorded in history.
Nearly 2,000 years earlier, a similar yet infinitely more spectacular and cosmic expedition took place—this time in Israel. One Man from heaven invaded the kingdom of darkness, confronting the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and evil spiritual forces in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Single-handedly, He vanquished them to set the captives free. His name is “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Revelation 5:5, KJV), also known as Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The prince of this world claimed to be strong until the Stronger Man arrived. Jesus invaded the “strong man’s” house, bound him, and stripped him of his weapons (Luke 11:21-22). The captor became captive and powerless. Praise the Lord for the victory granted to humanity! We are no longer captives of Satan but “citizens together with God’s people and members of the family of God” (Ephesians 2:19, GNB).
However, Christ’s weapons and warfare were entirely different. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, ESV). Have you ever heard of a war like this? A war where an omnipotent opponent allows his weak adversaries to torture and kill him without even a word in self-defence? That is what Jesus did to save you and me: He died our death on the cross so that we might live His life in heaven.
The cross was the worst, most shameful, and cruel instrument of torture devised by the Roman government, reserved for the vilest criminals. Yet Christ, who was “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26, ESV), willingly offered Himself out of love for us, to die on that cross.
Satan, the originator of sin, concealed his real motives behind cunning schemes. At the cross, he was granted full freedom to unleash his wrath upon Jesus. He seized this opportunity, pouring out all the hatred he had harboured since the great controversy in heaven. Thus, his character was fully exposed for all to see: he was a murderer. If possible, he would have killed God and seized the throne of the universe!
On the cross, two characters were laid bare: Love versus selfishness. The ultimate aim of selfishness, as seen in Satan, is to rise higher and higher, no matter the cost—even to dethrone God if possible and take His place. But love, in contrast, seeks not its own but the good of others, willing to descend to the lowest depths to save a life. Jesus loved us so deeply that He would rather endure hell itself than let one of us perish. His love is immeasurable, incomprehensible, and infinite. What a contrast! The two are like night and day, compelling us to exclaim: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb!” Our hearts melt at the love that moved Jesus to such humility so that we might be exalted.
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