Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Luke 18:31 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished."
THE CAUSE OF THE PASSION OF JESUS
When Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, He was only a few days from His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. In a little over a week He would be betrayed, turned over to the Romans, and condemned to death. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus takes His disciples aside, away from the rest of the crowd that was traveling to Jerusalem for the upcoming Passover celebration, and tells them once again what was about to happen -- this time more clearly then He had ever told them before.
They knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They had often made that confession. They knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ foretold in the Old Testament. But they still did not fully understand why Jesus had come. Jesus told them, "All things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished."
The prophet Isaiah had clearly described the work of the Messiah, writing, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). He would die to make the payment for our sins. All that our Savior suffered, all that He endured, He did for you.
May we not be like the Pharisee who saw only the sins of others, but rather may we be like the publican who saw his own guilt and sin and readily confessed it. It was my sin that was the cause of my Savior's death, and my sin that was paid for by my Savior's death!
Yet, O Lord, not thus alone make me see Thy Passion,
But its cause to me make known, and its termination.
Ah! I also and my sin wrought Thy deep affliction;
This indeed the cause hath been of Thy crucifixion.
(TLH 140:3)
