The Crucifixion of Christ | English Devotion | NHFCSG

Philippians 2: 5-11

The Crucifixion of Christ

The Lord Jesus was the expression from all eternity of the fullness of God's nature. He always existed in that form and was therefore the equal of God.

1.Jesus emptied himself

In Jesus Christ there was the fullness of all that God is, fully made manifest and visible.

From all eternity, those were His rights.

But having all this, he did not count all these things to be held onto at all costs, but he emptied himself.

He did not come to manifest what God was like but came to show us what man ought to be, and he did not give up his rights as God but gave up his right to enjoy the rights of God.

He said so himself, “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing", and "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me.

2. The name which is above every other name

Paul says Christ is the one who has won that position because he unhesitatingly committed himself to all that was involved in the mind of Christ.

That attitude of his own heart that led him first to mortality, then to humiliation, and finally to unequalled glory.

Here is the end of the story: every knee to bow, every tongue confessing, every voice unitedly ascribing praise to him above all the created universe.

3. Cross of Christ

The Cross was a deliberately chosen path for our Lord. It was an agony which he foresaw from the very beginning, and which he accepted, and set his face resolutely toward, and never varied from.

Jesus became obedient unto death, he didn’t have to die, but he deliberately chose to die.

Jesus Christ came in the midst of humanity doing good, and men hated Him for it. That’s the revelation of the human heart.

His genuine had compassion as he moved among men ,bothered religious leaders because he healed the sick on the Sabbath day, when they said he shouldn’t, but he didn’t care a thing for their traditions, and constantly stepped over the line.

In John 3:19 he said, men would not come to the light because they loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil, and yet, though man’s hatred grew against him, until they couldn’t wait to get him to a cross, they couldn’t wait to get him out of the way.

4. The Crucifixion

It was not a lovely, pleasant scene but it was a scene of blood, of sweat, and nakedness, of dirt and filth, but it took this to break the hold of our sins.

His death was the only way that God could find to break the power of sin, and to shake the strong-hold that sin had on us.

It was the meeting place between man’s hate and God’s love.

The glory of grace shines out above the darkness of man’s sin and there is healing, and strength, and health, and pardon.

Thousands and thousands can testify to this through the ages, that it was at the crucifixion of Christ, they found that which broke through and set us free.

None other name, none other lamb, none other hope in earth or heaven or hell than this: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your only begotten son to set us free from our sins. Now, we can stand, we can rise up, we can withstand grief, heartache, suffering, pain and all that life throws at us, in the strength of Jesus who was crucified for us. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.