The Passion: The Wisdom Of God In Betrayal

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Mark 14:10-11

“And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.”

There is something that every child of God needs to understand about the betrayal of Jesus Christ — and once you see it, once the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to it, you will never read the passion narrative the same way again. The betrayal of Jesus was not a tragedy. It was a setup. Glory to God!

Now, before you go any further, I want you to lock this into your spirit: God is never caught off guard. Not by Judas. Not by the chief priests. Not by the thirty pieces of silver. Every single detail of that night — the garden, the kiss, the price — had already been written down by the prophet Zechariah hundreds of years before Judas was even born. Think about this: the prophet said in Zechariah 11:12, “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” Hallelujah! They weighed the price. Thirty pieces of silver. And then Matthew 26:15 tells us that when Judas walked into that meeting with the chief priests and said, “What will you give me and I will deliver him unto you?” — they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. Exactly. Word for word. The prophecy came to pass.

שָׁקַל shaqal weighed – to weigh out, pay, assess value, count out payment, measure by weight

That Hebrew word shaqal is the root of the word “shekel” — the currency standard of ancient Israel. When Zechariah said they “weighed for my price,” he meant a transaction was being formally completed. A price was being assessed. A covenant was being sealed. And the price they put on the Son of God? Thirty pieces of silver — the price of a common slave in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:32).  The administrators of the Old Covenant — the ones who were supposed to know the scriptures better than anyone — assigned to the Son of God the value of a slave. Haha! And God called it “a goodly price.” There’s divine irony dripping from that verse. But God wasn’t offended — He was working.

מְחִיר mᵉchîyr price – purchase price, hire, sale value, the amount something is worth

You see, this is what you need to understand about God’s sovereignty. He does not operate reactively. He is never scrambling. Long before Judas ever walked into Caiaphas’s palace, long before the silver coins changed hands in the darkness of that meeting, God had already predetermined it, set it up by design, revealed it in prophecy and had it written through Zechariah. Why? Because the betrayal was the divine mechanism God needed to bring righteous judgment against the corrupt administration of the Old Covenant — those three shepherds, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people — who had enriched themselves while God’s sheep lived in poverty. That is what Jesus was addressing when He delivered the message — “I am the good shepherd.” He wasn’t just speaking a beautiful metaphor. He was continuing from the prophecy of Zechariah and was pronouncing and setting up the stage of the judgment of the three shepherd’s —  the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people. He was declaring that a new administration was coming, the administration of the good shepherd, and that the old one — the one that stole, killed, and destroyed — was about to be cut off. In this Easter month make sure you make some time to listen to our teaching on this The Passion: The Betrayal part 1  and The Passion: The Betrayal part 2, so that you can see and get a greater understanding  of the wisdom of God in Jesus’s betrayal.

Now, in understanding  all of this, what does this mean for you today? It means that whatever looks like the most devastating betrayal in your life is not outside of God’s script. The moment you see what they did to Jesus — and how God used the most treacherous moment in human history as the foundation for the greatest covenant ever established — you stop seeing betrayal the way the world sees it. You start seeing it as God’s setup for something greater. The events that gave us the gospel of Christ were established after His betrayal. It was all a part of God’s plan.  The New Testament — established on better promises, with better provisions, with Jesus Himself taking over from the three shepherd’s as the Good Shepherd and High Priest of a better covenant — and all came after His betrayal. Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the perfect sovereignty that You demonstrate through out all generations. Long before I was born, You had already written my redemption and salvation into history and sealed it with the blood of Jesus Christ. I declare that no betrayal, no conspiracy, no scheme of darkness can derail the purposes You have ordained for my life, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The sovereignty of God governs every detail of my life! What men intend for evil, God is turning for my good! I am hidden in the eternal script of God, and what He has written concerning me cannot be unwritten. I walk in the victory that was purchased at the price of the blood of the Lamb — no weapon forged against me shall prosper, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Easter And The Gospel of Christ

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Luke 24:44-48 KJV
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things.

Every year during this Easter season, millions of Christians celebrate — and that is a beautiful thing. But I want to ask you something today, something I have been asking God’s people for many years now: do you actually know what you are celebrating? Do you know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is? Not in general terms, not in the broad sense, but in the specific, precise, scripturally-defined sense? Because the gospel of Christ is not everything that is good to the ears from the Bible, even though there are many things in it that are “good news”.
See, the gospel of Christ is a specific message. It is not just everything good that you find the scriptures.  It’s a specific message with specific Words!  And that is what Jesus was emphasizing in our opening scripture when he was speaking to certain of His disciples when He said “These are the words”.  So there are specific Words!  And until you understand what that specific message is, you will never fully walk in what it has given you.
Sadly, most Christians were never taught about this so when you ask them they respond with all kinds of responses of what they think or what they were told; but never what the word says.

Now let’s look at what Jesus Himself said in our opening scripture. In one of His appearances after His resurrection.  This is striking — and I want you to notice the precision of what He is saying here. He said “These are the words.”  Wow! So, it’s not “all my words that I have spoken unto you”. Not “all the things that I have spoken unto you”, but “THESE are the words”! Glory to God! There are specific words, with a specific message!
He is pointing to something specific, something distinct from all the parables and teachings and miracles that filled the eye witness accounts of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And then He proceeded to detail and tell them what these specific words are — the things written in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning Himself, specifically He said the words: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day”.  There you have it! These are the words – that Christ must suffer, and die, and that he must rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins must be preached in His name among all nations. That is the gospel of Christ. That is what we celebrate at Easter.
This is what Easter is about!

εὐαγγέλιον euangelion gospel – good news, glad tidings, a joyful public announcement, the message of salvation

Now here is why this is so important for your life. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16-17 that these words, the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, and that in it — in this specific message — in these words that detail the Gospel of Christ — the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.  The righteousness of God is not revealed everywhere. It is not revealed in every good sermon. It is revealed in the gospel of Christ. It is expressed and activated in this specific message about the crucifixion—the death, the burial, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus Christ. That means if you do not understand what the gospel of Christ actually is, you will struggle to understand the righteousness of God. You will struggle to walk in it, or to access it, and walk in the reality of it. And that is exactly why so many children of God are living beneath their inheritance, and who they truly are.
But all this is what Easter is truly about!

The Apostle Paul teaches the same message that Jesus spoke about in our opening verse, and he teaches it beautifully in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
There it is. “These are the words.” This is the gospel. Not the Sermon on the Mount. Not the feeding of the five thousand. Not the healing of the ten lepers — as glorious as all of those things are. The gospel is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And historically, it was all fulfilled in Jesus Christ according to the scriptures — the things written in the law of Moses, the things written by the prophets, the things written in the psalms concerning Him.

μαρτύριον marturion testimony – witness, evidence, that which is attested, a solemn declaration, proof

Here is what grips me about this: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not writing fiction or religious philosophy. They are eyewitnesses. Jesus said it himself in Luke 24: “And ye are witnesses of these things.” That means that truly they saw it all happen. These men put their lives on the line to testify to what they saw — the arrest, the trial, the cross, the empty tomb, the risen Lord walking and talking and eating with them for forty days. These are the events that gave us the gospel. And these events, these very historical occurrences that took place under the same sun that rises over you this morning, are the foundation of everything we believe and have faith in. Hallelujah!
This is EASTER!  This is why Easter is not just a holiday. It is the annual reliving of the events that gave birth to the most powerful message in human history — the message that contains the eternal power of God unto salvation, healing, deliverance, and the manifestation of the righteousness of God in the earth!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the specific, powerful, and precise message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe today, that Jesus Christ lived and died and rose from the dead on the third day; and ascended into heaven and is alive today.  I thank You that through this gospel — I have Your righteousness in my spirit! And this righteousness is being fully revealed in every area of my life. I receive the fullness of that righteousness today and declare that I walk in it from faith to faith, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that is at work in my life today! Through the gospel of Christ, that I celebrate every Easter, I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!  Today, I fully accept what Jesus Christ did for me. And today, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I know what the gospel is, I believe it, I walk in it, and its power is working mightily in and through me. In the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: That the scripture might be fulfilled

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John 17:12 KJV
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

There is one phrase that, if you study the passion of Jesus Christ carefully, you will find echoing from event to event, from the garden to the arrest, from the trial to the crucifixion. It is a phrase that reveals the single most important governing principle of the life of Jesus Christ. And that phrase is this: that the scripture might be fulfilled. Every time you see it, stop. Don’t rush past it. Because what Jesus is showing you in those moments is his relationship with the written Word of God — and it is a relationship that should examine so that we could follow in His steps, the steps of this example.

Look at our opening scripture. Jesus is praying to the Father on the very night of his betrayal. He has already washed the disciples’ feet. He has already broken bread and passed the cup. He knows that within hours Judas will lead a band of armed soldiers into the garden to arrest him. And in the middle of all of this, He prays this: “Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Now this is extraordinary. He is saying that even concerning Judas — even in the matter of the betrayal — there was nothing He could do to save Judas. Not because He lacked the power. But because the scripture had already spoken concerning Judas. And the authority of the scripture cannot be overturned. You get it? God Himself will not violate His own written Word. That is how absolute the authority of scripture is!

γραφή graphē scripture – writing, the sacred writings, a document of divine authority, the Holy Scriptures

This should stop you in your tracks today. Think about this: throughout the entire ministry of Jesus, every time Satan came against Him, He said “It is written.” When the Pharisees challenged Him, He said “Have you not read?” When the disciples were confused, He opened the scriptures to them. And on the night of His own betrayal, when He could have called twelve legions of angels, He said instead — “How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled?” He submitted to the Word. He submitted to what was written. Even the Son of God lived in total submission to the authority of the scripture. And the Bible says that He left us an example that we should follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

But here is what grieves my heart: we have Christians who own Bibles and barely open them. We have children of God who are running from prophet to prophet, from conference to conference, looking for the power of God — and the Word of God is sitting right there in their homes, in their phones, in their tablets, untouched! Jesus said it plainly: “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” The error — the confusion, the defeat, the stagnation — it comes from not knowing the scriptures. Not knowing them. Not the power of God in general, but specifically not knowing the scriptures through which the power of God is accessed.

λόγος logos word – a word written, a statement, the expression of thought, the divine reason, the totality of word in meaning, thought and all expressed forms

And now look at what makes this even more astonishing. Jesus prays in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.“ He is asking to be restored to a glory He had before creation. What was that glory? John 1:1 tells you: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He is the Word. He is the living expression of the written Word. So when He says “Restore to me the glory I had before the world was,” He is saying restore to me my estate as the eternal Word of God in heaven. And what excites me about this is part is that, the Father answered His prayer, and Jesus was raised from the dead, and He ascended into heaven and there was a restoration of the glory He had before the world was where He is now and forevermore, Hallelujah! Over and above that I now know, that everything else He prayed for that day in His prayer, even concerning us was also answered, glory!
And this is why in Revelation 19, when He comes again on the white horse, His name is called the Word of God. Khayayayaa! The Father answered.
You need to settle this truth in you spirit, soul and body — though out all generations past and through out all eternity; everything changes and everything else has change and things are changing now and in the future things will change — governments, economies, relationships, kingdoms, even heaven and the earth will change — but the Word of God never changes! Heaven and earth shall pass away, He said, but my words shall not pass away.
So make up your mind today that you will build your life and live your life based on this Eternal Word Of God.
And do it unto the Lord, don’t do it for people to see or because people are watching you. Stand on the Word especially even in secret where there’s no one watching or to impress.
Give yourself to the scriptures no matter what. You will always win. When all is said and done, you will always be victorious, you will always emerge on top. The scripture cannot be broken, the scripture will be fulfilled. The scriptures are your life.
That is the life. That has always been the life. And it will always be the life.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the eternal, living, and unchanging authority of Your written Word. Just as Jesus submitted his entire life to the scriptures, I commit today to give myself fully to the Word of God and to prayer. Let Your Word dwell in me richly, governing every decision and declaration of my life, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The Word of God is my foundation and it will never change! I am not ignorant of the scriptures — I know them, I meditate on them, and I live by them! Kingdoms rise and fall, but the Word of God is settled forever, and my life is built on that rock. The power of God flows through me because I know the scriptures, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Betrayal & The Cogitations of Jesus

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Psalm 55:12-14
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

One of the most powerful things that we discover when studying the trial of Jesus is that the prophets and the Psalms give us something that the eyewitness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do not. The Gospels give us the external account — what people saw, what was said, what was done. But the prophets and the Psalms? They give us the cogitations of Jesus Christ. They give us what was happening inside of Jesus’s mind, inside of His heart, inside of His thoughts while He was going through these things. This is incredible!

When Judas came to the garden and kissed Jesus, and Jesus said to him, “Friend, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” — what was going on in Jesus’s heart at that moment? Psalm 55 reveals it. He was saying, “It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it.” He says, “If it was an enemy, I could have handled it.” But then He says, “But it was you — a man, my equal, my guide, and my close friend. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” These are the thoughts and feelings of Jesus when His own friend, Judas, betrayed Him.

And then Psalm 41:9 adds to this: Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But look at what follows in the very next verse — But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up. Even in the anguish of betrayal, Jesus turned His heart toward the Father! He said, “By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.”

Now when Jesus was arrested and brought before Caiaphas the high priest and the council, the Bible says that all His disciples forsook Him and fled. And Peter followed from afar off. What was going on in Jesus’s heart at that moment? Psalm 38:11 reveals it: “My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.”

שִׂיחַ siyach meditation –  thought, musing, complaint, inner dialogue

He is watching Peter from the corner of His eye, sitting with the servants, warming himself by the fire — at a distance. His friends, His disciples, the ones He called “my lovers and my friends” — they all stood afar off. And the scripture was being fulfilled. And then Psalm 38 goes on and reveals even more of what was happening in Jesus’s mind when the false witnesses and the leaders were accusing Him. Verse 12 says, “They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.” He saw through every trap. He saw every snare that they set. He knew their mischief. And what did He do? Verse 13: “But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.”

And when the false witnesses rose up and lied against Him, what was going on in His heart? Psalm 27:12-14: “Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.” He said they breathe out cruelty! And then, even in that moment of distress, look at His faith: “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

חָרָשׁ charash deaf – silent, still, speechless, holding peace, ploughing through in silence

How touching. How truly touching. Even in His darkest hour, the cogitations of Jesus’s heart were full of faith, full of trust in the Father. When His friend betrayed Him, He turned to the Father. When His disciples fled, He turned to the Father. When false witnesses accused Him, He said, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord.” That is how you get through a trial, beloved. You let the Word of God be the meditation of your heart. You turn to the Father in the midst of every betrayal, every false accusation, every abandonment. The thoughts of your heart matter. Guard them. Fill them with faith in God. That is what Jesus did and that is what we must do.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for revealing to me through the Psalms and the prophets the beautiful cogitations of Jesus’s heart during His trial. Thank You for showing me that even in His darkest hour, His thoughts were fixed on You, full of faith and trust in Your goodness. I receive grace today to guard my heart and fill my thoughts with Your Word in every trial, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My heart is fixed on the Lord! In the midst of every trial, every false accusation, and every betrayal, the meditations of my heart are faith in God and trust in His Word. I will not faint, because I believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I wait on the Lord, and He strengthens my heart!

The Passion: The Silence of The Lamb — Prophecy Fulfilled

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Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

The trial of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus Himself had said in Luke 24:44 that “all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Everything. Every detail. And one of the most striking prophecies fulfilled in the trial was the silence of Jesus before His accusers. The prophet Isaiah prophesied it over seven hundred years before it happened — “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.”

Now this is where it becomes so beautifully profound. When the chief priests and the elders and all the council sought false witnesses against Jesus to put Him to death, the Bible says they found none. Though many false witnesses came, their testimonies did not agree together. They couldn’t find consistent testimony! Why? Because Jesus was innocent. He was faultless. And finally, at the last, two false witnesses came and said, “This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.” And the high priest arose and said to Jesus, “Answer you nothing? What is it which these witness against you?” And the Bible says in Matthew 26:63, “But Jesus held his peace.”

σιωπάω siōpaō held his peace – to be silent, to hold one’s peace, to keep still, to say nothing

He held His peace. He fulfilled the prophecy. He was as a deaf man that heard not. He was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth. The psalmist had prophesied this in Psalm 38:13-14: “But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.” And in that silence, while He refused to defend Himself against the lies, what was going on in His heart? The Psalm continues, “For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.” His silence was not weakness — it was faith!

And this pattern continued before Pontius Pilate. Matthew’s account says that when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. And Pilate said to Him, “Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?” And the Bible says He answered him never a word, insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Pilate marvelled! He had never seen anything like it.

θαυμάζω thaumazō marvelled – to wonder, to be astonished, to be struck with admiration or amazement

But here is the key — and don’t miss this: Jesus was silent before every false accusation. He did not respond to lies. He did not defend Himself against slander. But every single time they questioned His identity — “Are you the Christ? Are you the Son of God? Are you the King of the Jews?” — He responded. He opened His mouth for truth but closed it against falsehood. Did you catch that? He refused to dignify lies with a response, but He always bore witness to the truth of who He was!

And all of this was the fulfillment of prophecy. The whole passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — the betrayal, the trial, the mocking, the beating — according to the eyewitness accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, was the fulfillment of what was prophesied in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms. Jesus said, “All things must be fulfilled.” And they were. Every single thing. The Psalmist said false witnesses would rise up — they rose up. Isaiah said He would be silent — He was silent. The Psalm said His friends would stand afar off — Peter watched from a distance. Glory to God! The Word of God cannot fail. What God has spoken, what God has had written, must come to pass. It must be fulfilled. And if God has spoken a word over your life, beloved, it must be fulfilled! It will not return void. It shall accomplish that which He pleases.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the incredible revelation that the silence of Jesus before His accusers was the powerful fulfillment of Your Word. Thank You for the assurance that what You have spoken must come to pass. Every promise You have made concerning my life must be fulfilled, and I rest in that truth today, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I am a witness of the faithfulness of God! Every word that God has spoken concerning me must be fulfilled. Just as every detail of the trial of Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy, every prophetic word over my life is coming to pass. God’s Word does not fail. What He has written, what He has spoken, it shall be accomplished in my life, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Gospel of Substitution

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Matthew 27:20-22
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

The trial of Jesus was not just any ordinary trial — this was more than the trial of Jesus, the world and all of mankind was on trial on that day. Jesus was being tried in our place, but the difference is He was innocent, but all have fallen short of the glory God and so He came to take our place.
When Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, both Pilate and Herod examined Him and found no fault in Him. Pilate declared, “I find no fault in this man.” Herod found nothing worthy of death. Even Pilate’s own wife sent word to him saying, “Have nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” And even Judas, the one who betrayed Him, came back and confessed, “I have betrayed innocent blood.”

ἀθῷος athōos innocent – not guilty, guiltless, free from punishment, without fault

He was faultless. He was sinless. He was innocent. And this is key — because God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He had to be without fault. He had to be the spotless Lamb. And so when Pilate, in accordance with the custom of releasing one prisoner at the feast of Passover, set before the people a choice — Barabbas or Jesus — the gospel of substitution was being enacted before their very eyes. Now, Barabbas was no ordinary criminal. The Bible says he was a notable prisoner. He was a notorious criminal, a notorious murderer, the worst criminal in the land. And Pilate thought, “Surely there is no way they will choose Barabbas over Jesus.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitude. They doubled down. They tripled down. They provoked the people, telling them, “Ask for Barabbas!”

Βαραββᾶς Barabbas son of the father – Bar (son) + Abba (father); son of the father

And the people said, “Barabbas!” Now think about this. Barabbas means “son of the father.” And here stood Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of the Father. Two sons. One guilty — the worst sinner in the land. One sinless — the Lamb of God. And the people chose to release the guilty and condemn the innocent. This is the gospel of substitution taking place! This is what was being played out! The innocent one takes the place of the worst sinner. The spotless Lamb takes the place of the most notorious criminal. And because of sin each and every single one of us are represented by Barabbas. We were the guilty ones. We were the ones deserving of death. And Jesus took our place. He was numbered with the transgressors so that we could go free.

And in the midst of all of this, do you know what Jesus said before Pilate? He said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” He knew who He was. He knew His purpose. He knew where He was coming from, and He knew where He was going! Nobody ever spoke like Jesus! Even while being tried, beaten, spat upon, falsely accused — He was on top. He was never perturbed. He was never shaken!  He said, “I have come into this world for this cause…To this end was I born.” Hahaa!
He was born for this moment. He came into the world for this cause. Hey, can you speak like that? Can you communicate like that? Can you say, “To this end was I born”? If you are a child of God, born again, born of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God — you too were born for a purpose. You too came into this world for a cause. And no trial, no opposition, no false accusation can stop the purpose of God for your life! So get up and go for it!

But now, the people cried out, “Let Him be crucified!” And Pilate washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” And the people answered, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” My goodness!  And so we see Jesus — being tried by the religious authority, tried by the political authority, and tried by the democratic authority of the people — and was sentenced to be crucified. Three groups of authority tried and condemned Him. But God was using every single one of them to accomplish His divine purpose. The gospel of substitution was complete. The innocent Lamb took the place of Barabbas — and Barabbas is me and you. Glory to God!
So He took our place so that now, we could take and live in His place. He became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. Condemned so that we could go free. That is the gospel!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gospel of substitution. Thank You for giving Jesus to take my place so that I could go free. Thank You that just as He was born for this purpose, that I too was born for a divine purpose that no betrayal, trial and judgement, or persecution  can stop. I walk in the consciousness of His sacrifice and my purpose today, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus took my place!  And by His one sacrifice on the cross, He has perfected me forever and I am now free! I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I have come into this world for this cause. And to this end was I born — with unique divine purpose, a divine cause form the Father, so that I should bear witness unto the truth. No trial, no accusation, no opposition can stop the purpose of God for my life, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Behold the Lamb — Jesus, Our Passover

Study The Word

Exodus 12:5–7 
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”

When God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, He gave them a very specific instruction: take a lamb, a spotless lamb, a lamb without blemish, and slaughter it. Take its blood and put it on the doorposts of your house. That blood was the sign. That blood was the covering. That blood was the protection. And when the angel of death passed through the land, every house that had the blood of the lamb on its doorposts was passed over. Glory to God! That is the Passover. That is where it all began. And that lamb, that Passover lamb, was pointing to someone. It was pointing to Jesus Christ.

αμνός  amnos  Lamb  –  a lamb, used of Christ as the Lamb of God, the sacrificial offering

Now think about this: hundreds of years before Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, God had already set the pattern. God had already set the type. God had already shown Israel, and through Israel, the whole world, what He was going to do. He was going to provide a Lamb. His own Lamb. The Lamb of God. And in John chapter 1, verse 29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” How incredible is that? John saw Jesus and recognized Him for who He truly was — the fulfillment of every Passover lamb that had ever been slain. Every lamb that was slaughtered in Egypt was pointing to this moment. Every drop of blood on every doorpost was a prophetic shadow of the blood of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus was crucified during the feast of the Passover. He was not crucified at a random time. God orchestrated the timing of the crucifixion of His Son to coincide with the very feast that prophesied His death! The Passover lamb had to be without blemish — and Jesus was sinless. The Passover lamb had to be slain at a specific time — and Jesus was crucified at the appointed hour. The Passover lamb’s blood had to be applied — and the blood of Jesus was shed for the remission of the sins of the whole world. Hallelujah!

πάσχα  pascha  Passover  –  the paschal sacrifice, the paschal feast, the Passover meal and celebration

This is not a coincidence. There are no coincidences here, this is God’s divine plan unfolding with precision. The Apostle Paul puts it so beautifully in 1 Corinthians 5:7 when he says, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb. He is the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. He is the Lamb whose blood speaks better things. And just as the blood on the doorposts saved every household in Egypt from the angel of death, so the blood of Jesus Christ has saved us from eternal death, from the curse of sin, from every work of the enemy.

αίμα  haima  blood  –  blood, the blood of sacrificial victims, the atoning blood of Christ

So when Pilate had Jesus standing before him on the day of the preparation of the Passover and said, “Behold the man,” he didn’t even realize what he was doing. He was presenting the Passover Lamb to the people. God’s Passover Lamb was standing right there. And the people cried, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” And in so doing, the Passover Lamb was slain. The prophecy was fulfilled. The blood was shed. And because of that blood, because of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, you and I are free. We are passed over from death to life! Haha! That is the power of the Passover Lamb. That is the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Jesus Christ, my Passover Lamb, who was slain for me. I thank You that His blood was shed so that death would pass over me and so that I could walk in the fullness of life. I declare that the blood of the Lamb of God covers me, protects me, and has delivered me from every curse and every work of the enemy, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus Christ is my Passover Lamb! His blood is on the doorpost of my life! I am covered, I am protected, and I am delivered by the blood of the Lamb of God. Death has no power over me. The curse has no hold on me. I have passed from death to life because of the sacrifice of my Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Reproach and Broken Heart of Jesus

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Psalm 69:16–21 
Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

There are prophecies in the Word of God that give us something so precious, so deeply intimate, that you cannot read them and remain the same. The messianic psalms give us a perspective that the eyewitness accounts alone cannot give. They take us inside. They take us into the heart and the mind of Jesus Christ while He was on the cross. And Psalm 69 is one of those messianic psalms. This is incredible! This psalm reveals to us what was going on inside of Jesus during the crucifixion — what He was praying, what He was feeling, what He was saying to God while He hung there in agony.

חרפה  cherpah  reproach  –  reproach, shame, scorn, disgrace, dishonor

Think about this: Jesus had lived such a glorious life. His fame had spread abroad throughout the land. People were coming from everywhere to see Him, to be healed by Him, to hear Him teach. Just a week before His crucifixion, the people were hailing Him as He entered Jerusalem on the donkey. They were crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!” They were clapping. They were celebrating. They were praising. And just a few days later — just a few days later — He was on the cross. The same people who praised Him were now mocking Him. The same voices that cried “Hosanna” were crying “Crucify Him!” How wicked is that?

And here in Psalm 69, Jesus is pouring out His heart to God. He says, “Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour.” The shame! The dishonor! This is the Son of God! This is the one through whom all things were created. And He’s hanging on a cross, being mocked, being spat upon, being ridiculed. And then He says something that should break every heart that reads it: “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness.” The reproach broke His heart. Hey! The shame, the dishonor, the humiliation — it broke the heart of Jesus.

αγάπη  agape  love  –  God-kind love, unconditional love, lovingkindness, benevolence

And then He says, “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” All of His disciples had forsaken Him and fled. He looked for somebody to have empathy, somebody to stand by Him, somebody to comfort Him, and He found none. Ayaa! Whatever you are going through, whatever pain that you think you’re going through, whatever shame or dishonor or reproach you think nobody understands — look at Jesus. The Bible says we have not a high priest who was not touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are. Jesus knows what you’re going through. He was touched with the feelings of your weakness. He was touched with the feeling of that reproach, of that shame, of that dishonor.

And yet, in the midst of all this pain, in the midst of the broken heart and the heaviness, what does Jesus do? He prays. He cries out to God. He says, “Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good.” Even with a broken heart, He looks to the lovingkindness of God. Even in the darkest hour, He trusts in the tender mercies of the Father. That is faith! That is the faith of the Son of God! And the prophecy was fulfilled when they gave Him vinegar to drink — exactly as it was written. Glory to God! Every detail, every moment, every emotion — God knew it all. God saw it all. And God used it all for your redemption and mine.

חסד  chesed  lovingkindness  –  goodness, faithfulness, mercy, lovingkindness, steadfast love

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus was touched with the feeling of my infirmities. I thank You that He endured the reproach, the shame, and the broken heart so that I would never have to carry those things alone. I take comfort today in knowing that my Savior understands every pain I have ever felt, and His lovingkindness toward me is good, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Speak The Word
I am not alone in my pain. Jesus Christ, my High Priest, was touched with the feeling of my infirmities. He bore the reproach, the shame, and the broken heart for me. I cast every care upon Him because He cares for me. His lovingkindness sustains me. His tender mercies are new every morning. I am comforted by the Savior who knows exactly what I am going through, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Brazen Serpent — Looking Unto Jesus

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Numbers 21:8–9
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

There is a prophecy from the Torah, from the law of Moses, that gives us one of the most powerful pictures of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The children of Israel had sinned. They had spoken against God and against Moses. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. The people came to Moses repenting, crying out, “We have sinned! Pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents from us!” And Moses prayed for the people. But God did not take away the serpents. Instead, God gave a different instruction. He said, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole.”

נחש  nachash  serpent  –  serpent, snake; used figuratively of sin, the curse, the enemy

 God did not remove the problem. He provided a solution within the problem. He said, “Set the serpent upon a pole, and everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it, he shall live.” This is incredible! The very image of the thing that was killing them became the instrument of their healing when it was lifted up. And Jesus Himself referenced this prophecy in John chapter 3 verse 14 when He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Jesus was telling us that what happened in Numbers 21 was a prophetic picture of His crucifixion!

αφοράω  aphorao  looking unto  –  to fix one’s eyes upon, to turn the eyes away from other things and gaze steadily at

Now think about this: when Jesus was hanging on that cross, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.” God made Jesus to be sin. When God makes something, it becomes that thing. So Jesus, the sinless one, was made sin. He became the embodiment of every sin, every sickness, every curse, every iniquity of the whole world. Just as the serpent was lifted up on the pole, so Jesus was lifted up on the cross, bearing the sin of all mankind. And everyone who looks upon Him — everyone who believes in Him — shall live! Hallelujah!

υψόω  hypsoo  to lift up  –  to lift up on high, to exalt, to elevate; used of the crucifixion of Christ

And now the Apostle Paul takes this even further in Hebrews 12:2 when he says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Looking unto Jesus! Just as the children of Israel had to look upon the brazen serpent to live, we look unto Jesus! How do we look unto Jesus today? We look at Him as we look at His Word – the gospel.  We look at Him today as we look at the Words regarding His death burial and resurrection; in the law, the prophets, the psalms, the gospels and the epistles. That is what it means to behold the glory of God as in a mirror. And as we behold the glory of God as in a mirror we are changed, transfigured from glory to glory into the same image of the living Word of God. We fix our eyes upon the One who was lifted up for us, just like we are doing now in this series. And as we are looking upon Him, we don’t see condemnation — we see salvation. We don’t see sickness and disease — we see healing and divine health. We don’t see death — we see eternal life. We don’t see the curse — we see the one who became a curse for us so that we could receive the blessing. Haha! That is the gospel! That is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ! The serpent on the pole is a picture of Jesus on the cross — and everyone who looks upon Him lives. Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the prophetic picture of the brazen serpent that pointed to the cross of Jesus Christ. I thank You that just as everyone who looked upon the serpent lived, so I look unto Jesus and I have eternal life. I fix my eyes upon Him, the author and finisher of my faith, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith! He was lifted up on the cross for me, and because I behold Him, I live! Every curse is broken. Every sickness is defeated. I am healed, I am delivered, and I am made whole because the Son of Man was lifted up for me. I fix my eyes upon Jesus and I walk in life, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: His Body Was Broken — What Really Disfigured Jesus

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Isaiah 52:14; 53:4–6
As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men… Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The prophet Isaiah gives us the most detailed, the most vivid, the most breathtaking prophecy of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And there is something in this prophecy that many people miss. Many people focus on the lashing, on the beating, on the crown of thorns — on what the Roman soldiers did to the body of Jesus. And yes, that was terrible. Those whips with hooks that ripped off His skin, those were terrible. But listen to me carefully: that is not what this prophecy is primarily talking about. There is something else that happened to the body of Jesus. Something else more terrible and horrific that has never happened to any man ever disfigured Him. And this something else marred His appearance beyond recognition.

משחת  mishchath  marred  –  disfigurement, corruption, destruction; marring beyond recognition

The prophecy in Isaiah 52:14 says, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” More than any man! More than the sons of men! If the Bible says more than any man, it means there has never been a human body so disfigured before. Never. So that means that it couldn’t have been from the lashing then because Jesus was not the first or the last man to be lashed and crucified.  So, this prophecy is not referring to the lashing — because other criminals were lashed too. Other criminals received beatings, sometimes even worse beatings than what Jesus received. So this is not talking about the lashing. This is talking about something else that happened to the body of Jesus while He was on the cross. Something spiritual. Something that no other human body had ever experienced.

And what was it? Isaiah 53 verse 4 tells us: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” And verse 5: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” And verse 6: “The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This is what disfigured His body! When God put the sin of the whole world on Jesus — when He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us — the sicknesses, the diseases, the infirmities, the grief, the sorrows, the pain, the brokenness the shame of all humanity was placed upon His body. And it broke Him. It mangled Him. It disfigured Him more than the sons of men. Not the nails. Not the lashing. The sin of the whole world is what mangled it beyond recognition.

עון  ‘avon  iniquity  –  perversity, depravity, guilt, punishment for iniquity; the totality of sin and its consequences

This is what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” When God makes something into something it becomes that thing! God made Jesus to be sin. He put the sin of the whole world on Him. And that is what disfigured His body beyond anything any human had ever experienced. There is nobody’s body that has ever had the sin of the whole world put on it. Only the body of Jesus.

ραπίσμα  rapisma  stripes  –  wounds, welts, bruises; the marks of suffering that bring healing to others

And that is why there is no Christian that should allow any sickness, any disease, any infirmity, any disability to remain. You should refuse it! Because the Bible says that God put it on Jesus. He has borne our griefs. He has carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes — with those stripes and wounds and injuries that disfigured His body that came from the sin of the world being placed upon His body — we are healed. We are healed! Glory to God forever more!!!

That is what the crucifixion is about. That is what Easter is about. Jesus’ body was broken so that your body could be whole. Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the revelation that the body of Jesus was broken not by the lashing of soldiers, but by the weight of the sin of the whole world that You placed upon Him for my sake. I thank You that with His stripes I am healed, and I refuse every sickness, every disease, and every infirmity because Jesus already bore them in His own body, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all, and His body was broken for me! I am healed by His stripes. I refuse every sickness, every disease, and every infirmity because Jesus already bore them. His visage was marred for my wholeness. His body was disfigured for my healing. I walk in divine health because of what Jesus endured for me on the cross, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Made Righteous — The Price That Was Paid

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Isaiah 53:10–11 (KJV)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

There is a truth in the Word of God that once it drops into your spirit, you will never be the same again. You will never walk the same. You will never talk the same. You will never allow the devil to push you around the same way ever again. And that truth is this: your righteousness, your guiltlessness, your sinlessness, your blamelessness, faithfulness, agelessness, and deathlessness — it was paid for. Somebody paid for it. It was not given to you for free. It cost something. It cost everything. It cost the body and the soul and the blood of Jesus Christ. Glory to God! This is eternal life!

δικαιοσύνη  dikaiosune  righteousness  –  the state of being right, just, and acceptable before God; right standing with God

The prophecy says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him.” Why? Why would it please the Lord to bruise His own Son? Because of you! Because of me! It pleased the Lord to bruise Him because God saw the outcome. God saw that through the suffering of Jesus, many would be justified. Many would be made righteous. Many would be set free from sin and condemnation. And so God made the soul of Jesus an offering for sin. He put sin on Jesus. He put your sin and my sin on the sinless one. And through that offering, through that sacrifice, the Bible says, “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

 He shall justify many! That word “justify” means to declare righteous, to pronounce not guilty. There is an eternal declaration in the realm of the spirit from the throne of God that says “Not Guilty!” Hallelujaaaaah!!! Thank you Jesus!  Jesus bore our iniquities in His own body. Jesus bore my iniquity. And because He bore it, I don’t have to carry it anymore. Because He was made sin, I have been made the righteousness of God in Him. The exchange has been made. He took my sin and gave me His righteousness. He took my guilt and gave me His innocence. He took my condemnation and gave me His justification. This is incredible!

δικαιόω  dikaioo  justify  –  to declare righteous, to pronounce not guilty, to acquit, to render just and acceptable before God

And that is why the Apostle Paul was so bold. That is why he could declare in Romans 1:16–17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” Paul understood what happened on the cross. Paul understood that when God made Jesus to be sin for us, He did it so that the righteousness of God could be revealed in us. The gospel message is the power of God because in it the righteousness of God is revealed. Your sinlessness is revealed, your blamelessness, your guiltlessness, faithfulness, agelessness and deathlessness is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

אשם  ‘asham  offering for sin  –  guilt offering, trespass offering; a sacrifice made to atone for sin and restore right standing

So you must be bold about it! You must be bold about the righteousness of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus. Even when your heart condemns you, even when you make a mistake and your heart condemns you — God is greater than your heart! Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” No condemnation! Never let the devil lie to you. Never let the devil condemn you. Never allow condemnation from anyone or for anything, because of what Jesus went through for you. Jesus paid for it. Jesus suffered for it. Nobody can cheat me out of my righteousness. Nobody can rob me of my right standing in God. Haha! I am justified! Not guilty! Not guilty! Not guilty! Oh, glory to God! What a season to celebrate! This is Easter!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus’ soul was made an offering for sin so that I could be made the righteousness of God in Him. I thank You that I am justified, declared not guilty, because Jesus bore my iniquities in His own body. I stand boldly in the righteousness that was paid for by the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! I am justified! I am not guilty! Jesus paid for my righteousness with His own body and His own blood. No devil can cheat me out of my right standing with God. No condemnation can hold me because there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. I stand bold and I stand free, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Veil Is Torn — Cursed on the Tree for Us

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Mark 15:37–39
And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God…

Deuteronomy 21:22–23
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled.

When Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up His spirit, something extraordinary happened in the temple. The veil of the temple was torn in two — from the top to the bottom. Not from the bottom to the top, as if a man had torn it. From the top to the bottom, as if God Himself reached down and ripped it apart. And that veil was not a thin curtain. Historical accounts tell us it was thick, heavy, massive. No human hand could have torn it. But God tore it. And when He tore it, that old priesthood, that old administration, that old system of approaching God through animal sacrifices and human priests — it was over. It was finished. The sign was given. The physical, visible sign that everything had changed.

καταπέτασμα  katapetasma  veil  –  the inner veil of the temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place; the barrier between God and man

Think about this: that veil represented the separation between God and man. It was the barrier. Nobody could go beyond the veil except the high priest, and even he could only enter once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and only with blood. But when Jesus died, when He gave up His spirit, God tore that veil. The barrier was removed. The separation was destroyed. Access to the presence of God was now open — not just for the high priest, not just once a year, but for every believer, at all times, forever! Hallelujah! That is what the tearing of the veil means. You now have bold access to the throne of grace. You can come boldly before God at any time because the veil has been torn by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And when the centurion — this Roman soldier, a Gentile, a man who was not part of the covenant of Israel — when he saw how Jesus died, he declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” The very first confession of Christ after the crucifixion came from a Gentile. How prophetic is that? The veil is torn, and a Gentile confesses Christ. The old system is over, and the door is now open for all nations. Incredible!

κατάρα  katara  curse  –  an execration, a curse, an imprecation; the state of being under divine judgment

And now the Torah gives us another prophetic detail. Deuteronomy 21:22–23 says that if a man is hanged on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but he shall be buried that same day, “for he that is hanged is accursed of God.” And the Apostle Paul connects this directly to Jesus in Galatians 3:13: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Glory to God! Jesus was made a curse for us. He hung on the tree. He bore the curse so that the blessing of Abraham could come upon us. And Joseph of Arimathea came, and the body of Jesus was wrapped in linen and buried that very day — fulfilling the Torah to the letter.

λυτρόω  lytroo  redeemed  –  to release on receipt of ransom, to redeem, to liberate, to set free by paying a price

So you see it? The veil is torn — the old system is over and access to God is open TO ALL who come to Him by Jesus Christ. Jesus is made a curse on the tree — so that every curse is broken over your life. His body is buried that same day — fulfilling the law of Moses perfectly. Every single detail, from the law, from the prophets, from the psalms, was fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As Jesus Himself said, all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Him. And they were. Every single one. That is our gospel. That is our faith. That is what the crucifixion accomplished. Haha! Truly, this man was the Son of God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that the veil was torn from top to bottom so that I can come boldly before Your throne of grace. I thank You that Jesus was made a curse on the tree so that every curse is broken over my life. I thank You that every prophecy was fulfilled perfectly in Christ, and I stand in the fullness of His finished work, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The veil is torn and I have bold access to the presence of God! Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, being made a curse for me. Every curse is broken. Every barrier is removed. I come boldly to the throne of grace. I am redeemed, I am free, and I walk in the blessing of Abraham because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: My God, My God — Jesus Cries on the Cross

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Psalm 22:1–8, 14–18
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent… I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet… They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

When Jesus cried out from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — He was not merely crying out in anguish. He was also fulfilling prophecy. He was fulfilling the first verse of Psalm 22, a messianic psalm written by David a thousand years before the crucifixion. And this psalm gives us the most intimate, the most detailed perspective of what was happening inside the heart of Jesus while He was on the cross. If Isaiah gave us the outward perspective — what happened to His body — Psalm 22 gives us the inward perspective — what was happening in His heart, in His spirit, in His thoughts. That the Spirit of God would give to us this account and perspective. Incredible!  Remember when He said “that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me.”  (Luke 24:44)
This is one of them and, we will give the prophetic Psalm the red letters it deserves.

עזב  ‘azab  forsaken  –  to leave, to forsake, to abandon, to depart from; the experience of being left alone by God

What had happened? God had turned His back on Jesus. Why? Because Jesus now had the iniquity and the sin of the whole world upon Him. God had made Him to be sin. He had made His soul an offering for sin. And because God is holy, because God cannot look upon sin, He turned His face away from His own Son. And Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He says, “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not.” God was not hearing Him. God was not answering Him. The fellowship between the Father and the Son was broken because the sin of the whole world was now upon Jesus. Ayaa!

And then the psalm describes what was happening inside His body: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” His heart burst inside of His body! His heart ruptured! When the sin of the world came upon Him, when His soul was made an offering for sin, his heart could not bear it. It melted like wax. It ruptured. And when the soldier came and pierced His side, blood and water came out. Why? Because the blood and water from His ruptured heart had filled the cavity of His body. Hey! This is what was going on inside of Jesus while He hung on that cross. What a perspective! Thank you Holy Spirit!

לב  leb  heart  –  the inner man, the mind, the will, the heart; the seat of emotions, courage, and life

And yet, in the midst of this unimaginable suffering, the psalm does not end in despair. It turns. In verse 22, Jesus declares, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” Even while His heart was rupturing, even while God had turned His face away, Jesus was looking ahead by faith. He was looking at you. He was looking at me. He was looking at every nation, every tribe, every tongue that would come to worship God because of what He was about to accomplish on that cross.

שׂבר  sabar  hope  –  to look, to wait, to hope, to expect; a confident expectation of future deliverance

And then in verse 27: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.” That is you! That is me! That is us! Jesus, while hanging on the cross, while His heart was melting like wax inside His body, was looking at us by faith and declaring that all the nations of the world would turn to God and worship Him. That was His faith. That was what sustained Him. The joy that was set before Him. That was the voice of the faith of the Son of God echoing in His heart whilst He hung on the cross!  Hallelujah! And the psalm closes in verse 31: “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” He has done this! It is finished! The work is complete. Jesus did it, Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus who endured the agony of being forsaken by You so that I would never have to be forsaken. I thank You that His heart was broken so that my heart could be made whole. I thank You that by His faith on the cross, all the nations have come to worship You, and I am among them, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Speak The Word
My God has never forsaken me because Jesus was forsaken in my place! His heart was broken so mine could be whole. I am part of the great congregation that praises God because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. All the ends of the earth worship before Him, and I declare His righteousness to my generation — He has done this! It is finished, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: He Was Buried — The Confirmation of His Death

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Matthew 27:57–66
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

There are some people who dispute the fact that Jesus Christ actually died. Some people went about saying that He faked His death, that it was staged, that money was involved in a plot during Jesus’s day to make it all look real. Even Pilate initially couldn’t believe it — “He’s already dead?” But the scriptures are very clear: Jesus died. He truly died. And then He was buried. And the burial of Jesus Christ is one of the most important details of the gospel because it confirms beyond all doubt that He was truly dead. You cannot bury someone who is alive. The body was taken down from the cross. It was wrapped in clean linen. It was placed in a tomb. And a great stone was rolled to seal it.

θάπτω  thapto  buried  –  to bury, to entomb, to inter a body; the act of placing the dead in a sepulchre

But it gets even more powerful than that. The chief priests and the Pharisees — those same characters who plotted His death — they came to Pilate and said, “Sir, remember that this deceiver said while He was yet alive, after three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead.”
The enemies of Jesus actually confirmed that He was dead! They wanted the tomb secured because they knew He had prophesied His own resurrection.  That right there is proof that Jesus was truly dead. They didn’t know that all their attempts to cover this up was providing the evidence and confirmation of His death and subsequent resurrection.

קבר  qabar  grave  –  to bury, to be buried; a burial place, a sepulchre, a tomb

And Pilate said unto them, “You have guards. Go your way. Make it as sure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting a guard. They sealed the tomb. They posted soldiers. They did everything in their power to make sure that Jesus stayed dead and buried. But here’s what they didn’t understand: you cannot seal what God has destined to open. You cannot guard against the power of the resurrection. You cannot prevent the purposes of God with lies, bribes, stones and soldiers. Glory to God! The folly of the enemies of Jesus back then and even today is that, they never realized that God’s wisdom is such that every attempt to disprove the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ does the opposite, it produces more evidence.

σφραγίζω  sphragizo  sealing  –  to seal, to set a seal upon, to mark with a seal for security or authentication

The confirmation of Jesus’s death, the sealing of the tomb, and the stationing of trained guards — who would themselves become eyewitnesses — effectively dismantles any theory that the timid disciples could have orchestrated a body theft. What this does is shift the burden of proof entirely onto the chief priests and the leaders of the people. If the resurrection was a hoax they had already anticipated and warned against, they now owed the world a body to disprove it.
No credible argument can place frightened, fleeing disciples on a suicide mission against armed men. This means the onus falls squarely on the chief priests and rulers — claiming that the resurrection was a fabricated prophecy, the most obvious counter was to produce the body. Where’s the body? They never could produce the body. Haha!

Think about this, the prophet Isaiah had already spoken of this burial hundreds of years before. Isaiah 53:9 says, “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” The chief priests and the leaders of the people were the prominent and wealthy figures of the nation of Israel at the time.  Joseph of Arimathea who asked for the body of Jesus, was also a rich man. And he laid the body of Jesus in his own new tomb. The prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. He made His grave with the rich in His death. Every detail of the gospel was spoken of in the law, in the prophets, and in the psalms – all fulfilled.  Jesus died. Jesus was buried. And the tomb was sealed. But the story doesn’t end there. Hallelujah! Because what God has purposed, no man can seal against. The burial was confirmed. But the resurrection was coming!

Pray The Word

Heavenly Father, I thank You that every detail of the gospel was fulfilled according to the scriptures — including the burial of Jesus Christ. I thank You that His burial confirms the reality of His death and the certainty of His resurrection. No stone, no seal, and no guard could stop Your plan of salvation, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word

Jesus Christ was truly buried, and His burial was confirmed by eyewitnesses, by His enemies, and by the fulfillment of prophecy. No power of man could keep Him in the grave! What God has purposed, no stone can seal and no guard can prevent. The gospel is established on fact, on prophecy, and on the power of God. I stand on these unshakeable truths, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Three Days in the Heart of the Earth

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Matthew 12:39–40
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

When the religious leaders came to Jesus demanding a sign, demanding proof, demanding evidence of who He was, Jesus gave them only one sign. He didn’t perform a miracle for them on the spot. He didn’t do something spectacular to satisfy their curiosity. He pointed them to a prophecy. He pointed them to the prophet Jonah. He said, “There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.” This is incredible!
Out of all the signs He could have given them, out of all the miracles He had already done, Jesus chose the sign of Jonah as the ultimate proof of who He was. Why? Because the sign of Jonah pointed to the burial, His descension and His resurrection — the most important events in human history. What kind of a person do you have to be to make such a public announcement?
I love Jesus! He said, this is the sign, now here is what I’m going to do: “I’m going to die, and then after I die, I’m going to go to hell – the heart of the earth – where all the dead reside, Satan and the cohorts of hell reside and on the third day I’m going to come back alive from there.” And then He said, “The men of Nineveh… they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:41) Haha! Listen, nobody spoke like Jesus!  He said “a greater than Jonah is here!” Why? Because Jonah came out of the belly of the fish and that was impressive, but he too died but couldn’t come out from the heart of the earth, but I am. Not only that, I am going to bring him out with me! Ayaaa!  And that will be your sign.

σημεῖον  semeion  sign  –  a sign, a mark, a token, a miracle that points to a greater spiritual reality

Now think about this: Jonah chapter 1 verse 17 says, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” And Jesus said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”  Keeping in mind that what Jonah went through was prophetic regarding the burial of Jesus Christ and also that He would also descend to hell – at the heart of the earth! He didn’t say He was going to be crucified and as soon as He is crucified He would immediately go to be “in paradise” or in heaven, no.  He revealed here that He was first going to go to a location that Paul would refer to as “under the earth”. (Philippians 2:10)  This is the location that is used to describe where the dead, and all the demonic entities reside. That is the location where the scriptures point to be where hell is.
So Jesus revealed that He was going to go under the earth for three days and three nights. The belly of the great fish was a foreshadow of the belly of the earth. The three days and three nights were a prophetic timeline of how long Jesus would be buried. And just as the fish vomited out Jonah upon the dry land after three days, so Jesus would come out of the grave after three days from the heart of the earth, Hallelujah!

καρδία  kardia  heart  –  the heart, the center, the innermost part; used of the heart of the earth, the deepest depths

And here’s what makes this even more powerful: Jesus chose this as the only sign He would give to that generation. What was hidden in the sign? What was the key? Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights and he came out.  So the sign regarding Jonah was the coming out of the belly of the earth after the third day – which is the sign that points to Jesus’s resurrection and also His conquest of Satan and all the cohorts of hell. So the resurrection is the sign, the resurrection is the proof. The resurrection is the evidence. Hence if someone asks you, “How do you know that Jesus is who He says He is?” — the answer is the resurrection. He died. He was buried for three days and three nights He came back from the dead alive.
And not just that, it is imperative that you disclose where He was coming back from the dead from. Not that He just rose, no. But that He died and went to heart of the earth where hell, the devil, and all demons reside and He came back out from there!

Listen, nobody had ever come back from there until Jesus went! Whoooo-Hoooo!!!!! And Matthew 27:52-53 proves to us that this is where Jesus went as soon as He died, because the bible says He came back from there with some folks – the old testament saints. The bible says “52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

That is significant to the sign that Jesus gave. That is the sign of Jonah. That is the sign that Jesus Himself said would be given to the world. And it was fulfilled.
So we go about everywhere preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is risen! Hallelujah! But it doesn’t end there, He came back from the place where the dead, the devil and all the cohorts of hell reside. That’s where He rose from the dead from, victorious of Satan and all the cohorts of hell!

דג  dag  fish  –  a fish, a great fish; used prophetically as a type of the grave that swallows and then releases

And what was happening during those three days and three nights in the heart of the earth? Jesus was not idle. Jesus was not resting in some kind of sleep. As we’re going to see, Jesus descended. He went to Sheol. He went into the belly of the earth. And what He accomplished there during those three days and three nights changed everything — for Abraham, for the saints of old, for Satan, and for you and me. The sign of Jonah is not just about the burial. It’s about what happened during the burial and what happened when He came out. Glory to God! Jonah came out of the belly of the fish and preached to Nineveh and the whole city repented. Jesus came out of the heart of the earth and gave us the gospel that is turning the whole world to God! Haha! That is the sign of the prophet Jonah!

Pray The Word

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the sign of the prophet Jonah — that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so Jesus was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and He came out victorious. I thank You that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate sign and the ultimate proof of the gospel, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word

The sign of Jonah is fulfilled in my Savior! Jesus was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and He came out in resurrection power! This is the sign that proves all things. My faith is not built on feelings or opinions but on the prophesied, fulfilled, and confirmed resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is alive, and because He lives, I live also, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Jesus Descended to Hell

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Psalm 16:9–10
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

There is a messianic psalm that reveals something about the burial of Jesus Christ that most people never think about. Psalm 16 is a prophecy of the burial, and it is also a prophecy of the resurrection. And tucked inside this psalm is one of the most staggering truths of the gospel: Jesus Christ went to hell. He descended to Sheol. He went to hell in my place. He went to hell for me so that I will never have to go to hell. Hey! Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus!

שׁאול  she’ol  hell  –  the underworld, the abode of the dead, the grave, the pit; the realm of departed spirits

Think about this: every person who had sin, every sinner, had to go to hell. That was the law. The soul that sins shall die. And Jesus Christ had been made sin for us. God put all the sin of the whole world on Him. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin. So Jesus went to hell legally. He was there because He had been made sin. All of the sin of the whole world was on Jesus. And so He descended to the lower parts of the earth. He went to Sheol.

But here is the declaration of faith in the psalm: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” God was not going to leave Him there! Jesus went to hell, but hell could not keep Him. He went there for a purpose, for a mission, for three days and three nights. And then God brought Him out. God did not allow His Holy One to see corruption. His body did not decay. His soul was not permanently consigned to Sheol. He went in with purpose and He came out with power! Glory to God!

שׁחת  shachath  corruption  –  a pit, destruction, corruption, decay; the process of decomposition in the grave

And here’s the beauty of it: the psalm says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Even while His body was in the tomb, even while His soul was in Sheol, there was hope. There was faith. There was a confident expectation that God was going to bring Him out. His flesh rested in hope. His heart was glad. Why? Because He knew that the Father would not leave Him there. He knew that the resurrection was coming. He knew that corruption could not touch Him.

καταβαίνω  katabaino  descended  –  to go down, to descend, to come down from a higher to a lower place

And because Jesus went to hell in my place, I never have to go there. He took my punishment. He bore my sentence. He went where I should have gone so that I could go where He is going. He descended so that I could ascend. He was buried so that I could be raised. He entered Sheol so that I could enter the presence of God. Ayaa! That is what the burial of Jesus Christ accomplished. He didn’t just die for me. He didn’t just bleed for me. He went to hell for me! And He came out so that I could come out with Him. That is the gospel! That is the power of the resurrection!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus descended to Sheol in my place. I thank You that You did not leave His soul in hell, and You did not allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Because He went to hell for me, I never have to go there. My eternal destiny is secured by His sacrifice, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus Christ went to hell in my place! He bore my sentence and took my punishment so that I never have to face eternal separation from God. His soul was not left in Sheol. His body did not see corruption. He came out of the grave in resurrection power, and because He lives, I live also. Hell has no claim on me. Death has no power over me. I am free because of Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: He Spoiled Principalities and Powers

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Colossians 2:14–15
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Something earth-shaking happened in Sheol the day Jesus was buried. Something that changed the balance of power in the universe forever. When His soul descended, every principality, every power, every demon, Satan himself — they were all assembled there. And they believed they had won. They had Him in their custody, and legally so, because He had been made sin — the sin of the whole world was laid on Him and He had to go to hell. There was no way around it. But they were playing right into God’s hands all along. Because they had no idea what kind of person was about to walk through those gates.

ἀπεκδύομαι apekdyomai spoiled – to strip off, to divest, to disarm completely; to strip an enemy of weapons and armor

To get the full picture, you have to follow the sequence of events. Jesus could not die physically until He had first died spiritually. His spiritual death happened on the cross when He cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani!” That was the moment the Father — who had dwelt in Him (John 14:10) — turned away. The Spirit of God who had descended on Him like a dove three years prior departed. He was made sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He bore the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6), and in that instant He died spiritually. He was still breathing physically, but He was now spiritually dead — and that made physical death possible.

מוּת מוּת mûth mûth surely die – die, certain death

To understand this fully, look at Adam — whom the Bible calls “the first man Adam” and Jesus “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). When God said “in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die,” Adam ate — and he did die that very day. Not physically; he was still walking around in a body. But he had died spiritually. His physical death came centuries later (Genesis 5:5). Two deaths — spiritual first, physical second. Now with Jesus, both deaths happened in one day on the cross. And what follows death in reverse order is new life — spiritual rebirth first, then physical resurrection.

ἀρχή archē principality – chief ruler, magistrate, high power, high authority

The moment the full penalty for sin was paid and Jesus died physically, His spiritual rebirth was instantaneously activated. He was “justified in the spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16) and became “the first begotten of the dead” (Revelation 1:5). Did you catch that? He is the first to ever come back from spiritual death — not physical death. Many had been raised from physical death before Him. But no one had ever died spiritually and been reborn, receiving a new spirit, a new life, a new creation nature — not until Jesus paid it all. And it was this new creation Jesus, first begotten of the dead, who descended into Sheol. The person Satan was expecting never showed up. A brand new Man walked in instead.

πρωτοτόκος prōtotokos firstbegotten – first born

And what did that Man do? The Bible says He spoiled principalities and powers. He stripped them. He disarmed every one of them. He took away every weapon, every authority, every ounce of power they had. And then He made a show of them openly. He paraded them! Hahaa! Can you picture it? Abraham was there watching. David was watching. Isaac was watching. Isaiah — who had prophesied about this very moment — watched Jesus line up Satan and the demons single file, as prisoners, as captives, and march them in a victory parade before all the saints of old!

δειγματίζω deigmatizo made a show – to make a public example, to expose to public disgrace, to parade in triumph

There was a show. There was a battle. There was a fight. And Jesus won! Glory to God! And then He took back from Satan the Adamic authority — the authority God gave to Adam, that Adam handed over to Satan on the very day he died in the garden. Legally, Satan had that authority. It was given to him through a legal transaction at the fall. But Jesus walked into hell and reversed every single bit of it. When He rose from the dead, He could declare with total legitimacy: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Every principality. Every power. Every ruler of darkness. All of them — defeated, stripped, made captive. Hallelujah!

ἐξουσία exousia power – authority, right, privilege, the power of rule or government; delegated authority

And now here is what makes this personal to you. Everything Jesus did in Sheol — He did in your place. In the mind of God, you did it. You defeated Satan. You stripped him of his power. You paraded him in defeat. This means you should never, ever, be afraid of Satan, of demons, of principalities, or powers of darkness. They are already defeated. Jesus defeated them for you, in your place, and because He did — you are Satan’s master. Satan is a lawful captive of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which means he is a lawful captive of yours. Haha! Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus spoiled principalities and powers, stripped Satan of all Adamic authority, and triumphed over every ruler of darkness in Sheol. I thank You that He rose as the first begotten of the dead and declared all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him. I walk in complete and total revelation of what Jesus did for me in those three days; Him being born again and descending to hell in my place and defeating Satan and striping him of that authority. Thank you Father that I walk in the knowledge that Satan and all the cohorts of hell are defeated, disarmed, and an exposed enemy that is forever under my feet, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus Christ spoiled principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of every one of them — they are disarmed, defeated, and paraded in shame! All authority in heaven and in earth belongs to my Lord Jesus Christ, and He has delegated that authority to me. Jesus defeated Satan in my place, which means I defeated Satan. I am Satan’s master, and no demon, no principality, no power of darkness has any authority over my life. I walk in the authority of the risen, triumphant Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: He Led Captivity Captive — The Saints of Old Arose

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Ephesians 4:8–10
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

After Jesus had defeated Satan and spoiled principalities and powers in Sheol, something else happened that is one of the most amazing events in all of scripture. A lot of things took place simultaneously during this time period of His death, burial and resurrection that the scripture reveal.  Another one of those things is that the Bible says in Ephesians 4:8 that “when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive.” What does that mean? Who was this captivity that He led captive? Many people have said a lot about this in past but when you study carefully you’ll discover that this was referring to Abraham and the saints of old. All those Old Testament saints who had believed that the Messiah was coming — they were in Abraham’s bosom.  Now what is Abrahams bosom?

Abraham’s bosom is the place that was a waiting place for the righteous dead separated from hell with a big gulf.  This is the information that the scriptures give us from Jesus Himself about this place.  So before Jesus came and paid the full penalty for sin everyone that died a believer in the God of Abraham and the coming Mashiach went to Abraham’s bosom. You couldn’t go to heaven.  So when Jesus descended to hell, all those who were waiting for Him in Abraham’s bosom saw Him from across the gulf defeating Satan and all his cohorts. So Abraham was there watching. Isaac was there. Jacob was there. David was there. All the saints of old were there in Abraham’s bosom, which was a separate place in Sheol, a place God had prepared for them. (Luke 16:21 – 22)

αιχμαλωσία  aichmalsia  captivity  –  captivity, a body of captives; those held prisoner who are now set free

But even though they were in Abraham’s bosom – a good and protected place that was prepared by God as a waiting place in hell but in its own place separate from the tormenting side of hell. But because Jesus hadn’t yet come they were still lawful captives of Satan. They were still in Sheol.  Jesus teaching about this place said that in Abraham’s bosom they are comforted but on the other side of hell they were tormented. (Luke 16:24 – 25) But this place was not heaven at all.  They were all in hell still waiting for the Messiah to come and set them free. And Jesus went to fetch them! Hallelujah!

He went to go and get Abraham and all the saints of old out. And when they saw Jesus, they were shouting and cheering, “I knew that our redeemer lives! My redeemer lives! He has come! Our redeemer lives! We knew that He would come!!” Job didn’t stop saying it, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” (Job 19:25-27)

And the day came. The wait was finally over, and they saw Him.  They had been waiting for Him. And He went there to Abraham’s bosom after He had whipped and paraded Satan and He preached to them.  Oh what a day that was!  Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” Jesus went to Abraham’s bosom and declared the name of God unto the brethren, and He praised God in their midst. Haha, glory to God!

And then something extraordinary happened. Matthew 27:52–53 tells us: “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” Did you catch that? The graves were opened! The bodies of the saints that slept arose! They came out of the graves after His resurrection! Abraham came out. David came out. All the saints of old came out. And they went into the holy city and appeared unto many. They were seen! People saw them!

εγείρω  egeiro  arose  –  to wake up, to arouse from sleep, to raise from the dead, to cause to appear

So when people say they have a problem with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I’ve got news for them. Jesus didn’t rise by Himself! He led captivity captive! He came out with the saints of old! Abraham came out! Jacob came out! Isaac came out! All those who believed and said, “I know that my redeemer cometh. My redeemer lives. He’s coming. And He’s not going to leave us here.” They were all waiting for Jesus in Abraham’s bosom. And He went and He fetched them. And when He arose, He didn’t rise by Himself. He came out and they came out with Him. They appeared unto many. They went into the holy city. Glory to God! That is what it means when it says He led captivity captive!

גאל  ga’al  redeemer  –  to redeem, to act as kinsman-redeemer, to buy back, to rescue from captivity

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. He went down to the lowest. He went to Sheol. He defeated Satan. He freed the captives. He led them out. And then He ascended to the highest — far above all heavens. From the deepest depth to the highest height. That is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is the power of the resurrection!

And guess what, Jesus is coming again! He is coming back to get us oh glory to God! And I am now here and I’m still saying it “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another!”

Hallelujaaaah!!!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus led captivity captive. He descended to Sheol, defeated Satan, freed the saints of old, and arose with them in triumph. I thank You that He who descended is the same who ascended far above all heavens, and I am a partaker of His victory today. And this Jesus whom the disciples saw ascend is coming again in like manner as they saw Him go, and I wait with great anticipation for that day in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus Christ led captivity captive! He descended to the lowest depths and ascended to the highest heights. The graves were opened and the saints arose because of His resurrection power. That same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me. I am no longer Satan’s captive — I am free! Being led in Jesus’s triumphal procession. He that descended is the same that ascended, and He fills all things, including my life, and He is coming back again in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Why Do You Seek The Living Among The Dead?

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Luke 24:1–8
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.

It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women came to the tomb bringing spices. They were coming to anoint a dead body. They were expecting to find Jesus where they had last seen Him — in the grave, wrapped in linen, behind a sealed stone. But when they arrived, the stone was rolled away. They entered the sepulchre and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. He wasn’t there! The tomb was empty! And as they stood there perplexed, trying to understand what had happened, two men in shining garments appeared and spoke the most powerful words in all of human history: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”

ζάω  zao  living  –  to live, to be alive, to have life; the one who possesses life in himself and gives life to others

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?” What a question! What a declaration! They were looking for Jesus in a graveyard. They were looking for the Author of Life among the dead. They were looking for the Resurrection and the Life in a tomb. He had said “I am the resurrection and the life”.  (John 11:25) And the angel said, “Why? Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is not here! Jesus is not here.” He’s not in the grave. He’s not in the tomb. He’s not among the dead. “He is risen! Like He said.” Like He prophesied. Like the scriptures declared. He is risen!

φοβέω  phobeo  fear  –  to put to flight, to terrify, to be struck with fear; overwhelming awe in the presence of divine power

I wish I was there to hear that angel speak. Just think about it. The authority in that voice. The joy in that declaration. “He is not here, but is risen!” And then he reminds them: “Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And the Bible says, “And they remembered his words.” They remembered! Everything Jesus had told them was now coming back. The prophecies, the promises, the declarations — all of it was true. He said He would rise, and He rose. Glory to God!

ανίστημι  anistemi  risen  –  to raise up, to rise from the dead, to stand up again; the act of resurrection from death to life

And here is something beautiful: the women were the first to receive the news of the resurrection. They were the first to preach the resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women who told these things unto the apostles. The women preached the resurrection first! And what did the men do? The Bible says, “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” The men didn’t believe! Peter even went and ran to the tomb and departed wondering. But the women believed. The women received. The women proclaimed. What a testimony!

And Matthew’s account adds another detail: when the angel descended from heaven with a great earthquake and rolled back the stone, the guards who had been posted by the chief priests — those soldiers who were supposed to keep Jesus in the tomb — “for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” The very guards who were there to prevent the resurrection fainted at the sight of the angel! All the seals, all the stones, all the soldiers, all the schemes of the enemy could not keep Jesus in the grave. He is not here! He is not here! He is not here! He is risen! Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus is not in the grave. He is risen! I thank You that just as He died in my place, went to hell in my place, defeated Satan in my place – when He was raised from the dead I was raised together with Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
He is not here — He is risen! Jesus Christ is alive! I do not seek the living among the dead. My Savior has conquered the grave. No stone could hold Him. No seal could bind Him. No guard could keep Him. He is risen, just as He said! And because He lives, I live. I was raised together with Him. I walk in resurrection life. I walk in resurrection power, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Tell His Disciples and Peter

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Mark 16:6–7
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

There are moments in scripture that reveal the heart of God in such a tender, such a personal, such an intimate way that they just stop you in your tracks. And Mark’s account of the resurrection contains one of those moments. The angel tells the women at the tomb: “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter.” Tell his disciples and Peter. How touching.  He didn’t just say, “Tell his disciples.” He said, “Tell his disciples and Peter.” He singled Peter out. He named Peter specifically. Why? The angel was instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ to make sure that Peter knows. Hallelujah!

αποκαθίστημι  apokathistemi  restored  –  to restore to a former condition, to reestablish, to bring back to the original state

Ok, so why did Jesus single out Peter? Because Peter had denied Him. Three times. Remember when Jesus was standing behind Peter, and Peter didn’t know that Jesus was in the vicinity? And Peter was cursing, saying, “I do not know this man! I have nothing to do with this man!” The bible says Peter was swearing and cursing, but he didn’t know that Jesus was close by hearing and seeing everything.  And then Peter looked up behind him and saw Jesus, and Jesus was standing there in chains looking right at him. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. He was broken. Peter was shattered. He was consumed with guilt and shame. He had failed the Lord in the most terrible way. He had denied the one he loved, the one he had promised to die for.

And Peter probably felt that he was disqualified in that moment. After what he had done, how could the Lord accept him? How could the Lord still want him? He felt unworthy after this incident.  How could he be a part of the celebrations of the resurrection after such an embarrassingand shameful denial of Jesus? He probably didn’t feel worthy to be among the disciples anymore.  Peter quit that day. Imagine, Peter quit. But Jesus knew. Jesus knew what Peter was going through. And that is why He specifically told the angel: “Tell my disciples and Peter.” Make sure Peter knows that I am risen. Make sure Peter knows that I still want him. Jesus instructed the angel to make sure Peter knows that he is still a part of this.

αγάπη  agape  love  –  unconditional love, God-kind love, giving and forgiving, unchanging and eternal 

Remember, Jesus had already told Peter before this. He said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has desired that he might sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not. And when you are restored, strengthen your brethren.” Wow, Jesus said “WHEN you are restored”. Not if. But “when”. Jesus already knew the denial was coming. He already knew Peter would fail. And He already planned for the restoration. He prayed for Peter before the failure even happened. And now, after the resurrection, the very first thing Jesus does is make sure Peter gets the message: “I’m alive. And I still want you. Come, I want to see you. You’re still a part of the plan.”

στηρίζω  sterizo  strengthen  –  to make firm, to establish, to confirm, to set fast; to strengthen one’s faith after weakness

How many of you have thought that you disappointed God? That you let God down? Did you know that He already knows and He already knew when you’re or were going to stumble, when you’re or were going to make that mistake, when you’re or were going to feel unworthy, when you’re or were going to quit and say “I am not worthy to be a part of God’s plans anymore”. He has always known about all the mistakes you’d make.  Look at Peter. What happened with you is probably not as bad as what happened with Peter. Peter denied Jesus Christ to His face. And yet Jesus specifically sought him out after the resurrection. Jesus still wanted Peter. Jesus still had a plan for Peter. And Jesus still has a plan for you. Our Lord is a God of restoration.  If He restored Peter He will restore you. You are still qualified to serve Him. You are still a part of His plans. No failure is final with Jesus. No denial is permanent. No mistake disqualifies you from His love and His plans and purposes. Wow, what a love. Oh how merciful the Lord is. How the Lord loves us.  The angel said “tell His disciples and Peter”.

That is the love, compassion and heart that our Lord Jesus Christ has toward you! Never forget it.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus specifically sought out Peter after the resurrection, and that He specifically seeks me out in my failures and my weaknesses. I thank You that no mistake disqualifies me from Your love and Your purpose. I receive Your love and restoration today, and I rise from my failure into Your plan for my life, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus knows my name, just as He knew Peter’s name. My failures do not disqualify me from His love or His plan. He prayed for me before I even failed. He planned my restoration before I even fell. I am restored. I am qualified. I am still a part of His purpose. I rise from every failure and every denial into the fullness of what God has called me to do, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Power Jesus Had Over Death

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John 10:17–18
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 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.”

There is a truth about the death of Jesus Christ that changes everything when you truly understand it. It was not the crucifixion that killed Jesus. It was not the nails. It was not the lashing. It was not the crown of thorns. It was not the Roman soldiers. The Bible is very clear: Jesus laid down His life. He gave up His spirit. He voluntarily, willingly, and purposefully released His life. No man took it from Him. No man had the power to take it from Him. He laid it down of Himself. This is incredible!

τίθημι  tithemi  lay down  –  to set, to place, to lay down voluntarily; to put aside of one’s own free will

Think about this: Jesus said, “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” The Father gave Jesus the power to lay His life down and the power to take it up again. Two powers. The power of death and the power of resurrection were both in the hands of Jesus Christ. Nobody else had this authority. Nobody else held this power. The soldiers thought they were executing a criminal. The chief priests thought they were eliminating a threat. Pilate thought he was satisfying the crowd. But none of them understood that the man on the cross was in complete control of the situation the entire time.

And when we read the eyewitness accounts, we see this confirmed. The Bible says Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. He gave up His spirit. Even Pilate marveled that He was already dead. When Joseph of Arimathea came to collect the body, Pilate said, “He’s already dead? That is not possible.” He sent the centurion to go check. Because the other criminals who were crucified with Jesus were still alive. They had to break their legs. But Jesus was already dead. Why? Because Jesus chose the moment. Jesus determined the timing. Jesus laid down His life at the exact moment that fulfilled every prophecy.

εξουσία  exousia  power  –  authority, right, privilege, the delegated right to act; power of choice, liberty to do as one pleases

And this changes everything about how we understand the cross. Jesus was not a victim. He was not helpless. He was not overpowered. He was the Son of God exercising the authority that the Father had given Him. He chose to die. He chose the moment. He chose to lay His life down for you and for me. And if He had the power to lay it down, then He also had the power to take it up again. And that is exactly what happened on the third day. He took His life back up. He rose from the dead by the same power that allowed Him to lay down His life. The resurrection was not a surprise. It was not an accident. It was the second half of the same commandment: “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

ψυχή  psuche  life  –  breath, life, the vital force, the soul; the seat of personality and self-determination

So when somebody says to you, “Oh, they killed Jesus,” you can correct them. Nobody killed Jesus. Jesus laid down His life. He says, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” The cross was not a defeat — it was a strategy. The crucifixion was not a tragedy — it was a mission accomplished. And the resurrection was not a rescue — it was the predetermined exercise of divine power by the Son of God, who holds the power of life and death in His hands. Hallelujah! That is our Lord. That is our Savior. That is the one who died for us and rose again — not because He had to, but because He chose to. Because He loved us. Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus was not a victim on the cross but a willing sacrifice who laid down His life by His own authority. I thank You that the same power that allowed Him to lay down His life is the power that raised Him from the dead. I stand in awe of a Savior who chose to die for me, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
No man took the life of Jesus — He laid it down of Himself! My Savior had the power to lay down His life and the power to take it again. The cross was not a defeat — it was a divine mission accomplished in love. Jesus chose to die for me, and He chose to rise again for me. I am the beneficiary of His deliberate, voluntary, all-powerful sacrifice, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Bribe and the Cover-Up — Satan Uses Money to Silence the Resurrection

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Matthew 28:11–15
Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Something happened immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ that you need to know about. Something that reveals the tactics of the enemy and exposes the schemes that Satan uses against the gospel even to this day. The soldiers who had been posted at the tomb — the guards that the chief priests and the Pharisees had sent to secure the sepulchre, to make sure Jesus stayed dead and buried — those soldiers witnessed the resurrection. They saw the angel descend. They felt the earthquake. They saw the stone rolled away. And the Bible says they became as dead men. They fainted from fear. They saw it all.

αργύριον  argyrion  money  –  silver, pieces of silver, money; used of payment for betrayal and bribery

And what happened next? Those soldiers went into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. They told them everything. The chief priests now knew. The elders now knew. They had firsthand testimony from their own soldiers that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. But instead of repenting, instead of falling on their knees and acknowledging that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, instead of accepting the truth that was staring them in the face — what did they do? They assembled with the elders, took counsel, and gave large money unto the soldiers. They bribed them. They offered them a payoff to lie.

“Say this: His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we slept.” That was the script. That was the cover story. That was the lie that money purchased. And if the governor finds out, don’t worry — “we will persuade him and secure you.” They had it all worked out. The bribe, the lie, and the cover-up. And the Bible says, “So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” That lie spread. That lie was repeated. That lie became the commonly reported explanation for the empty tomb. And it was all purchased with money.

ψευδομαρτυρία  pseudomartyria  false witness  –  false testimony, lying evidence, fabricated witness against the truth

Now here’s what I want you to see: every time you see a betrayal or an attack against the resurrection, against the gospel of Jesus Christ, against the power of God — just know that money was involved. Satan does not use any new tricks. He used money to betray Jesus through Judas. And immediately after the resurrection, he used money again to silence the soldiers and cover up the truth. Money. Bribes. Brown envelopes. That’s Satan’s method. He offers people money to speak lies about the gospel of Christ. He offers people money to discredit the resurrection. It was happening in Jesus’s day, and it is still happening today.

αλήθεια  aletheia  truth  –  truth, verity, reality; the unveiled reality that stands in contrast to deception and falsehood

So when people start to accuse you falsely, when they start to attack you for your faith, when they try to discredit you because you are declaring the resurrection of Jesus Christ — don’t cry. Don’t say, “Oh, what’s going on in my life?” Don’t be shocked. It’s a part of the calling. It’s a part of the package. Just know that there are incentives and brown envelopes being moved around. Why? Because you are so strong, so fervent, and the power of God is upon your life and you’re witnessing and there’s great power and miracles and you’re declaring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan will come and try to offer people incentives, gifts and money to discredit you. But listen to me: no amount of money can silence the resurrection. They bribed the soldiers, they spread the lie, and yet here we are two thousand years later still preaching that Jesus Christ is risen! Haha! The bribe failed. The cover-up failed. The truth of the resurrection cannot be bought, silenced, or stopped. Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that no bribe, no lie, and no cover-up could stop the truth of the resurrection. I thank You that I stand on the truth that Jesus Christ is risen, and no amount of money or deception from the enemy can change that reality. I declare that the gospel is unstoppable, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
No bribe can silence the resurrection! No money can cover up the truth that Jesus Christ is alive. Satan’s schemes of deception have failed for two thousand years, and they fail in my life today. I boldly declare the resurrection of Jesus Christ without fear, without shame, and without apology. The truth cannot be bought. The gospel cannot be stopped. I am a witness of the risen Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: He Was Seen — Optanomai

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1 Corinthians 15:5–8
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ showed Himself openly. He was seen. The Bible declares that He was seen by many. He appeared unto many. Glory to God! And that word there — that word “seen” — is the Greek word optanomai, which means He was seen with the optical eyes. Not in trances. Not in visions. Not in dreams. He was seen with the physical, optical eyes! This is incredible! These were not mystical experiences where people merely “felt” His presence. No! Jesus Christ appeared in bodily form. These were the apocalupsises — the manifestations — of Jesus Christ after His resurrection, where He appeared physically and was seen.

ὀπτάνομαι  optanomai  was seen  –  to look at, behold, to be seen with the optical eyes, to appear physically, a visible manifestation

Now look at the record. Mark chapter 16 gives us the eyewitness account. It says Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene — He appeared first to a woman! She went and told the disciples, but they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked into the country — and they told the rest, but they also did not believe. Then He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at a meal, and He upbraided them for their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. Hey! Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief!

And it was not just the twelve. He was seen by above five hundred brethren at once! At the same time! Five hundred people saw Him at the same time. This was not a hallucination. This was not mass hysteria. This was Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, standing before them in His glorified body, being seen with optical eyes. The Apostle Paul adds that after all these appearances, he says, “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” Even Paul saw Him! Even the one who was persecuting the church — Jesus appeared to him too.

ἀποκάλυψις  apokalupsis  appearing  –  manifestation, revelation, disclosure, an unveiling of what was previously hidden

So when the gospel declares that He was seen, understand the weight of that statement. God did not leave the resurrection as a matter of faith alone. He provided infallible proofs. Acts chapter 1 says He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days. For forty days and forty nights, Jesus was appearing unto them, teaching them things concerning the kingdom of God, and then He would lift up and be carried up into heaven and they would watch Him go! These are eyewitness accounts. These are real events. Jesus Christ was seen. He was seen with optical eyes. And the testimony of those who saw Him is the testimony upon which our faith now stands. Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that the risen Christ was seen — not in visions or dreams, but with physical, optical eyes, by hundreds of witnesses. I thank You for the infallible proofs of His resurrection. My faith stands on the testimony of eyewitnesses who saw Him alive, and I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is risen and alive forevermore, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My faith is built on infallible proofs! Jesus Christ was seen alive after His passion — seen with optical eyes by Cephas, by the twelve, by over five hundred brethren at once, and by the Apostle Paul. He showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs. I stand on the testimony of the eyewitnesses, and I declare that my Lord is risen and alive forevermore, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Resurrected Body Is Real

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Luke 24:36–43
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.

The disciples had locked themselves in an upper room. They were terrified. They were hiding. They were mourning. And then — without opening a door, without knocking, without any announcement — Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them! He just appeared! He was just there. Why? Because He had received His glorified body, His resurrected body. This body could walk through walls. This body could appear and disappear. This body was no longer subject to the limitations of mortal flesh. Glory to God!

But when they saw Him, they were terrified! They thought they had seen a ghost. They supposed it was a spirit. And look at how Jesus responded. He did not just say, “It is me, believe.” No! He said, “Why are ye troubled? Behold my hands and my feet — look at them! Look at the holes! Look at where the nails pierced me! Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” He showed them physical, tangible proof. This resurrected body was real flesh!

ψηλαφάω  pselaphao  handle  –  to touch, feel, handle, to verify by physical contact, to grope or reach for

And then, just to shut the whole thing down completely, He said, “Have ye here any meat?” I love Jesus! Haha! He said, “Bring the food. I want to eat it in front of you. So that you know that this is not a spirit. This is real flesh. This is the resurrected flesh. This is the resurrected body!” And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb, and He took it and He did eat before them. He ate before them! Jesus showed Himself alive and He came into this world and He was eating with them the same food that they were eating. How incredible is that?

This matters, beloved. The resurrection is not a metaphor. It is not a spiritual concept. It is not symbolic. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a physical, bodily, tangible resurrection! His body was raised. His body was transformed. His body was glorified. And that same glorified body ate fish and honeycomb in front of His disciples. That same glorified body had flesh and bones. That same body still bore the marks of the nails in His hands and feet. This is the power of the resurrection — a real body, raised in glory, walking among men, eating their food, speaking their language, and yet possessing the power to appear through locked doors.

ανάστασις  anastasis  resurrection  –  a rising up, a raising from the dead, a standing up again

And this is the same kind of body that awaits every believer. The Bible says that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. We shall be changed. This mortal shall put on immortality. And if Jesus ate food in His glorified body, if He walked through walls in His glorified body, if He was physically present with flesh and bones — then understand what your future holds! Your resurrection is going to be just as real, just as physical, just as glorious. Glory to God! Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was real, physical, and tangible. He showed Himself alive with infallible proofs — He was touched, He was seen, He ate food before His disciples. I thank You that the same resurrection power that raised Jesus is at work in my life, and that my future glorified body shall be just as real and just as glorious, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
The resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ is real! He was raised bodily — with flesh and bones, handling food and showing His hands and feet. I serve a risen Savior who is alive forevermore. The same resurrection power is at work in me, and I look forward to the day when this mortal body shall put on immortality and I shall be like Him, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: These Are The Words

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Luke 24:44–47
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ sat with His disciples and made a statement that should shake every believer to their core. He said, “These are ‘THE’ Words.” Not “these are some ideas.” Not “these are suggestions.” He said, “These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is made up of specific words. It is a specific message. It is based on specific events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies. Glory to God! There is nothing vague about this. There is nothing ambiguous about this. There are specific words that the Spirit of God had penned for us in scripture and these words are the most important words in the entirety of all existence.

λόγος  logos  words  –  the spoken word, a divine utterance, the expression of thought, the word as embodying a conception or idea

And then Jesus pointed them to three specific sources. He said all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me. Did you catch that? The law, the prophets, and the psalms — these three pillars of the Hebrew scriptures all spoke about Jesus Christ. They all contained prophecies about what He would suffer, how He would die, that He would be buried, that He would rise again, and that He would ascend. Every single one of these events was written down before it happened!

And then look at what Jesus did next. The Bible says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” This is incredible! The scriptures were there all along. The prophecies were written in the law. They were in the prophets. They were in the psalms. But the disciples did not understand them until Jesus opened their understanding. Hey! That same Jesus is alive today, and that same Holy Spirit that He sent is able to open your understanding right now as you read this. He is able to take the written Word and make it come alive in your heart. He is able to show you things in the scriptures that you have read a hundred times but never truly seen. This is real, spiritual understanding granted by the Holy Spirit is a real thing.
It is mandatory for every child of God. It has been a pivotal part of my life and relationship with the Word of God. It is part of the grace that is at work in us mightily here at WhatTheWordSays enabling us to do what we do. So I know how real this is, it works in me. And being in ministry for decades I have seen many Christians in whom this is not operational, even though they love Jesus and have a zeal for the things of God; just like what we see in the example of the disciples.
Listen, it’s not by might.

διανοίγω  dianoigo  opened  –  to open thoroughly, to open the mind, to open the understanding, to cause the eyes of the heart to see

Okay, so what did Jesus say is the purpose of these words: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.”  He said “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name”.  The words were not just for information. These are the words that produce salvation. These are the words that bring to all men and all nations to repentance and remission of sins.  This is the gospel. These are the words. These are the specific words that Jesus Christ said were spoken of Him in the law, in the prophets, and in the psalms. And throughout this Easter month devotional you have been exposed to details of these words, and you are now a custodian of these words. Jesus Christ came, lived and was crucified and died for the remission of our sin; descended to hell and defeated him that had the power of death that is the devil. The third day He came back to life and appeared to many; and after forty days and forty nights He ascended before their eyes into heaven. And He is now seated on the throne in heaven Hallelujah! And now all of us who have received repentance and remission of sins worship Him forevermore!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the specific words of the gospel — written in the law, in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning Your Son Jesus Christ. I ask You to grant me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of You. Fill my heart and mind with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that I might truly comprehend the scriptures and walk in the fullness of the revelation of Your Word, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My understanding is opened by the Spirit of God! I comprehend the scriptures — the law, the prophets, and the psalms all testify of Jesus Christ. These are the words of the gospel, and I keep them in my heart. I am a keeper and a preacher of the specific words of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: All Power — The Great Commission

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Matthew 28:18–20
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

After He had risen from the dead, Jesus met with His eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee where He had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him — but some doubted. And then Jesus spoke and made a declaration that changed the course of human history. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” All power! Not some power. Not a portion of power. All power! Remember, He had spoiled principalities and powers. He had made a public spectacle of Satan, triumphing over them in it. He had defeated death, hell, and the grave. And now He comes and says, “All power — all power — all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth!” Glory to God!

ἐξουσία  exousia  power  –  authority, right, jurisdiction, delegated influence, the power of rule and governance

And then, by reason of this power, He now delegates it. He says, “Go ye therefore.” That “therefore” is critical. It means “because all power has been given to me — therefore, go!” You are not going in your own power. You are not going in your own strength. You are not going in your own ability. You are going in the authority of the One who possesses all power in heaven and in earth! How incredible is that?

And look at the scope of the commission: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” That is what Mark’s account records. And Matthew says, “Teach all nations.” All nations! Not some nations. Not your comfortable nations. All nations. Baptizing them. Teaching them to observe all things. This is the Great Commission. This is what we do. This is what we are here for. Hey! And then Jesus adds, “And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age.” He did not send us out and leave us alone. He is with us! The One who has all power is with us always!

μαθητεύω  matheteuo  teach  –  to make disciples, to instruct, to train as a pupil, to enroll as a scholar

And in Mark chapter 16, verse 17, Jesus listed the signs that shall follow them that believe: “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” These are not signs from two thousand years ago that have expired. These are signs that follow believers — that means they follow you! You have been given the authority of the name of Jesus. You have been commissioned by the One who holds all power. Now go! Go into all the world. Teach all nations. Preach the gospel to every creature. And the Lord will work with you, confirming the word with signs following. Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that all power in heaven and in earth has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He has now commissioned me to go into all the world and preach the gospel. I thank You that He is with me always, even unto the end of the age. I receive the authority of His name and I commit to fulfilling the Great Commission, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I am commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ who holds all power in heaven and in earth! I go into all the world in His authority and I teach all nations. Signs follow me as a believer — in the name of Jesus I cast out devils, I speak with new tongues, I lay hands on the sick and they recover. The Lord works with me, confirming the word with signs following, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: You Shall Receive Power

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Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Before Jesus ascended, He gave His disciples a command: “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” He was talking about the Holy Spirit. He was talking about the One who would come and fill them with a power that would transform them from frightened men hiding in an upper room into bold witnesses who would turn the world upside down. And He said, “You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Oh, glory to God! You shall receive power! Oh yes! Thank you, Holy Spirit! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for Your power! We have received the power! Hey! Today we live in the power of the Holy Spirit!

δύναμις  dunamis  power  –  miraculous power, might, strength, ability, explosive force, inherent capability

And what is the purpose of this power? He says, “And ye shall be witnesses unto me.” You shall be witnesses. Now think about what Jesus Himself said in another place. He said, “For this purpose have I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” Jesus said that the very reason He came into the world was to bear witness unto the truth. And now He says to us, “You shall be witnesses unto me.” He is the truth. He is the Word made flesh. So when He says you shall be witnesses unto me, He is saying you shall bear witness unto the truth! Hallelujah!

So now I can boldly declare that for this purpose I came into this world — to bear witness unto the truth! Just like Jesus! I came into this world to bear witness unto the truth. What is that truth? That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He rose again the third day, that He was seen, and that He ascended. He ascended! He ascended! Glory to God, He ascended! And He is alive. He is alive forevermore. Jesus is alive forevermore!

μάρτυς  martus  witnesses  –  a witness, one who testifies, a martyr, one who bears record of what they have seen and known

And notice the scope of the witness: “Both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” It starts where you are and it reaches to the ends of the earth. You are a witness right where you are. You are a witness in your city. You are a witness in your nation. And you are a witness to the uttermost parts of the earth. That is your calling. You have received the power of the Holy Spirit, and that power has made you a witness of the truth. I live in the power of the Holy Spirit! I received power! And I have become a witness — a witness of the truth. Glory to God!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit that I have received. I thank You that I am a witness of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I bear witness that He died, was buried, rose again, was seen, and ascended. I declare that for this purpose I have come into this world — to bear witness unto the truth, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I have received power! The Holy Spirit has come upon me and I am a witness of the truth! For this purpose I have come into this world — to bear witness unto the truth that Jesus Christ died, was buried, rose again, was seen, and ascended! I live in the power of the Holy Spirit and I am a witness in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Ascension — While He Blessed Them

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Luke 24:50–53
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

I want you to see this. I want you to picture this moment. Jesus walked with His disciples. He led them out as far as Bethany. They were walking together, talking together, and then Jesus stopped. He lifted up His hands. And He blessed them. He began to pronounce blessings over them: “You are blessed. You are blessed. You are increased. You are multiplied.” And while He was speaking those words of blessing — while He was still blessing them — He started to lift off the ground. Glory to God!

Oh, what a sight! What a sight! What a sight! He lifted up His hands and while He blessed them, He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. No rope was carrying Him. The angels did not come and hold Him and say, “Let’s go up.” No! He lifted of His own accord! While He was blessing! This is a flex! This is a flex! That is my Jesus! What a flex! What a show! While He blessed them, He just started to lift off the ground. And they were watching. They were watching this. Hallelujah!

ευλογέω  eulogeo  blessed  –  to speak well of, to praise, to invoke a blessing, to confer prosperity, to consecrate with solemn prayers

And this was not the only time! For forty days and forty nights, these things were happening. He would appear while they were locked up in a room — He would just appear. And then He would walk out with them, talk with them, teach them things concerning the kingdom of God. And then He would say, “Okay, it’s time for me to go.” And He would lift up and be carried up into heaven while they watched! Acts chapter 1 tells us that He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days. He was assembling together with them. He was with them!

ἀναλαμβάνω  analambano  carried up  –  to take up, to receive up, to be lifted up, to be taken into heaven

And when He ascended that final time, the Bible says they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Not sorrow! Not mourning! Great joy! Why? Because they had witnessed the most glorious sight in human history. Their Lord had been raised from the dead. Their Lord had eaten with them. Their Lord had taught them. And now their Lord had ascended into heaven while pronouncing blessings over them. And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. The ascension did not leave them hopeless — it filled them with worship and joy. Because they knew: He is alive. He has ascended. And He is seated at the right hand of God. Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the glorious ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. I receive every blessing that flows from His ascension and I worship Him with great joy, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven while He blessed His disciples! I live under the blessing of the ascended Christ. He lifted up His hands and He blessed, and I am a recipient of the blessing of the resurrection and the ascension and I am continually praising and blessing God, for my Lord is alive and seated at the right hand of God and I’m seated together with Him, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: The Cloud of Witnesses

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Acts 1:9
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”

When Jesus ascended, while over five hundred brethren beheld Him, He was taken up. He levitated from off the ground before them. And then the Bible says something that is absolutely stunning: “And a cloud received him out of their sight.” A cloud received Him. Now most people read that and think of a regular cloud — a weather cloud, a puffy white cloud in the sky. But that is not what this is talking about! Who is that cloud? Those are the saints of old that came out of the grave with Him!

Remember what happened at the resurrection? The gospel of Matthew tells us that when Jesus came out of the grave, the saints of old came out of the grave with Him! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, all the prophets — they all came out! And they appeared to many in the streets of Jerusalem. The Bible says they were seen in the city. Imagine! Abraham walking through the streets of Jerusalem saying, “I’m Abraham! Hey!” David appearing to people! And after they had appeared, they went up into the air. They were waiting for Jesus in the air. They were waiting for Him!

νεφέλη  nephele  cloud  –  a cloud, a large dense multitude, a throng; used figuratively of the saints who surround the ascended Christ

And so when Jesus, after forty days and forty nights of appearing to His disciples, when He finally ascended up — that cloud of saints was waiting for Him! The cloud received Him out of their sight. The Apostle Paul identifies this cloud for us. He calls them the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews chapter 12. Which witnesses? The saints of old. The witnesses of old who testified that the Messiah is coming! They were proclaiming before He came, “The Messiah is coming! The Messiah is coming!” And when Jesus came out of the grave, they came with Him. And when He ascended, they received Him.

Now think about this: Daniel saw this very scene in his night visions. Daniel chapter 7, verse 13 says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven.” The clouds of heaven! Who are the clouds of heaven? The cloud of witnesses! The saints of old were behind Him. Abraham was behind Him. David was behind Him. Glory to God! Because they could not enter into heaven on their own. They were waiting for Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only one who could lead that procession into heaven. Because of His sacrifice, because His sacrifice was accepted, because He had made atonement for those who were under the old covenant and for everybody that would come after them, now they could legally enter into heaven.

μάρτυς  martus  witnesses  –  witnesses, those who testify, those who bear record

And now here is the beautiful thing: there are two sets of clouds of witnesses. There are those that came before His death, burial, and resurrection — the saints of old who were in Abraham’s bosom, who came out of the grave with Him. And then there is us — we who came on the other side of His death, burial, and resurrection! They were proclaiming that He is coming and He shall die. We are proclaiming that He came and He died and He rose and He ascended! We are the second cloud of witnesses on the other side of the timeline of Jesus’s passion. Glory to God! What a privilege. What an honor. Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the cloud of witnesses — the saints of old who testified of the coming Messiah and who received Jesus as He ascended into heaven. I thank You that I am now a part of the second cloud of witnesses who will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air who today are testifying that He came, He died, He rose, and He ascended. I am honored to be a witness of this truth, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
I am a part of the cloud of witnesses! The saints of old testified that the Messiah was coming, and I testify that He has come! He died, He was buried, He rose, He was seen, and He ascended. A cloud of witnesses received Him into heaven, and I stand on this side of the timeline as a faithful witness of the complete gospel of Jesus Christ. In the same way that the cloud of witnesses met the Lord in the air when He ascended up, I too shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

The Passion: The King of Glory at the Everlasting Gates

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Psalm 24:7–10
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

After Jesus ascended from the sight of His disciples, after the cloud of witnesses — the saints of old — received Him, what happened next? The psalmist gives us the detail! Now He was in the heavens. Now He was approaching the everlasting gates. The saints of old were behind Him — Abraham behind Him, David behind Him, all the prophets behind Him. Glory to God! Because they could not enter into heaven without Him. Jesus Christ was the one who had to lead that procession. Because of His sacrifice, because that sacrifice was accepted, because He had made atonement for everybody — those under the old covenant and everyone who would come after — now they could legally enter into heaven.

And then Jesus says, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates! And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in!” Now pay attention to that phrase — everlasting doors. These are not the gates of hell. These are not any earthly gates. The only gates that are everlasting can only be the gates of heaven! There can be no other everlasting doors except they are the doors of heaven! So this is what happened when Jesus arrived at the very gates of heaven with His procession of redeemed saints behind Him. Hey! He calls Himself the King of glory!

עוֹלָם  ʼolam  everlasting  –  eternal, perpetual, everlasting, without end, belonging to the age to come

And the angels at the gates — they are on the other side and they respond: “Who is the King of glory?” Why do they ask? Because they have not seen Him like this before! Before, while He was in heaven, He was the Word. He was in the bosom of the Father(John 1:18). Remember when Jesus prayed in John 17: “Return me unto Your glory which I had before the foundation of the world.” That was His estate as the Word of God in the bosom of the Father. But now He is coming back — but this time as the Word of God with human flesh! So the angels that are in heaven they do not know Him like this yet, they had not seen Him yet; remember what the Bible says, “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels.” So after He was raised from the dead after being justified in the spirit they are some angels that had not seen Him yet. This would be the moment that they would be seeing Him – and seeing the physical form of God for the very first time. So they ask, “Who is this King of glory?”

And the answer comes: “The Lord strong and mighty! The Lord mighty in battle..The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” Oh, glory to God! He is mighty in battle! He spoiled principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of Satan. He whipped the devil! He destroyed him that had the power of death. All the cohorts of hell got a whipping and were made captives. Satan and all his forces are now the Lord’s prisoners! He is the Lord strong and mighty, mighty in battle!

כָּבוֹד  kabod  glory  –  glory, honor, splendor, abundance, weight, the manifested presence and majesty of God

And then the gates open! There is a procession into the everlasting doors! Jesus is leading the way! And then Jesus enters into the real holy of holies in heaven where the real throne of God is and Psalm 110:1 picks up the scene inside: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”  Now, which Lord says to which Lord?  The Lord who is God the Father that was sitting on the throne and never left His throne, said to the Lord Jesus who had gone out of the bosom of the Father (John 1:18) as the Word and had just come back into heaven with a physical body. And Colossians 1 from verse 18 explains this mystery that the Apostle Paul calls in Colossians 2:2 “the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” and says that the resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ “…is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”.
What fulness?
Colossians 2 verse 9 reveals that “…in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”.  So that means, Psalm 110:1 is referring to the interaction of God the Father who was sitting on the throne in fellowship with  God the Son – Jesus Christ as He had just entered into heaven and was standing before the throne. So what happened after this communication? Jesus – God the Son didn’t go and sit on another throne on the right side of God, NO!

Colossians reveals to us that Jesus – God the Son with His physical, resurrected, glorified body went to sit right there on the exact same throne that God the Father was sitting on, and Jesus sat on it and God the Father entered into God the Son and the Godhead in its fulness indwelt Him bodily – that is in Jesus’s physical body. And the Godhead is finally re-united again but this time the Word of God has a physical human body.
This is the mystery of godliness that the Apostle Paul was referring to in 1 Timothy 3:16 saying “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

So when the Lord Jesus is now sitting on the throne and the fulness of the Godhead is now indwelling Him, Psalm 47 erupts in celebration: “God is gone up with a shout! The Lord with the sound of a trumpet!” That Hebrew word for “gone up” is alah, which means ascend. So many translations render it this way “God has ascended with a shout! The Lord with the sound of triumph!

Triumph in victory over the grave, over death, over hell, over Satan!
So sing praises to God forevermore! Sing praises unto our King today! Lift up your hands and thank Him, for who He is and all yhat He accomplished for us! For God is the King of all the earth! He reigns! Jesus our Lord sits upon the throne of His holiness! He is greatly exalted! And He calls Himself the King of glory — the Lord mighty in battle – the Lord, He is the King of glory!! Hallelujah!

Remember, if Jesus is the King of glory  and the bible also refers to God the Father as the Father of glory and your Father. Jesus the King of glory and your King. That makes you what? His glory! Hallelujah!
So as a child of God you are the glory of God!
Thank you Lord Jesus!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the glorious scene at the everlasting gates of heaven when Jesus, the King of glory, entered in triumph. I thank You that He is the Lord strong and mighty, mighty in battle, and that He is now seated on the throne of glory. I acknowledge that He is my King and He is the King of glory, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
Jesus Christ is the King of glory! He is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle! He ascended in triumph and entered through the everlasting doors of heaven. He sits on the throne of God, and all His enemies are being made His footstool through the church which is His body in the earth. He is the King of glory and He is my King — and I am His glory! God is my Father, and He is the Father of glory, I am the glory of God, and I walk in the fullness of this glorious identity, in the name of Jesus Christ!

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The Passion: He Ascended On High and Gave Gifts

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Ephesians 4:8–10
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

The psalmist declared it in Psalm 68:18: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.” And the Apostle Paul now takes this psalm and reveals its fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Glory to God! This is the triumph of the ascension! This is what happened when Jesus went up. He did not just ascend — He ascended and distributed. It was more than Him going up into the heavens but also in His going up He could send the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit would distribute offices, graces and abilities.  This is what He was referring to when He said it is more expedient if He departs so that the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit would come. His ascension is what would make this happen.

αἰχμαλωτεύω  aichmaloteuo  led captive  –  to take captive, to lead away as prisoners of war, to make captive, to subdue

Now Paul makes an incredible observation. He says, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” Do you get that? So before He went up, He went down! Jesus Christ descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He went into hell. He went into Sheol. He went into the domain of the enemy. And what did He do there? He spoiled principalities and powers! He made a public spectacle of Satan! He defeated death in death’s own domain! He paralyzed him that had the power of death, that is the devil! And then He took captivity captive — He took the very ones that Satan had held prisoner and He led them out as His own trophies of victory!

And then it says, “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.” The same one who went all the way down is the same one who went all the way up! He descended into the lowest place and then He ascended far above all heavens. Not just into heaven — far above all heavens! Why? That He might fill all things. He fills everything. From the lowest depths to the highest heights, Jesus Christ fills all things. There is no place that is beyond His reach. There is no realm that is outside His dominion. Hallelujah!

עָלָה  ʼalah  ascended  –  to go up, to ascend, to climb, to rise, to be exalted, to be taken up on high

And when He ascended, He gave gifts unto men! He did not just go up for Himself — He went up and poured out gifts upon His church. The grace of God was distributed according to the measure of the gift of Christ. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. He gave the Holy Spirit. He gave power. He gave authority.

He gave the gifts of the Spirit. He gave graces. Everything that the church has today was given from the ascended Christ! He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts unto men. Even for the rebellious also, “that the Lord God might dwell among them”. How incredible is that? He says even for the rebellious ones — those who were far from God — He made provision for them through all kinds of gifts that He gave when He ascended, “that the Lord God might dwell among them.”

Now through the distribution and manifestation of these gifts God Almighty dwells amongst us Glory to God! That is the triumph and glory of His ascension, that is the fulfillment of God’s eternal dream, to legally dwell in midst of His people. To live and dwell with them, to abide and dwell among them. The ascension brought it to pass. Now just before His ascension in Acts 1:8 Jesus says “you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you…”  Now God by His Spirit lives in you, He lives in me. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, diverse kinds of office gifts and manifestations of God work in and through us His church. Now the Lord God dwells among us. He abides in us forever, Hallelujaaaah.

This is the significance of the ascension. God coming to live among us. That has always been His delight, He says in Proverbs 8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

So the ascension was not just a departure. It was a coronation. A notable part in the fulfillment God’s eternal plan for mankind. It was a distribution. It was the moment that marked when the victorious Christ sat down on the throne and began to build His church and pour out the fullness of His blessings upon His church and also to now eternally dwell among His people. He went down to defeat the enemy, and He came up to equip and have the right to live in midst of His people. That is my Jesus. He descended for me so that I would never have to descend and go to hell, and He ascended so that He could come and live in me by His Spirit; Christ in me the hope of glory, Hallelujah!

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth, defeated the enemy, led captivity captive, and ascended far above all heavens. I thank You for the gifts that He poured out upon the church when He ascended — gifts of grace, of ministry, of power, and of the Holy Spirit. I receive every gift that flows from His glorious ascension, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My Lord descended and defeated the enemy in his own domain! He led captivity captive and ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. I am a recipient of the gifts He gave when He ascended on high. Grace has been given to me according to the measure of the gift of Christ. He fills all things, and He fills my life with His power and His presence, in the name of Jesus Christ!

The Passion: Three Dimensions of Salvation

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1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a dimension of understanding about salvation that every believer needs to grasp. The Bible says, “May the very God of peace sanctify you wholly — spirit and soul and body.” Three parts. Three distinct dimensions. And each one of them has a different process and a different responsibility. This is incredible! The salvation of your human spirit, the salvation of your soul, and the salvation of your physical body — they are not all the same, and they do not all happen the same way. Glory to God!

Let’s start with the spirit. The salvation of the human spirit is God’s responsibility. The Bible says you are saved according to the working of God. When you believe and you receive the gospel of Christ, the Holy Spirit works in you and gives you a new spirit which makes you a new creation. You cannot do that for yourself! That is the power of God that works with the message of the gospel. God is the one that gives you a new spirit when you are born again according to the working of His power. So the Father has His responsibility. As John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He gave. He did His part. And that recreation of the human spirit happens according to His working using efficacy of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the implications of it’s reality and the power of the Holy Spirit behind it that produces new spirit in everyone that hears the message and believes. All this is by God’s divine wisdom and design, and the principle of how this works is explained in Romans chapter 10.

πνεῦμα  pneuma  spirit  –  the spirit, the rational soul, the vital principle, the part of man that is born again

Now the second part: the salvation of the soul. Your soul is your mind, your will, and your emotions. And here is the key — the salvation of your soul has to do with the renewing of your mind with the Word of God. This takes place whenever you take what the word of God says and allow it to become your way of thinking and living. And that responsibility is not God’s responsibility! That responsibility was given to you! God is not going to renew your mind for you. Jesus is not going to renew your mind for you. The Holy Spirit cannot override your free will because it goes against the law and the principle of God of free will. Your mind, your soul, is the seat of your free will. So God cannot override that and renew your mind for you. You are the one that is supposed to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling and ensure that you do that! The Holy Spirit was given to help you, but He cannot do it for you.

ψυχή  psuche  soul  –  the soul, the seat of the mind, will, and emotions, the inner life, the self

And then the third part: the salvation of the physical body. Now who is responsible for this? That is Jesus! Because the Bible says that when He shall appear, that is when we shall be changed. This mortality shall put on immortality. Jesus Christ is the one who is going to activate that transfiguration of the physical body into an immortal body. Without the appearing of Jesus Christ, you are always going to have this mortal body. But in the meantime, the Holy Spirit that is in you gives your body incorruption — that is the Greek aphtharsia. Incorruption means the Holy Spirit overpowers mortality. When sickness attacks this body, the Holy Spirit overrides and repairs. As Romans 8:11 says, if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal body by His Spirit that dwells in you! That scripture describes to you the current state that the entire body of Christ is in – the state of incorruption aphtharsia. Incorruption also includes the preservation of your spirit and soul from going to hell, instead, in the event that your spirit departs from your body it will be taken to heaven. But now immortality — that is athanasia — that is the glorified immortal body, the bible says that that will only happen when Jesus appears again the second time. (Hebrews 9:28)
1 Corinthians 15 from verse 51 says Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

ἀφθαρσία  aphtharsia  incorruption  –  incorruptibility, the Holy Spirit’s sustaining power that overrides mortality in the physical body, and exemption from going to hell

So also understand that: your body receiving its glorified, immortal state does not mean your mind is automatically renewed. One day there will be people with glorified bodies and unrenewed minds – what a combination! So the sooner you get with the program of listening to and imbibing the word of God, digesting it, learning it, applying it, and renewing your mind, the better. The Father saved your spirit. You must save your soul by renewing your mind. And Jesus will save your body when He appears. Three responsibilities. Three dimensions of salvation.
All made possible by the passion of Christ. Hallelujah!
That’s why we celebrate Easter, and I trust that this devotional series blessed you and gave you a better understanding of what happened and why, and also how relevant important it is to us in our lives today.
God Bless you.

Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the complete salvation of my spirit, soul, and body. I thank You that You have saved my spirit by Your power, and I take responsibility to renew my mind daily with Your Word. I trust that when Jesus Christ appears, He will transform my mortal body into an immortal body. I commit to working out my salvation with diligence, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Speak The Word
My spirit is saved by the power of God! I take responsibility for the renewal of my mind through the Word of God. I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. The Holy Spirit in me gives life to my mortal body, overpowering mortality with incorruption. And when Jesus Christ appears, this mortal shall put on immortality! I embrace all three dimensions of my salvation, in the name of Jesus Christ!