So God Died -- And Was Resurrected

Philippians 2: 6-8

(6) Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 
(8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus knew before He came that He would have to die. That's the only way anyone is able to get out of this world; but even more, He had to be the Lamb of God to be our atoning Sacrifice. 

Before this Earth was created, the Triune Godhead decided what He would do when Mankind sinned. 

"Then Elohim said, Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26).

Then the Second Person of the Godhead reached down, got a handful of dirt, and ...

"And the LORD God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7). 

Mankind was created to be God's children, but He gave us the choice whether to choose Him or rebel against Him, because He wants us to want to love Him back. 

So the LORD God assumed full responsibility for Mankind, knowing that we would sin, and He would only be able to take us to live with Him where He is by coming to us as one of us, in order to cleanse us, so that we would be fit to live with Him where He is. 

By becoming the Lamb of God, the personal Sacrifice that we each would need to wash away our sins with His Blood, He would cleanse us of every stain and spot, making us blameless to dwell with Him in Heaven. 

This is the only way we can go to Heaven. Jesus knew this. In His humanity, He didn't want to have to go through with it, and prayed to the Father in the Garden that if there was any other way, to not make Him do it (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36). But He knew there was no other way, and submitted to the Father's will, that He had agreed to before the beginning. 

Jesus had to be a real human to die a human death for each of us, and in facing death He conquered it: then, because He didn't deserve to die, He was Resurrected with a new kind of life, a spiritual body, no longer subject to death. 

Now He can call us, who have accepted His sacrifice as our own, to that same Resurrection life, our bodies will be changed to be like His, either from the grave or without having to die, if we live to that Day of His Glorious Appearing. Then we also will no longer be subject to death, and we will live with our Lord, face-to-face, forever, in spiritual bodies like His. 

That's why He came. And He is coming again. Soon. 

O my Father, thank You so much for Your Son! Thank You for solving all the problems we make for ourselves, and showing us in Your written Word how to deal with whatever assails us. 

Father, You knew that we would rebel against You, yet Your Love will not let us go. You sent Your Son to pay our debt and cleanse us, so that we could be born into Your own family and live with You forever! This is incredible! You are incredible! 

O Father, send out Your children as Your missionaries to share with every living person how much You love them. Lead us to all of Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth, to rescue all of Your lost lambs from the brambles of sin and the pits of deception. Enable us to untangle them and pull them out, even from the flames of hell licking at their heels. 

And no one will have any excuse. Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!