Why Is The Murder Of Jesus Called Good Friday?နမူနာ

What does Jesus “giving up His life” really mean?

 Five times in John 10:11-18 we are told about Jesus willingly giving Himself up for the salvation of sinners. In John 10:11 Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” Literally the word “gives” there could also be translated “lays down” and it is so translated, in fact, in vs. 15, 17, and twice in vs. 18. Jesus says in vs. 15: “I lay down my life for the sheep”; in vs. 17: “I lay down my life that I might take it again.” And in vs. 18 Jesus says: “No man taketh it from me [that is His life], 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.”

The Bible clearly declares that no man took Jesus' life, but that He laid it down on his own just for you and me. Jesus Himself declares in this passage that He has the authority to lay down His life when He wants to and to take it up again too.

Jesus could have easily escaped death on the cross, but instead love sent Him all the way there with these profound words "not my will, but thine, be done." Those powerful words were spoken out of love just for you and me.

Jesus said in John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

We can never work for our salvation and earn it. All we can do is to accept and respond to His love on the cross and in doing so, He sets us free from the penalty of sin.

Several times in the gospels Jesus foretold to His disciples all the sufferings that He would soon go through. But though the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus meant, and though the sufferings would be most terrible and bring heartrending anguish in body and soul, Jesus did not run away from it, but willingly each step of the way, each day, gave Himself over to it. Jesus allowed it to happen. He gave Himself over for it to happen. This explains why, for instance, we read in Luke 9:51: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

He said, as we read in Matthew 26:42: “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” And Jesus willingly then gave Himself up to all the sufferings required to save sinners like us in truth and forever.

Jesus laid down His life voluntarily just for you and me. Will you accept His offer of salvation ? Will you accept Him today? He did it just for you and me!

Quote: 

“It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was his love for sinners like me.”
― D.A. Carson

Prayer: 

Lord, I thank You that it was love for me that kept You on the cross. Thank you for Your love that made You die for me. I give You my life. It does not belong to me anymore. You have bought it with your own blood. Amen