Christ determined to die!! Some do not know why!! He came for this reason. It was a part of the “mystery” of God’s plan for Christ to die. It was His distinct honor and privilege to “taste of death for every man (Christian).” Hebrews 2:9 Christ knew His death opened THE door in God’s dealings with His church. Confident in His resurrection, Christ had previous to His death, arranged to meet His disciples on the day of His resurrection. He would show Himself alive “after His passion,” Acts 1:3.
When His disciples did not believe the reports from His open sepulcher, He was very angry with them. “And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her (Mary Magdalene), believed not. After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.” Mark 16:11-14 Later, Simon Peter again states this truth: ‘Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, “John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’ For as much then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?” Acts 11:16-17 The angels at His sepulcher re-iterated: “He is not here, but is risen: 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.” Matthew 24:6-7 “all of you shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” Mark 14:27-28 Sounds like Jesus was absolutely confident about His death, burial, and resurrection to have made such plans!! What would He have told His disciples had He “chickened out” as preach some?? “But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.” Mark 14:27
It is no wonder why the disciples went of into Galilee when they had heard Christ had risen from the grave!! What would have happened if He had decided NOT TO DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER?” Explain to the disciples at Galilee. If Jesus made it through Calvary, no one would wonder about the meeting in Galilee!! This would have changed the whole tenor of conversation had Christ walked into that meeting having just surfaced from running away from His pre-appointed meeting with Satan in Hades, would it not?? Instead of having “all power, in heaven and on earth,” Christ would have to have dismissed the earth. In His private worship service with John in Revelation 1, Jesus would have to have apologized for not stripping Satan of all his power. Satan would have had stripped Christ of His Deity, integrity, and truthfulness!! Christ did intend to die-BUT WHY?!!
Following His rondevue with death, the next thing in the great “mystery” was His change of function, He was to become the High Priest that was the pattern established that Melchizedek previously had shown of which we studied last week. Dieing for His church was the plan, but the greater part of the plan was His assigned ability to retain that which had been purchased. God did not bring into existence something to let it die. The greater purpose of the Messiah was His priesthood. The “Anointed One” has the power and position to bring to glory those whom His blood purchased. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest became us (we must be more important than any child of Abraham), who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Hebrews 7:25-26 This introduces what is often never studied, what often is alluded to in the Old Testament and now revealed as fulfilled, established, and functioning in the New Testament. If any ever considered the greatness of Moses, Abraham, or any of the Israelites, NOW they can see the singular greatness of the membership in the Church of Christ!! There is nothing with which to compare the privilege of being a member, added by He who is the great High Priest of God!!Knowing this as planned before eternity ceased and time began, was Christ over-dramatic when He prayed; “Father glorify Thy Son.” John 17:1 This was not a play on emotion, this was a statement of a fact, intended. He was not crying in FEAR, He was exalting God’s plan. It was fulfilled!!
