Not a Victim. A Savior.

Jesus was not a victim on the cross. He was not put there against His will. No, in fact, He chose the cross. Because He was an obedient Son to a loving, heavenly Father whom He fully trusted, He was not only willing, but actually actively participated. For He knew this was the way to win us back. He knew that it would take the blood of an innocent lamb to forgive the sin of all. And He was that Lamb, the Lamb of God.

But for the joy set before Him, He endured! He saw that the end result was beyond beautiful and worth every ounce of suffering. Our reconciliation back to the Father was that end result! And to Him, WE are worth every ounce of His suffering. Yes, He loves us all that much!

Jesus chose the cross. Jesus chose the cross because He chose us. He chose the cross because He chose you.

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“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep…The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 

“No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” John‬ ‭10:14-15, 17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God! Hebrews 12:2 TPT

“So when Jesus the Messiah came into the world he said,

 “Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead! Multiple burnt offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice. So I said to you, ‘God— I will be the One to go and do your will, to fulfill all that is written of me in your Word!’ ” 

First he said, “Multiple burnt-offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice” (even though the law required them to be offered). 

And then he said, “God, I will be the One to go and do your will.” So by being the sacrifice that removes sin, he abolishes animal sacrifices and replaces that entire system with the new covenant. By God’s will we have been purified and made holy once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, the Messiah! 

Yet every day priests still serve, ritually offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sin’s guilt. But when this Priest had offered the one supreme sacrifice for sin for all time he sat down on a throne at the right hand of God, waiting until all his whispering enemies are subdued and turn into his footstool. And by his one perfect sacrifice he made us perfectly holy and complete for all time!” Hebrews‬ ‭10:5-11, 13-14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

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