We were at the recent youth devotional at the Lawrenceburg, KY church of Christ. One song we sang is entitled “Above All.” There is a statement made in that song, directed at Jesus: “You lived to die.” I want to draw your attention to the power of that sentiment. Jesus lived to die.
When He was laid in that manger, it was with the intention of Him being laid in the tomb. He told His mother, “Did you not know that I had to be about My Father’s affairs?” (Luke 2:49). His Father’s affairs were to die on the cross. When Jesus came out of the waters of baptism, it was to go to the cross. When He endured His temptations in the wilderness, it was to qualify Him for the cross.
When He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out evil spirits, it was in view of the cross. Jesus lived to die. When He taught about mercy, the kingdom, forgiveness – it was all in view of the cross. The Transfiguration was preparation for the cross. Jesus was “determined to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51) because that’s where the cross was.
Jesus told the lawyer, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27) – with the cross in the near future.
When the Greeks sought Jesus in John 12:20-26, Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man” to go to the cross – “to be glorified.” On that occasion, Jesus said, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (vs 24). There would be no resurrection without the cross. Jesus knew that.
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He also tells us, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” (John 12:25). So when Jesus calls to His followers – “Follow me” – He is calling us to the cross.
You and I were born to die. Physically, yes. But we were born to die to self. We were born to serve. There is no resurrection to glory until we die to self-glorification.
–Paul Holland
