What depth of love is shown to us by Jesus! The Roman rulers did not find Jesus deserving of death, and in fact, declared Him to be innocent of all charges: “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death” (Luke 23:22). The chief priests and Pharisees continued to chant their hate-filled words of “Crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) and Jesus was given over to them for condemnation and a sentence of death by crucifixion.
We need to fight in the shadow of this same cross against the desires of our flesh to succumb to the lies of fear and do battle to return to the peace of heart that Jesus bequeathed us by His cross work. Will you replace the trembling images in your mind with the powerful transforming view of Calvary? With each pound of the nail into the flesh of Jesus, He fought to carry out our capital punishment upon Himself. There was no position He could reach on the wooden beams, which would not have caused screaming agony to another part of His body. The open wound of His lacerated back pressed against the rough wood. The torn holes in His hands and feet expanded with each reflexive movement of shooting pain. Gasping for more air through His parched throat, the crown of thorns sliced more deeply into His skull. He tried to look through the crusted blood in His eyes at the criminals on the crosses beside Him or His mother and disciple John crying near Him. His body writhed back and forth in slow torment with the bruising and crushing on His shoulders that had dragged the heavy weight of the wooden cross. Yet a short time before, Jesus had said these words of submission:
“No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:18 NIV [words in brackets added]
Jesus gave up His own life by an act of will, crying out in Greek “Tetelestai!”, a word written on receipts in New Testament times to show that a bill had been paid in full. Our sin debt was paid in full, the slaying of our guilt finished, Satan conquered, the wrath of God fully quenched in His Son’s body, and the terror and curse of the Law were eliminated at the mighty cross forever.
“In Christ we come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this because of our faith in Christ.” Ephesians 3:12 ERV
It is freeing to consider that as believers in the gospel, we are no longer ‘in ourselves,’ but rather ‘in Christ.’ As the late pastor Charles Spurgeon said: “We are never out of Christ!” :
We now have the power of the Holy Spirit, who is “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:2). As we walk in the Holy Spirit, the sign of the presence of God is His peace:
“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].” Colossians 3:15 AMPC
The peace of God, symbolized in the dove or the olive branch brought back to Noah, indicated that God had made peace with man after the pouring out of His wrath on the sin of humanity in the flood that swept the earth (Genesis 8:11). At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit came to Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16). On the great olive branch of the cross, God poured out His wrath on Jesus, the Prince of Peace, making peace with us through the blood of His cross.
If we sense our peace being disturbed during our day, Scripture encourages us to examine our heart (Psalm 26:2) to determine if we are "in the faith" and if Christ is living in us. In other words, has He washed us whiter than snow, made us new in the attitudes of our hearts and minds, and is He living His life in us so that we are no longer living in the flesh? When we look at the perfect life of Jesus, the atoning death of Jesus in our place, and the victorious resurrection of Jesus, we receive faith and reassurance that He is living in us.
The Old Covenant process of self-examination and sin searching is now replaced with the New Covenant process of cross-examination and rejoicing over sin's removal there. We now survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, and marvel that He has purchased our peace through the blood He shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20). In this way, the peace of God in Christ is an umpire and ruler of the issues of our hearts, and the Holy Spirit guides us surely into all truth.
“Protect the truth that you were given; protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:14 NCV
Question 1: “Attaining holiness is not trying to restore our hearts with repairs, refurbishment, and a sparkling polish to buff out the bumps as one would in the restoration of a second-hand car.” What has been your experience of Christian sanctification in your life?
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Question 2: “I have told you these things, so that IN me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33) (emphasis added). With reference to this verse in John, what does it mean to you personally to know that you are united IN Christ, receiving all the benefits of the gospel?
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We are not crippled by fear because Jesus purchased our peace on the cross.