Christ's Inheritance

(If you have not read yesterday's post, I would recommend you do so before reading this one. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to go through the comments as well!)

Seth, my fellow Institute Senior, made a comment yesterday about how Christ learned obedience. And though I was vaguely familiar with the statement, I was not sure where it came from. God is good. This morning my daily reading had me in the book of Hebrews chapter 5. I include verses 7-9 here, talking about Jesus:

(Hebrews 5:7) Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
(Hebrews 5:8) Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
(Hebrews 5:9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

We find reinforced here the point made that Father God was able to save His Son from death. The implication of verse 8 is that even though Jesus was the Son, He learned obedience through suffering to become a priest that could bear our infirmities. We find in verse 9 that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him, as He had obeyed His Father. Where are you going with all this, Andy? I'm glad you asked.

I can find two or three reasons why Jesus went to the cross. It is more than just because of His love for us. Yesterday, I de-emphasized that point, and was politely refuted in the comments that were made to me. So, three reasons why Jesus went to the cross:

1) Because of His love for us.

Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Before the incarnation, He shared in all of the glory of the Father. They are One in essence. Even though the time in the Garden confuses my weak understanding of the Trinity, the truth is that They even then were One. God so loved the world that He gave Jesus. God commendeth His love towards us by having Christ die for us. Jesus is God.

2) Because of His love for His Father.

This, I suppose, is the point that I emphasized yesterday. And, in my reading in Hebrews today, there was a cross reference to John, that further proves that I was right in making this point. The context of John 14 has Jesus telling His disciples that He was going to be leaving them, referring to the cross. John 14:31: "But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." He tells them that His love to the Father, is that He is going to obey Him. Earlier in the chapter He said, If ye love me, keep my commandments. He demonstrates: I love my Father, I am going to keep His commandment of the cross. My point is further spoken of in John 10:18: "No man taketh it from me, 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."

But the context of that last verse in John 10 leads me to my third reason that Jesus went to the cross, and I believe that I completely ignored this one yesterday:

3) Because of His expected inheritance.

Hebrews 12:2: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the trhone of God." Jesus endured the cross, "for the joy that was set before him." What was that Joy?

Phillipians 2:7-8, 9-11: "...form of a servant... likeness of men... fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus laid down His life for His sheep. The sheep, John 10:29 tells us, are given to Jesus by the Father. The sheep (those that believe in Christ) are Jesus' inheritance, His reward. Jesus is to be the firstborn among many brethren.

There is more to my third reason that I have posted here, but alas, my time fails me, and I have already written more than most of you will read! So, I welcome your comments to try to expound on this third reason that Christ went to the cross - for His expected inheritance.

Just a thought...