Jesus Christ Our Passover: Part 5

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Trials

With Mike Barbera

00:00

Jesus Christ Our Substitution: His Trials, Suffering, and Death

Ephesians 2:1–10 KJV:
¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:4 AMPCE:
But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

Titus 3:3– KJV:
³For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. ⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, ⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; ⁶Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Romans 5:6–8 KJV:
⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time [at the appointed time] Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸But God commendeth [favorably introduced] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Christ took our place in death.

Romans 8:32 KJV:
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Acts 20:28 KJV:
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Ephesians 5:1 KJV:
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ²And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Galatians 2:20 KJV:
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1 John 4:10 KJV:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [payment or atoning sacrifice] for our sins.

Propitiation is the Greek word hilasmos. The equivalent Hebrew word means atonement by offering a substitute.

Hebrews 10:14 KJV:
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Romans 3:24–25 KJV:
²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [atonement by offering a substitute] through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Philippians 2:6–8 KJV:
⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

He took our place in death so that we could stand victoriously as God’s sons.

Philippians 2:6–8 NASB:
⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but ^aemptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate servant. He was our substitute for sin and for the consequences of sin.

The greatest truth regarding Jesus’s substitution for us is seen in Hebrews Chapter 4.

Hebrews 4:14–16 KJV:
¹⁴Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into [through] the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. ¹⁵For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14–16 NIV:
¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Image of Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament

The word in the Greek is sunpatheo (συνπαθεο). The word patheo (παθεο) comes from pascho (πασχο) which means “to suffer.” The prefixed preposition means “with.” The compound word means “to suffer with” another person, thus to sympathize with him to the extent of entering into his experience and feeling his heartache yourself. The use of the word here means more than a knowledge of human infirmity. It points to a knowledge that has in it a feeling for the other person by reason of a common experience with that person. Our Lord’s appreciation of our infirmities is an experiential one, based upon the fact that He was tempted like we are.¹

The words “without sin” mean that in our Lord’s case, temptation never resulted in sin. They could mean also that temptation never sprang, in our Lord’s case, from any sinful desire on His part. In other words, they could mean that He was apart from sin in that he had no sinful nature like us. But, in the light of the context, it seems that the first meaning is the one which the writer is desirous of imparting to his readers, since it is the likeness of our Lord to us which is the point of emphasis, not a dissimilarity.²

Hebrews 4:14–16 WUEST:
Having therefore a High Priest, a great One, One who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us be holding fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who is not able to enter experientially into a fellow feeling with our infirmities, but one who has been tempted and tested in all points like as we are, without sin. Let us be coming therefore with boldness to the throne of grace, in order that we may procure mercy and find grace for seasonable help.

Hebrews 4:14–16 AMPCE:
¹⁴ Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
¹⁶ Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

Hebrews 4:14–16 NLT:
¹⁴So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:14–16 DARBY:
¹⁴ Having therefore a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession. ¹⁵ For we have not a high priest not able to sympathise with our infirmities, but tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart. ¹⁶ Let us approach therefore with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace for seasonable help.

Isaiah 52:14–15 KJV:
¹⁴As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: ¹⁵So shall he sprinkle [startle] many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 52:2b NEB:
…his form, disfigured, lost all the likeness of a man, his beauty changed beyond human semblance.

Isaiah 52:15 AMPCE:
So shall He startle and sprinkle many nations, and kings shall shut their mouths because of Him; for that which has not been told them shall they see, and that which they have not heard shall they consider and understand.

Isaiah 53:1 KJV:
Who hath believed our report [the thing heard]? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The “arm of the Lord” is always used to denote God’s strength as He intervenes in human affairs. Christ, then, was to be God’s greatest miracle.

Isaiah 53:2–12 KJV:
²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness [majesty or splendor]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. ³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵But he was wounded [pierced] for our transgressions [revolt, rebelling], he was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities [wickedness and guilt we have as children of Adam]: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed [harshly treated], and he was afflicted [submitted voluntarily], yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. ⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people [Israel] was he stricken. ⁹And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. ¹¹He shall see of the travail [labor, toil, trouble, and mental anguish] of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ¹²Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:1–12 AMPCE:
WHO HAS believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message [of that which was revealed to us]? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? [John 12:38-41; Rom. 10:16.]
² For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.
³ He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matt. 8:17.]
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. [I Pet. 2:24, 25.]
⁷ He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?
⁹ And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. [Matt. 27:57-60; I Pet. 2:22, 23.]
¹⁰ Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
¹¹ He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord].
¹² Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because He poured out His life unto death, and [He let Himself] be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore [and took away] the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (the rebellious). [Luke 22:37.]

Book cover for Jesus Christ Our Passover

The audio reads quotes from Victor Paul Wierwille, Jesus Christ Our Passover (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1980).

“The events of the thirteenth and fourteenth of Nisan are documented in more detail than any other two days in the entire Word of God.” Page 281

Footnotes:

Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 10:94. ↩︎
ibid, 10:95. ↩︎

Scripture References

Scripture quotations marked (DARBY) are from John Nelson Darby, The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1996).

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved.

Bookstore Suggestions:

Ephesians: Our Spiritual Treasure book link

Book cover for Jesus Christ: The Name That Changes Everything