Philippians 2:8
“After He was found in [terms of His]
outward appearance as a man
[for a divinely-appointed time], He
humbled Himself [still further] by
becoming obedient [to the Father]
to the point of death, even death on
a cross.”
– AMP

This season marks the greatest of all feasts on the Christian calendar and I believe this week is marked as the holy week. This week is for us all to reflect on the time Our Saviour had to go through all he went through for our sake. It all begun in the GARDEN OF EDEN where Adam and Eve dwelt in the presence of the Lord.

Genesis 2:8
“Then the Lord God planted
a garden in Eden, in the East,
and there he placed the man
He had made”
– NLT

From the Bible, we learn that, every single thing they needed was available to both the man and woman. However, the serpent came in to deceive man hence that lovely presence with the Father which man enjoyed was cut short. This, therefore, created a gap between man and God hence making it difficult for man to communicate freely with God. This barrier hindered man from enjoying that great peace and provision which they continuously enjoyed each and every day of their lives. Kindly watch the phrases I use here because I will come back to refer to them. God however, loved us so much that He wanted to restore us to that place of ‘EDEN’ but then He needed someone to sacrifice himself in order for that covenant to be formed.

From the Old Testament, we learnt that God always honoured his covenants to His people and there are countless examples to show that. However, I will like to link the story of Abraham to the Holy Week, which we are celebrating as Christians. God promised to make him (Abraham) the Father of many nations but then He had no son. And when God gave him a son (Isaac), God asked him to SACRIFICE HIS SON to Him. If I were in Abraham’s position, it would have been a difficult task to perform, especially because God had promised to make Him a Father of many nations. Yet, God was taking away the only way he could become a father of many nations. But the Bible says, Abraham OBEYED WITHOUT COMPLAINING. Early the next morning, Abraham picked up his son, two servants, and CHOPPED WOOD for the fire and embarked on the journey to the place where God was going to show him (Genesis 22). On the THIRD DAY of their journey, Abraham asked his servants and the DONKEY to wait for them while he went to offer the sacrifice. The Bible says in Genesis 22:6 “Abraham placed the WOOD for the BURNT OFFERING on ISAAC’S SHOULDERS… Isaac along the line asked his father where the sheep for the burnt offering was because He had become curious and He knew that all sacrifices required a lamb or sheep. In the end, Abraham was about to sacrifice His Son Isaac when the angel of the Lord appeared and told him to stop. The Lord provided a RAM caught by its HORN in a THICKET.

 New Testament…

God wanted to restore us to the place of ‘EDEN’ but then needed a SACRIFICE from someone who was willing and OBEDIENT. God picked His SON JESUS CHRIST for that SACRIFICE. Thus, Jesus Christ (A KING) came down from His Heavenly THRONE to the earth to accomplish the PURPOSE His Father had set before Him. That is to sacrifice Him so that the whole world will be saved. Before that, there was a triumphant entry into Jerusalem where Jesus sent TWO of His DISCIPLES to get Him a DONKEY for His Triumphant Entry.

Matthew 21:2
“Go into the village over there,”
he said. “As soon as you enter it,
you will see a donkey tied there,
with its colt beside it. Untie
them and bring them to me.”
– NLT

Then to the night of the Passover meal, Jesus broke bread with His disciples for the last time before He was taken away. Why?? Because that covenant needed to be established and then will be fulfilled after His resurrection. During the meal (read the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you will realise that the covenant was HIS BLOOD (just like how it was done in the old testament) and that is the only way God will honour His word; that the whole world will be saved and sins forgiven through His blood.

After the meal, Jesus went to the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE to pray to His Father. In the garden of Gethsemane, (also known as the OLIVE GROVE) Jesus prayed to His Father before His arrest and crucifixion. And this period signified the important hours of Jesus’ life to either go ahead with what He had been sent to do or not. Many term it as the agonising moments in the Garden. The Bible states that He went with three of His apostles Peter, James and John who fell asleep THREE times each time Jesus went to pray (Mark 14:32-42). On His third return, the time had come for Him to be crucified. He was arrested and sent before the rulers and prosecutors for his fate to be decided. They mocked and disgraced Him to the whole world and this included the CROWN OF THORNS that was pierced unto His head. They took off the PURPLE ROBE he was wearing and put His own clothes on Him again

Mark 15:20
“When they were finally tired
of mocking Him, they took off
the purple robe and put his own
clothes on him again. Then they
led him away to be crucified.”
– NLT

He carried a WOODEN CROSS offering himself to be sacrificed in order for the covenant to be fulfilled.

Revelation

The Garden of Eden marked the beginning of the separation between God and man. Hence it was necessary that the reconciliation between God and Man started from a Garden called Gethsemane. The plan of God to send His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to die for mankind had already been established and purposed to happen. This is evident in Abraham’s journey to sacrifice His Only Son to God. Similar events happened with Jesus too. He was the Son of God just like Isaac was to Abraham. Abraham obeyed despite the difficulty in fulfilling that purpose and before He began that journey, He took two of His servants, a donkey and wood for the sacrifice. Just before Jesus’ trials began, there was a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the donkey and that signified the journey He was about to embark on. He sent TWO of his disciples to go fetch a donkey for Him to ride on. Abraham journeyed for THREE days before God showed him the place He wanted Him to offer the sacrifice. During these three days, I believe was the most difficult three days of his life but He still went ahead. Jesus, at the garden of Gethsemane, had three occasions where he prayed to His father and on all these occasions came out to meet his disciples sleeping before his arrest. The disciples could not understand the pain He was about to go through hence could not stand and pray with Him.

And in all of these, God was silent. Abraham carried wood for the sacrifice and the cross of Jesus Christ represents this wood. God sent Abraham to the land of Moriah where he was going to show Him the mountain where the sacrifice will be made.

Genesis 22:2
“take your son, your only son-yes,
Isaac, whom you love so much-
and go to the land of Moriah.
Go and sacrifice him as a burnt
offering on one of the mountains
which I will show you”
– NLT

Jesus was crucified on a hill called Golgotha. Just before Abraham was about to kill his son, the angel showed him a ram caught by its horn in a thicket. And that was used instead of his son Isaac. A ram is a male sheep and its horns symbolise its authority. But then the horns were caught up in a thicket. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a thicket as a group of bushes or small trees that grow close together. That thicket represents the crown of thorns made for Him by the soldiers. The ram with its horns caught in the thicket represents how the King of kings put down His crown to be humiliated for the world to be free. This is even evident with the soldiers stripping him off the purple robe (purple which signifies royalty) they put on Him into His own clothes.

In conclusion, the suffering and crucifixion of our Saviour had already been decided in the heavens. The ram used instead of Isaac was Jesus Christ, which established the covenant between God and man. That same covenant gave man access to God’s throne room again. Jesus is indeed the lamb that was slain for humanity. The main message is to know about Jesus Christ’s Obedience to His Father, although, it was agonising. Would you sacrifice something you love for the One who first loved you? Are you willing to let go of that thing so that God can come in? Will you be willing to go where He sends you? How committed and obedient are you to His teachings and commands? Will you suffer the persecution if He asked you to? Are you striving towards that goal He set out for you? What is your focus? Or has that focus shifted? What if Jesus did not go through with His purpose? What would have happened to us all? Let’s learn to be obedient to the calling of God upon our lives. Lets strive towards achieving the goal ahead instead of complaining of the little persecution we go through here on earth. It can never be compared to the pain and humiliation that Our Saviour Jesus Christ went through. May we rid ourselves of every disobedience and look to Him who sent us to this world to accomplish that purpose.

Watch out for the next post, His Brokenness, which will explain why he had to go through different situations before finally being crucified on the cross.

God loves you so much that He sent HIS ONLY SON to come down to this sinful earth to die for you and I. Embrace that love now!! It’s free but comes with you committing your heart and whole being to him (Jesus Christ). AMEN!!

…Inspired by the Holy Spirit