He Died for His Wife

My Grandparents, Edward and Helen Losli

My grandparents had a wonderful, yet interesting marriage. The last decades of their lives they had what seemed to be a well-timed trade off.

My grandmother had many serious heart ailments and multiple heart surgeries from the time I was old enough to know what those terms meant. But as far as I know, my grandfather was in great health, but that changed as they aged. When my grandmother’s health failed, my grandfather was strong; but when he became ill and incapacitated, she was surprisingly strong.

My grandfather lived for my grandmother, but he didn’t die for her.

The Bible describes the relationship between Christ Jesus and the Church as like that of husband and wife. Yet there is a vast difference between Him and the Church and earthly husbands and wives. Jesus suffered more for the Church than any human husband has ever suffered.

Jesus suffered the loss of all He possessed, surrendering His splendor as Heaven’s born Prince to shelter in the womb of a servant girl. The King became a pauper by choice.

The Glory of God became a helpless Babe, a rough-handed Carpenter, a Suffering Servant and Man of Sorrows. He was humiliated, despised, and crucified between thieves. The Creator who adorned the blackness of space with flickering stars by the word of His power, was crowned with bloody thorns. The Friend to sinners died to make us friends of God.

Without concern for His own welfare, Jesus, the Bridegroom plunged into the ocean depths of the Father’s wrath to become the rescue for His bride.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Three Men on Three Crosses

When the Roman government carried out the death penalty against a convicted criminal, his crime was written and posted on his cross. The declaration on Christ Jesus’ cross read: This Is Jesus the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37). Next to him, one on His right and the other His left, hung two other men, robbers (Matthew 27:38).

Both of these robbers began their time on crosses by taunting and speaking evil of Jesus. If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us (Luke 23:39). As the long day of death rolled on, one of the two crucified thieves rebuked the other. Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:40-41). This dying thief then repented of his sin, believed upon Jesus as his Saviour, and Jesus promised him entrance into Heaven that very day.

Which of the two criminals who died next to Jesus should be emulated? Which should be used as an example? Which of the two, in some people’s minds, could be called a “hero”?

Politicians, performers, and preachers have made financial gain and consolidated power by turning life-long criminals into heroes. Streets are renamed and songs sung in their honor. Statues erected to the memory of lawless men and women. Schools, churches, stores, homes, and government buildings burned to the ground in the names of these criminals. It is the shameless promotion of sin, neither just nor justice, and not godliness.

One of the crucified men that day in Jerusalem recognized his own guilt, Jesus’ innocence, and repented. He was forgiven by the Father and his spirit went to Heaven for eternity.

One of the crucified men remained in his stubborn sinfulness and received justice from man and God for his crimes. He remains damned in his trespasses and sins.

Which of these two are you?

The third Man who died that day, the one in the middle, was innocent of all charges. His death, however, served a divine and eternal purpose. His death paid the way fully for sinners to be forgiven by God and receive eternal life through faith in Him.

Three Crosses

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18)

It was Friday morning, and the Roman governor of Judea was feeling the pressure. Pilate didn’t want to condemn Jesus, but gave in to political pressure. Rather than doing what was right, Pilate went against the advice of his own wife and did what was convenient for himself and his future (Mt 27:19; Jn 19:8).

Pilate released to the Jews a well-known terrorist named Barabbas (Mt 27:15-17; Lk 23:25; Jn 18:40). Barabbas was more than a convicted robber; he was also a notorious murder and terrorist. He was, as the saying goes, guilty as sin.

That Friday, three crosses were erected on the highway leading into the Jerusalem. Barabbas and two other robbers were set to be crucified for their crimes.  Now guilty Barabbas had been set free and the innocent Jesus of Nazareth would take his place. The Perfect would die for the imperfect, the Righteous in the place of the guilty, the Holy One and the Just … for a murderer (Acts 3:14).

Imagine that a vile, guilty, condemned sinner named Barabbas would go free, while a Substitute would die on the very cross built for Barabbas.

The Bible says that The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). There is no way around the penalty for sin. A Just God must see that justice is meted out.

Like Barabbas, you and I are guilty as sin. We must receive the penalty of eternal death unless an innocent substitute is willing to take our place.

When Jesus died on the cross, He died in the place of every guilty sinner. All the sinner must do is believe that Christ’s death fulfilled the transaction of the guilty for the Innocent. Faith in Christ and His work alone – without any addition of our own effort – saves the sinner.

This message of salvation by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, is the consistent story of salvation in the Bible from Adam to Noah, from Abraham to David, from Barabbas to you.

Three crosses. One was meant for you, but Jesus took your place. Believe on Him today. This is the Good News of God’s salvation