Good Friday – Blessings that Jesus Earned on the Cross

Matthew 27:50 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”

In the above passage, the incidents which took place when Jesus was hanging on the cross has been recorded. We know that the life of Jesus brings many blessings in our lives and we have received the same till date through the sufferings of the cross, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We read that Jesus suffered on the cross and the sufferings he went through became a sacrifice for our blessings. His sufferings started even before the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane where he sweat blood while praying. And those who were supposed to be with Him, fled away and this was also the beginning of His sufferings. Researchers have estimated the dimensions and weight of the cross and we cannot comprehend with our words how great a burden it would have been. When we think of all this, our hearts should be filled with gratefulness and our eyes filled with tears. Crucifixion was a punishment granted to those who committed crimes against the government and the military and was also granted to slaves and rebels – they are subjected to torture till death. Also, the Bible says in Deut 21:22,23 that the death on the cross is one cursed by God. If the Lord underwent all this agony, it is for our sins and iniquities and he was sacrificed once for us. Hence, there are many blessings that He earned on the cross through His death. Let us mediate on the blessings that He earned on the cross for us.

God’s Presence

Matthew 27:51 “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,”

The first blessing that Jesus earned on the cross was God’s presence. We read in the above verse, that the veil of the temple was torn in two and this partitions the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple. We can read about this veil in Exodus 26:33 “And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.” Tabernacle and temple were built and fashioned in the same way. There was a command where only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy place once in a year and no one else. This same veil created a gap between God and man. It was a barrier. But when Jesus gave up His Spirit, this veil was torn. From that day onwards, the partition was removed so that anyone could come to the Presence of God and boldly call Him Abba Father without any barrier. The Lord has been gracious to us to make us enter that Most Holy place. Because of first man Adam’s sin, partition was created between God and Man. As Jesus has paid price on the cross, this barrier is broken and we can boldly come to him. Hebrews 10:19 says “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,”. Jesus tore the veil and created a living way for us. It is to be noted that the veil was torn by God from top to bottom. It would have been the other way round if it was torn by Man. God’s presence tore the veil that was separating man from God. In those times, the Ark of the Covenant which was a significance of God’s presence could not be seen by Man but today where there are two or three gathered in the Name of God, God says His presence is there. This is the blessing that Jesus earned on the cross for us.

Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” It says that he destroyed slavery and gave us the spirit of adoptions as sons and daughters. Spirit of Slavery has been destroyed and we have received the spirit of adoption. We are no longer slaves but are the Children of God. We need not be scared anymore as we can call Him our Abba Father.

Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”” We have received the Spirit of His Son and we are adopted by Him. Therefore, we need to confess that we are no longer slaves but have received the Spirit of His Son, Jesus.

God’s Strength

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 

As this verse says, the word of the cross is the power of God unto us. When we hear and observe the doctrine, we will receive a divine strength. All the doctrines and preaching including blessings today are from the cross and salvation. We receive strength from Jesus on the cross through the truth and doctrines we hear. And Satan tries to prevent us from listening to these doctrine.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,” Paul says we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and we receive Salvation through faith and belief in the truth. Because He speaks with us, through the word of truth and from the Holy Spirit we receive the divine strength. When the words are being spoken itself, Holy Spirit will work in us. He makes us Holy through the doctrine of the Word. When this work is happening, our life will be sanctified and we will receive the strength. If we do not heed to the doctrinal word of God, we cannot be strengthened in our Spirit. As said in 1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,” it is not important if we receive the truth but we need to be obey the truth. When we listen to the word of God, it goes right into our soul. And the blessing of the cross brings strength to our soul. Therefore, the Strength of God is one of the most important blessing of the cross.

God’s healing

1 Peter 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

As the verse says, we are healed by His stripes. This is the third blessing on the cross wherein we are healed by His stripes and only the divine healing of God has kept us alive till date. We need to have Isaiah 53:5 “…And by His stripes we are healed.” always in our hearts. Our God is a healer and as we read in the word of God, we are healed by Him and he has given us a complete feeling. We need to confess with our mouth as mentioned in Isaiah 53:5 and also confess as per the words of Peter ‘that you are healed by His stripes’. Power has been revealed from His wounds. This word of God is powerful even today and He is all powerful to give us His healing. No power can do this except the divine strength and power of Him. Jesus earned this healing on the cross for us. Therefore, those who look unto him will surely be

healed.

God’s Authority

Colossians 2:15 “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Finally, Jesus has taken back everything snatched away by Satan from us and has given us a victory.  When God created Adam in this world, he gave all authority to him that he can rule over everything. But Satan snatched it away.  And whatever power and authority Satan snatched away from him has been restored to us on the cross by Jesus. And the fourth blessing that Jesus earned on the cross is God’s Authority. We should not be afraid of Satan as the scripture says ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you’. God has given us this authority to drive Satan away. For instance, Romans used to celebrate the end of a war with a victory parade saying we are victorious people. Everyone will walk around majestically proclaiming their victory with authority. Likewise, Jesus has earned that blessing where we can walk victoriously and walk this victory parade.  No power has any authority over us. Therefore, let us triumphantly parade as victorious soldiers before our enemies.