In yesterday’s sermon, we followed the road of the Perfect Sacrifice, doing the will of the Father, through seven scenes on the Road to the Cross.  This post is mostly Scripture, with only brief comments.

Scene #1 — Heaven

Hebrews 10:4-7

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

• Animal sacrifices could never take away sins — something better was necessary.
• Christ came to be the perfect sacrifice — this was in view before He ever left Heaven.
• He came to do the will of the Father.

Scene #2 — Bethlehem

Philippians 2:6-8

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

• He made Himself of no reputation — left His glory to become a man and a servant.
• He came for the purpose of death, to be a sacrifice for us.

Scene #3 — Nazareth

John 1:11

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Luke 4:18-19

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:28-29 

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

• Preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to His own people.
• Already His death as a sacrifice is foreshadowed in their rejection and hatred.

Scene #4 — Caesarea Philippi

Matthew 16:15-17

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 16:21

From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

• Teaching His disciples the identity and fact of the sacrifice.
• From now on, “Steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

Scene #5 — Jericho

Matthew 20:29

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

• Rejected by a nation, facing death, yet He is still compassionate.
• Accepting and validating the title, “Son of David” (Messiah), identifying the sacrifice.

Scene #6 — Jerusalem

Matthew 21:4-5

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

• The KING

Matthew 21:8-11

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

•  The PROPHET — “the” prophet, Messiah

Matthew 21:12-13

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

• The PRIEST — cleansing the temple

Matthew 21:14

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Deuteronomy 15:21

And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

• The perfect SACRIFICE — unblemished, showing His fitness by contrast
• This SACRIFICE is not only unblemished Himself, but makes others unblemished

Scene #7 — Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-42

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

• Doing the will of the Father — full circle, back to the first scene in Heaven.  All was done just as planned before the world began, that the love of God might be given to us through a perfect sacrifice.