Jesus came and lived a sinless life to fulfill the law because He knew we couldn’t do it. He is our Representative!

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

While reading through the book of John, I came upon this verse in 13:31, “When he [Judas Iscariot] had gone out [from the last supper], Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.'” I connected it with another two verses in 14:30-31, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, (31) but I do as the Father commanded me…”

I asked myself how Jesus had come to be glorified by the Father, and I found the answer in verse 31: Jesus did as the Father commanded him. Their fellowship was unbroken. In fact, It had been going on since before time in the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit), which is how God was glorified in Jesus–He was IN Jesus (we could even say that He WAS Jesus).

Jesus came to include us in the Trinity. How do I know that? He told us as much, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Jesus prays something similar in 17:20-23, which includes us,

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Do you see the connection? Jesus glorified the Father by living a totally connected and perfect life, which fulfilled the requirement of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17), and therefore, Jesus was glorified by the Father. Because of Jesus’ glorification, the claim of Satan for the souls of men did not apply to Jesus. This is why the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was able to “take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” Peter explained it pretty well in his sermon at Pentecost,

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men [we are included in this statement]. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Let’s not get confused by the term, “God raised him up.” Jesus was God and stated that he had the authority to lay down his life and take it up again (John 10:17-18). The requirement of the law was satisfied in the sinless life of Jesus Christ. We, now, meet that requirement in Him, and we rejoice in this proclamation,

“And now, NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!” Romans 8:1

Abba, we rejoice this day because of Your wondrous plan and “execution” of that plan. We have life in Jesus Christ! We have fellowship with the Trinity because of Your plan, Jesus’ obedience, and the Spirit’s presence in our lives. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Amen.