Jesus Promises in Authority, Deliver from Death
By Jeremy Bell
There is Christian agreement. Finding points of agreement helps build unity among people. Often, disagreements are in the application of fundamental ideas. I will share how Psalm 31 supports some salvation fundamentals. I will continue by reading Matthew 27: 59 – 61 and Luke 23: 13 – 24, 32 – 46 directly afterwards because these New Testament writers refer to it. Understanding the unity across scripture is excellent theological practice. Understanding more about God’s character across scripture supplements faith in the things Jesus promises.
The highlighting is the way I have highlighted motif groupings from my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization.
One fundamental agreement is:
Another fundamental agreement is:
Consider these perspectives while preparing to hear or read this Psalm. They are by no means the only perspectives or considerations. Here is Psalm 31 and Matthew 27: 59 – 61 and Luke 23: 13 – 24, 32 – 46.
[ Psalm 31 ]
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
In you, Yahweh, I take refuge.
Let me never be disappointed.
Deliver me in your righteousness.
Bow down your ear to me.
Deliver me speedily.
Be to me a strong rock,
a house of defense to save me.
For you are my rock and my fortress,
therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me,
for you are my stronghold.
Into your hand I commend my spirit.
You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.
I hate those who regard lying vanities,
but I trust in Yahweh.
I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness,
for you have seen my affliction.
You have known my soul in adversities.
You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy.
You have set my feet in a large place.
Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress.
My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
my years with sighing.
My strength fails because of my iniquity.
My bones are wasted away.
Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors,
a horror to my acquaintances.
Those who saw me on the street fled from me.
I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man.
I am like broken pottery.
For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side,
while they conspire together against me,
they plot to take away my life.
But I trust in you, Yahweh.
I said, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand.
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
Make your face to shine on your servant.
Save me in your loving kindness.
Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you.
Let the wicked be disappointed.
Let them be silent in Sheol.
Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
Oh how great is your goodness,
which you have laid up for those who fear you,
which you have worked for those who take refuge in you,
before the sons of men!
In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man.
You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.
Praise be to Yahweh,
for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.
As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.”
Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints!
Yahweh preserves the faithful,
and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who hope in Yahweh.
[ Matthew 27: 59 – 61 ]
Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’”
[ Luke 23: 13 – 24, 32 – 46 ]
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast. But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”— one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus, but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!” He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.” But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.
There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death. When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
Jesus Responded to God, So Should Everyone
People have ability to do good things in this life. But they cannot establish or repair a relationship with God, only He can do that, only He reaches out. While existing as the ‘reaching out by God’ incarnate, Jesus demonstrated this truth in his own life. No deceit was found in the mouth of Jesus, and Jesus never sinned. Jesus, suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. Christ Jesus promises that any who have faith in him will have eternal life. Jesus promises to clothe his people with his righteousness, his ‘never sinned’ life. This is how people are able to follow his example, through faith in Jesus and by the grace of God.
Dying on the cross to satisfy religious people who made bold claims they could not prove, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Jesus demonstrated the need for God’s help. He demonstrated that death was not the end, but it is the ultimate situation of helplessness. Jesus did great things during his life on earth, but his relationship was established by his father, God. He continuously submitted to the will of his father, God. Jesus demonstrated his need for God’s help throughout his life and even through his death. He was so confident in God’s help and response and the promises God gave to him, he responded to a dying criminal near him when he was on the cross.
Dying Criminals can be Saved, So can Anyone
One of the criminals who was hanged near Jesus said to another criminal, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
Because of the faith in his heart, in Jesus, this criminal expressed it through the works of his mouth into speaking. By God’s grace, this criminal was with Jesus in paradise that day. Because it is by faith in Christ Jesus and the grace of God alone that one is saved from death and the wrath of God. We beg for mercy because we have no justice to present that is for ourselves. We waste away. When we have faith in God through His son, we rejoice in His loving kindness because we recognize we have not been given over to the enemy, to death. We may taste the dust of death, but we will never experience the pit of death because Jesus experienced it for us to deliver us from it. Jesus promises are as good as God’s promises because he and the father are one.
Counting on Jesus Promises
We can count on what Jesus promises because God did raise Jesus from the grave, He did deliver Jesus from death. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and he appeared to the twelve disciples. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once!
Everyone will experience resurrection, the just and the unjust. And everyone will go before the judge to give an account by the man God has appointed judge. This is His son, Jesus. So, let’s lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Truly this is the Nature of Joy.
Resources and References
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Steps to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.