The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ: Episode 76

Rev. Sun Myung Moon: The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ
Chapter 7: The Crucifixion, The Victory of Jesus on the Cross, Page 194

The Victory of Jesus on the Cross

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matthew 27:50)

Ladies and gentlemen: for whom has God been sacrificing himself? It is not for America, nor is it for Christianity. But it is for each of us, for “you” and for “me.” Likewise the reason why Jesus was crucified was also not to save himself, but to save us, “you” and “me.”

The Path for America and Humanity in the Last Days
January 22, 2000

First and last, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice of undefiled matter. This is how he introduced his nature, heart, and mind to human beings on this earth. Jesus was the man whom God could consider worthy, whom God could call righteous, and whom God could be happy with and love as the representative of all people in history and for all things.

Jesus Who Is to Establish Heaven’s Love
February 24, 1957

The path of the cross fulfilled eternal faith. The cross enabled Jesus to experience the eternal hope of God. The cross advises us also to possess the eternal life and love of God. You should understand that by virtue of the cross, the history of atonement resulted in opening the way of salvation for us. It became the condition that bequeaths to us the eternal faith, the eternal hope, the eternal life, and the eternal love of Jesus.

Let Us Claim Back the Eternal Ideal of God
October 7, 1956

In the eyes of those around him, Jesus was a miserable fail- ure who was crucified. But God came down to Jesus, saying, “My son, do not worry. I will take over your mission.” That promise became God’s work of Christianity.

Day of the Victory of Heaven
October 4, 1976

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

 

God’s highest love is received when one surpasses the point of death. Therefore, in order to receive the love of Jesus, we have to have the mind-set to even cross the point of death. At that moment, Satan will surely submit. For 4,000 years, God looked down on the world with sorrow and worry by himself, but when Jesus stood on the earth, centering on him, a new battle with Satan unfolded. Jesus forgot everything about himself and fought on for the sake of God. Not only that, because he did not have any selfish desire even when he faced death, he could manifest the power of resurrection. Today, we should also pass through the same course of victory as Jesus….

Based on the victory of the cross that testified to his love, Jesus could forge an immutable link with God who had been carrying on the dispensation for 4,000 years. Jesus became the embodiment of unchanging victory and love. Jesus representing heaven, earth, and humankind, became one with God; and since God remains unchanging, he also will not change.

Like Jesus, Let Us Return the Glory of Resurrection to God
May 27, 1956

Satan … has a certain conscience, and he realizes that he cannot be loved to the same degree as God. He knows he does not deserve such love, yet that is the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated on the cross. Even wounded and dying, Jesus forgot about himself and loved his enemies and asked forgiveness for them. Under such circumstances, however vicious the enemy may be, as long as even one ounce of conscience remains in his heart he cannot help but bow down and surrender.

By practicing this same love you can completely separate yourself from your enemy—and you will discover that you have no enemy. When you reach that level of perfection of love, you can enter a new era, the age of ideal love.

The Road of God’s Will
May 30, 1982

 

He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. (Philippians 2:8-9)

 

Jesus died for the liberation of God and mankind, not his own salvation. If today’s Christians are thinking people, should they believe in Jesus and God for their own salvation, or for mankind and the liberation of Jesus and God? Many prayers offered today by Christians are self-centered, full of requests for money and health and comfort. Compared to Jesus’ tradition, these people have the mind of a thief or robber; they don’t think at all about giving but only about taking. There is no way for such people to avoid declining.

If Jesus, knowing he had to die on the cross, had tried to get out of it, would he have been the Messiah? Would he have been fulfilling his part of the mission courageously? He would have been a betrayer of God, and when he eventually died it would have been a dishonorable death. If that had happened it would have been the greatest tragedy, for mankind would have had to pay the indemnity for it. There would have been no Christianity then.

The road of God’s dispensation always involves going beyond death. Jesus truly proved he was the Son of God because he willingly accepted the role of death honorably. He died in such a way that Satan had to surrender to him. Satan could make no accusation that Jesus did not deserve to be called the Son of God. Satan had to bow down and say that Jesus loved God more than Satan could ever do. Like a lamb, Jesus became a sacrifice on the altar so that others might live.

Children’s Day and Tradition
November 20, 1979

Think about it: even though Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross 2,000 years ago, his power and influence have spread all over the world. But suppose Jesus had not died. Suppose he had [found sufficient foundation to] establish his family, and his children had started multiplying from that time. How long do you think it would have taken to restore the entire world? Not more than 600 years. Jesus’ descendants would have formed the mainstream family for all the families of the world, the true olive tree into which all the wild olive trees of the fallen world would have been engrafted. The spreading influence of that true olive tree would have transformed the world into an orchard of true olive trees. In that true olive orchard God would be able to unify all humankind completely and take dominion.

The 43rd Anniversary of Foundation Day
May 1, 1997