“And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry” (Matthew 17:22,23).

The death of the Lord Jesus was planned by Him and His heavenly Father before the world began. Though His death took the disciples by surprise, Jesus had frequently told them that it was coming. Even as the soldiers were arresting Him, He said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:53,54).

The wondrous truth is that He did this for us! He was “delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). But the sad truth is that most people either doubt this great truth or ignore it or explain it away, and thus are yet unsaved. Many have not yet heard and they also are lost. Multitudes are following false religions. The followers of Mohammed, for example (over a billion of them), if they believe the Koran, believe that Jesus did not die at all, and thus they also are still under the guilt of their own sins. So are the Buddhists and Animists and Hindus and even “Christians” who have not personally trusted Christ as their redeeming Savior, for He Himself said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). But He also said: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

We who do have the joy of truly knowing Christ as Savior and Lord have the responsibility and privilege of sharing the love of Christ with those who do not. We must get the good news to them in whatever way we can; that the Lord Jesus loves them and died for them too, and that “whosoever will may come.” HMM