When sin and death entered the lives of man, by eating from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, and caused man to be separated from God, God already had a perfect redemption plan. God’s work of redemption would reconcile man back to God and restore the position of fallen man. It all began with a tree and it ended with a tree; o le satauro.
God’s work of redemption for fallen man
Aua na alofa tele le Atua i le lalolagi, ma sa ia tuuina mai i lana pauu le alofa mutimutivale, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, ae i ai le ola e faavavau. Aua na auina mai e le Atua lona Alo i le lalolagi e faamaligiina le lalolagi; Ae ina ia faaolaina le lalolagi na o ia (Ioane 3:16,17)
Jesus served His whole life; He served His Father and people, by obeying the commandments of His Father, faia mea lelei, ma healing all, that were oppressed by the devil (Galuega 10:38).
Jesus represented His Father; He was a reflection of His Father.
Na fetalai Iesu, that if a person had seen Him, sa vaai foi o ia i le Tama (Ioane 14:9). And in John 14:6-7, Na ia fai mai ai:
O a'u le ala, le mea moni, ma le ola: e leai se tasi e alu atu i le Tamā, but by me. Ana outou iloa a'u, po ua tatau foi ona outou iloa lo'u Tama: e amata foi i le taimi nei ona outou iloa o Ia, ma ua vaai ia te Ia.
Jesus is the only Way, e leai se isi! Ia tatou, therefore look at God’s perfect work of redemption, e ala mai ia Iesu Keriso.
Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane
The work of redemption began in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus’ soul was sorrowful. Sa tatalo Iesu i le Tama ma fetalai atu: “Tama, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: e ui i lea e le o lo'u loto, Ae o lou, ia faia”.
Jesus knew the time had come that He would be handed over into the hands of sinners, and die for all sinners.
During his prayer, an angel appeared unto Him from heaven, to strengthen Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luka 22:42-44).
Jesus conquered this deadly fear inside of HIm. He had to fight against His soul. Jesus conquered His soul (Faitau foi: ‘O le faasatauroina o le agaga‘).
Now Jesus was ready to continue the mission of His Father, and go to the whipping post and the cross.
Jesus went to the whipping post
After His prayer, and when Jesus returned to His disciples, He was betrayed by one of His disciples, and was taken captive. After many interrogations, He was scourged. When Jesus was scourged at the whipping post, He bore our sickness and disease.
E moni lava ua Ia tauaveina o tatou faanoanoaga, ma tauaveina o tatou faanoanoaga: Ae na matou faia se mea e taua ia te ia, taia e le Atua, ma mafatia. Ae sa manua o ia mo a tatou solitulafono, Sa manu'a o ia ona o a tatou amioletonu: o le faasalaga o lo tatou filemu sa i Ona luga; ma o Ana faalavalava ua faamaloloina ai i tatou (Isaia 53:4,5)
O Lē na ia tauaveina a tatou agasala i Lona lava tino i luga o le laau, tatou te, oti i agasala, e tatau ona ola i le amiotonu:o ona faalavalava na faamaloloina ai outou (1 Peteru 2:24)
The crown of thorns
The crown of thorns, that the soldiers put on Jesus’ head could be a symbol of the oppression of man, but that’s my interpretation. Because in the Old Testament when they spoke of thorns, they referred to people:
‘Ae ‘āfai tou te lē tulia o ē o nonofo i le nu‘u i o ‘outou luma; ona taunuu ai lea, ina ia avea i latou e totoe o i latou ma mea matuitui i o outou mata ma mea matuitui i o outou itu, e fa‘atigā fo‘i ‘iā te ‘outou i le nu‘u tou te nonofo ai (Numera 33:55)
‘Ia e iloa ma le mautinoa e lē toe tulia e le ALI‘I lo ‘outou Atua se tasi o ia nu‘u i o ‘outou luma; ae e fai Ieova ma mailei ma mailei ia te outou, ma sasa i ou itu, ma mea tuitui i o outou mata, se‘ia fano ‘outou ai lenei nu‘u lelei ‘ua foa‘iina mai e le ALI‘I lo ‘outou Atua ‘iā te ‘outou (Iosua 23:13)
A o tagata o Pelialo e avea i latou uma e pei o laau tuitui, auā e lē mafaia e lima (2 Samuelu 23:6)
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Ona oo mai lea o le taimi, that Jesus was chosen by the people, instead of Barabbas (a murderer), to be crucified. The devil thought that he was smart, he thought that by crucifying Jesus, he was getting rid of Jesus, and he could continue to build his kingdom on this earth. I se isi faaupuga, he thought: good riddance! (Faitau foi: ‘Iesu po o porabas, O ai e te filifilia?‘)
Ae na sese le tiapolo. Because this was all part of God’s work of redemption. Na ave e Iesu agasala uma, o le lalolagi, luga o ia. Iesu, O lē sa leai sana agasala, was made sin and was sacrificed, in order to reconcile man back to God, tasi ma mo tagata uma. From the sixth till the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land.
Then at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, fai mai: “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?”
These words mean: “Loʻu Atua, Loʻu Atua, aisea ua e tuu ai ia te au?”
Jesus had always been joint together with His Father; they were One. Jesus was never separated from Him, until sin came upon Him.
God is holy and can never have fellowship with sin, therefore Jesus was separated from His Father. Na alaga Iesu ma le leo tele, ma tuu atu le agaga.
Ina ua maliu Iesu, O le ie puipui o le Malumalu sa mautotogi i le lua mai le pito i luga i le pito i lalo (Mareko 15:33-39).
O Lē na ia tauaveina a tatou agasala i Lona lava tino i luga o le laau, tatou te, oti i agasala, e tatau ona ola i le amiotonu: by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peteru 2:24)
Jesus took our punishment upon Himself
We should have been punished, because we are the sinners and not Jesus. We should have been scourged in hell. But because of the great love and mercy of God, Jesus took the punishment, which was meant for us, luga o ia.
Through the blood of Jesus and regeneration in Him, we are reconciled with God and live in unity with God in Christ Jesus. E ala i le baptism with water ma le Agaga Paia, we have crucified our sinful nature and received God’s nature inside of us.
When you receive His nature inside of you, the process of sanctification will start. O le a e faafou lou mafaufau Faatasi ai ma le afioga a le Atua. And instead of walking after the flesh (after your senses, mafaufau, manatu, lagona, lagona, o le a, ma isi.), you shall walk after the Spirit according to the Word in the will of God.
The Holy Spirit is your Comforter and your Teacher. Faatasi ma Ia, you shall be able to serve God, Iesu Keriso, and men. Pei o Iesu.
Jesus took the keys of hell and death
After Jesus died, He legally entered Hades. Na ulu atu Iesu i Seoli, because Jesus was made sin; He had taken all sin and iniquity upon Himself. Jesus was in Hades for three days and preached. Ina ua mavae le tolu aso, Na ave e Iesu ki o le tiapolo, oti, and Hades legally back.
Aua o Jonas o le tolu aso ma le tolu po i le manava o le tafola; E faʻapena foi le Atalii o le Tagata o le Tolu Aso ma Tolu Feʻau i le Loto o le Lalolagi (Mataio 12:40)
O le mea lea na tala‘iina atu ai le tala lelei i ē ‘ua oti, ina ia faamasinoina i latou e tusa ma tagata i la le tino, a ia ola e tusa ma le Atua i le agaga (1 Peteru 4:6)
O au o Ia o loo soifua, ma ua oti; ma, faauta, Ou te ola e faavavau, Amene; ma ‘ua ‘iā te ia ki o seoli ma le oti (Faaaliga 1:18)
Na manumalo Iesu i le oti ma le mana o le Agaga Paia, He was raised from the dead. Le Agaga e tasi, Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us (Roma 8:11).
Jesus is alive and is seated at the right hand of God. He lives, and we may live in Him. Jesus gave us His whole legacy, through His work of redemption.
God’s work of redemption was a work of perfection!
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
