A Crucified Man - What Manner of Man is this? Part 16

This powerful message confronts us with a challenging but transformative truth: Jesus was already crucified in His identity before He ever hung on the physical cross. The series continues exploring the question the disciples asked when Jesus calmed the storm—'What manner of man is this?'—and reveals that He was a man who lived in complete surrender from the foundation of the world. Drawing from Revelation 13:8, we discover that Jesus was 'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,' meaning His sacrifice was embedded in His very DNA. This same reality applies to us as believers. According to Galatians 2:20, we too have been crucified with Christ, and we're called to walk out this crucified life daily. The message challenges our Western Christianity that has divorced itself from the cross, seeking comfort and avoiding pain at all costs. Yet scripture is clear: assignment and sacrifice are inseparable. We've been predestined for certain works according to Ephesians 2:10, but those works require power—and that power only comes after we've died to ourselves. The cross deals with our tendency to be impressed with ourselves, safeguarding God's power for God's glory. Through the story of Peter's journey from self-reliance to martyrdom, we see that maturity means learning to say 'not my will, but Yours.' This isn't a message of condemnation but of hope—the same grace we find each day will empower us at the end of our lives to fulfill whatever God has called us to do.