The Divine Design Behind the Crucifixion
Jesus decided to accept the crucifixion because He saw in it His voluntary act of sacrifice, preordained in God's plan aimed at salvation and drawing people to God. In His words and actions, there is a clear understanding that through death and subsequent resurrection, the Father's will is fulfilled—not only redeeming humanity but also establishing the eternal victory of God's Kingdom over the world.Firstly, Jesus clearly stated that His ascension, understood as the crucifixion, was meant to be a means of attracting people to Himself: "The Lord said: 'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.' Had the Savior not been crucified on the Cross, He would not have attracted millions. But it is precisely the cross death, this astounding sacrifice of His, that has turned the hearts of countless people" (source: link txt).Secondly, He embodied the awareness of the inevitability of His death as part of God's grand plan. He said: "When I am lifted up from the earth (that is, when I am crucified), I will draw all people to myself; and this will be the judgment of this world... Thus, the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Christ occurred by the will of the Father, and Christ voluntarily surrendered Himself to the power of the world" (source: link txt). This emphasizes that the crucifixion was not a random tragedy, but a predetermined step for the accomplishment of the salvation plan.Jesus also declared His voluntary act of sacrifice, saying: "I give my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down on my own initiative. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again" (source: link txt). These words demonstrate His control over life and death and His understanding of the necessity to fulfill the Divine plan through death and subsequent resurrection.Finally, in the context of God's design for redemption, the crucifixion is seen not as an end in itself but as a means to achieve the one true goal—deification and the restoration of the connection with God. As stated: "Redemption is portrayed as a kind of negative aspect of the Divine plan: it implies an abnormal, tragic 'counter-natural' reality. It would be absurd to limit redemption to itself, turning it into an end in its own right, since the ransom, rendered necessary because of our sin, is not a goal but a means" (source: link txt).Thus, Jesus accepted the crucifixion voluntarily to fulfill the Father's will, to draw people to Himself, and to establish victory over sin and death—a fundamental component of God's plan for the salvation of humanity.