By Elder G Mordaunt
The advent of the Cross
Gal 4:4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, Gal 4:5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to Sonship. Jn 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Space Wars
It has been four thousand years since the fall of our first parents. Satan and his angels have been on this planet creating havoc on its inhabitants all that time. The dark side has fully entrenched itself, creating a lot of problems for God’s people throughout their history. So bad has it become that through the seductions of the dark side, that Israel continued to be caught up into Idol worship. This caused God to intervene and to punish Israel and Judah, to the realms of captivity in Assyria, and Babylon.
It is now over four hundred years since coming back from their captivity in Babylon. Judah, although in their own native land of Israel, is under the yoke of a new power: the Iron Monarchy of Rome. It is now in the middle of the final week of Daniel’s prophecy predicted in Chapter 9:20-27. This states that in the middle of the final week of Daniel’s prophecy that the Messiah would be cut off from Israel and He would put an end to sacrifices and offerings. V. 26.
It was the fifth day, what we call Thursday. Jesus and His Disciples had entered the Garden of Gethsemane in which the greatest battle ever fought on planet earth had just been played out. The destiny of the human race was at stake. Jesus had endured an agony that no human could ever suffer. The hour of darkness had arrived. Judas had gone off to betray his Lord. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and praying to His Father. The Jewish leaders followed by an unruly mob with flaming torches with Judas leading them, were coming to arrest Jesus.
Luke 22:52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour–when darkness reigns.”
The Dark Side was about to let loose upon Jesus. What followed was a series Horrendous acts upon the Messiah. Starting off with a series of mock trials full of false witnesses against Him. The satanic hatred of the dark side was about to be unleashed upon Jesus. During His trials He endured the wicked fists of the accusers, the spitting, the pulling out of His beard.
Christ suffered keenly under abuse and insult. At the hands of the beings whom He had created, and for whom He was making an infinite sacrifice, He received every indignity. And He suffered in proportion to the perfection of His holiness and His hatred of sin. His trial by men who acted as fiends was to Him a perpetual sacrifice. To be surrounded by human beings under the control of Satan was revolting to Him. And He knew that in a moment, by the flashing forth of His divine power, He could lay His cruel tormentors in the dust. This made the trial the harder to bear.
When the condemnation of Jesus was pronounced by the judges, a satanic fury took possession of the people. The roar of voices was like that of wild beasts. The crowd made a rush toward Jesus, crying, He is guilty, put Him to death! Had it not been for the Roman soldiers, Jesus would not have lived to be nailed to the cross of Calvary. He would have been torn in pieces before His judges, had not Roman authority interfered, and by force of arms restrained the violence of the mob. Desire of Ages Page 715
Jesus’ Sufferings
Such was the hatred of Jesus by the Jewish leaders. They Handed over Jesus to Pontus Pilate who questioned Jesus and found no basis for their charges against him. These were mock trials with false witnesses to condemn Jesus. Pilate had Jesus flogged even though he knew that Jesus was innocent. And when Pilate saw that the Jews were determined to condemn Jesus to the death on a cross and that nothing he could do or say would change their minds. And when Pilate brought Jesus out in front of the cursing mob and said to them: “Here is your King!” but the chief priests cried out: “we have no king but Caesar!” After that, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. John 19:14-16.
Then they pronounced that His blood be upon us and our children, they placed a perpetual curse on themselves and their nation. This eventuated in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Isa 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—
Isaiah 53: 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus bore our iniquities and paid the terrible price for our sins. This was no ordinary death. This was the second Death. No one other than Jesus has tasted the second death which is the lake of fire preserved for Satan and his angels and for the wicked. Revelation 20:10; 21:8.
Jesus endured the agony of the cross. Such was His love for fallen humanity.
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we may be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which is ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.” DA p 25.
While on the cross Jesus sent up a prayer to His Father: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live, from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness is freely offered. “Whosoever will” may have peace with God, and inherit eternal life. – {DA 745.1}
Jesus died on the cross at Golgotha, but did the cross kill Jesus? Jesus said something interesting in John chapter 10:17,18:
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again.18 NO ONE TAKES IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MY OWN ACCORD. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
The cross did not kill Jesus, no man killed Jesus, He voluntarily gave up His life for us. He died on the cross, yes; but the cross did not kill Him.
Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
It was at that point that Jesus gave up His life.
In both Mathew 27:50 and John’s account John 19:30 they both say that He gave up His Spirit.
The Jews condemned Him; the Romans nailed Him to the cross. When the Roman soldier plunged his spear into Jesus side and blood and water spewed out, Jesus was already dead. So no human killed Jesus! He voluntarily gave up His life for us.
So why did Jesus go through all this?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
It was God’s love for humanity that took Jesus to the cross.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Even though we are sinners, God still loves us and wants us in His Kingdom. What a wonderful Saviour we serve.
When Jesus made the decision to go through with God’s plan to save humanity, He was arrested by the Church leaders and the mob; He went through the night of betrayal by Judas, deserted by His Disciples, went through a night of mock trials, was scourged more than once, was rejected by the crowd who chose Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus, was condemned to die, was forced to carry His cross and be crucified.
The War Continues on Planet Earth. . .
