The Cross of Christ
By Barry Adams
1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. NIV
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. NIV
The greatest expression of the love of God is, and will always be, the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon a cross two thousand years ago. For it was in that moment of time, that Father, Son & Spirit entwined together in their eternal love for humanity, sacrificed everything so we could be redeemed.
There was no split in the Godhead at that moment, no angry Father punishing His Son, no abandonment of the communion within The Trinity. For Father, Son & Spirit had determined together from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) that this was the only way humanity could be saved.
Even in the midst of the intense pressure of the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was sweating great drops of blood, and He cried out... “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:40-44) Even then, I believe Jesus was not left alone but was in the Father's embrace.
For Jesus had said earlier in this same evening to His disciples these words found in John 16:32...
“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. NIV
I believe the Father of Compassion and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) was there in the midst of Jesus' anguish in the garden and I believe He was there in the midst of the excruciating agony when Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of the world when He hung broken and beaten on a cross.
Some theologians think the Father had actually forsaken Jesus when He cried out on the cross 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46) Yet even though that heart cry would have expressed the utter devastation that He was feeling as being fully human, it was a prophetic declaration found in the first line of Psalm 22.
If you read the entire psalm, you will see that it not only describes Jesus' suffering but it also clearly says in verse 24 that God did not in fact hide His face from Him... For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. NIV
So we can plainly see that there was no separation within the Godhead at the crucifixion because the Father and the Spirit were clearly present. The Apostle Paul even writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 that God was 'in Christ' reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people's sins against them.
So why did Jesus have to die? Was it the angry mob that killed him? Was it the divisive religious establishment or the Roman soldiers that ultimately murdered Jesus against His will? The answer is none of the above. For it was Jesus Himself who said these words in John 10:18... 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.” NIV
Jesus voluntarily laid down His life for love's sake. As He said to His disciples in John 15:13... Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. NIV And because of God's great love for all of us, Jesus took upon Himself all of our sin and brokenness so we could become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus died upon that cross, He destroyed once and for all, the power of sin, death and the devil. And when He rose from the dead, He became the way for us to be raised up too, so even though we are here on earth, we are also seated in heavenly places (Colossians 3:1-4).
I think Hebrews 2:14-18 beautifully describes the motivation of love that Jesus had to secure our redemption... 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. NIV
If you ever doubt the love of God, look no further than the ultimate sacrifice that was made when Jesus died on a cross for you. For it is in the death, burial and resurrection of our great High Priest, that we are fully restored to our true destiny as much loved children of Almighty God. All we are called to do is simply believe this to be true.
As 1 Corinthians 1:18 says...
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. NIV
There was no split in the Godhead at that moment, no angry Father punishing His Son, no abandonment of the communion within The Trinity. For Father, Son & Spirit had determined together from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) that this was the only way humanity could be saved.
Even in the midst of the intense pressure of the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was sweating great drops of blood, and He cried out... “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:40-44) Even then, I believe Jesus was not left alone but was in the Father's embrace.
For Jesus had said earlier in this same evening to His disciples these words found in John 16:32...
“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. NIV
I believe the Father of Compassion and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) was there in the midst of Jesus' anguish in the garden and I believe He was there in the midst of the excruciating agony when Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of the world when He hung broken and beaten on a cross.
Some theologians think the Father had actually forsaken Jesus when He cried out on the cross 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matthew 27:46) Yet even though that heart cry would have expressed the utter devastation that He was feeling as being fully human, it was a prophetic declaration found in the first line of Psalm 22.
If you read the entire psalm, you will see that it not only describes Jesus' suffering but it also clearly says in verse 24 that God did not in fact hide His face from Him... For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. NIV
So we can plainly see that there was no separation within the Godhead at the crucifixion because the Father and the Spirit were clearly present. The Apostle Paul even writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 that God was 'in Christ' reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people's sins against them.
So why did Jesus have to die? Was it the angry mob that killed him? Was it the divisive religious establishment or the Roman soldiers that ultimately murdered Jesus against His will? The answer is none of the above. For it was Jesus Himself who said these words in John 10:18... 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.” NIV
Jesus voluntarily laid down His life for love's sake. As He said to His disciples in John 15:13... Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. NIV And because of God's great love for all of us, Jesus took upon Himself all of our sin and brokenness so we could become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus died upon that cross, He destroyed once and for all, the power of sin, death and the devil. And when He rose from the dead, He became the way for us to be raised up too, so even though we are here on earth, we are also seated in heavenly places (Colossians 3:1-4).
I think Hebrews 2:14-18 beautifully describes the motivation of love that Jesus had to secure our redemption... 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. NIV
If you ever doubt the love of God, look no further than the ultimate sacrifice that was made when Jesus died on a cross for you. For it is in the death, burial and resurrection of our great High Priest, that we are fully restored to our true destiny as much loved children of Almighty God. All we are called to do is simply believe this to be true.
As 1 Corinthians 1:18 says...
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. NIV