Christ and Him Crucified - The Prediction of the Cross

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Prediction of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer to sing the old hymns of the faith. And for good reason: they are objective, that is, Christ is the primary object of the message. If you listen carefully, most contemporary Christian music is subjective. It emphasizes what the believer has done for the Savior. Since singing is an integral part of our worship, all the glory is to be given to the Lord. Although the old hymn writers generally captured the essence of the Scriptures, occasionally they were inconsistent. Perhaps the most beloved of the old hymns is the Old Rugged Cross by George Bennard. In poetic prose he beautifully portrays the sufferings and death of our Savior.

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged Cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old Cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Surely we shall never exchange the Cross for a crown, as the last sentence of the chorus suggests. Those nail prints in the Savior's hands and feet will be a constant reminder throughout eternity of His finished work (Zech. 13:6; John 20:25-29; Rev. 5:5-9). Christ is our Redeemer who "became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross." He didn't die just any death; He died the death of the Cross. Death by crucifixion in biblical times was one of the world's most disgraceful and cruel methods of torture. The Jewish historian, Josephus, had witnessed countless crucifixions, which he called "the most wretched of deaths." Cicero referred to it as "the most cruel and hideous of tortures." Will Durant writes, "even the Romans pitied the victims."

As we prepare to enter into a study on the Cross of Christ, we are about to embark upon a great journey over a sea of Scriptures. Our journey begins in prophetic waters with the "Prediction of the Cross." David will be our captain who will steer us through the afflictions Christ would endure at Calvary.

A PSALM OF DAVID

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? why art Thou so far from helping me, and from

As we gather our thoughts around Psalm 22, we have perhaps one of the most detailed accounts of the sufferings of Christ found in the Word of God. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the heading "Aijeleth Shahar" appears above this Psalm, which translates into "The hind of the dawn of the morning," which is interpreted to mean "the young deer suffers innocently, but the dawn brings relief." Though veiled at the time, the correlation is to be made with Christ, who suffered and died as an innocent victim, but the dawn of the resurrection brought relief.

There may be another path of thought here as well. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest that the Hebrews likened the horns of the deer to the morning light. In other words, they viewed the shafts of the antlers to be like shafts of light. Interestingly, the morning sacrifice in Israel was offered as soon as the Watcher on the pinnacle of the temple saw the morning dawn. He would then shout, "Behold the first rays of light shine forth." Hence, the 22nd Psalm marks the dawn of redemption.

In addition, Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a trilogy. In John 10, Christ is said to be the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep, as depicted in Psalm 22. According to Hebrews 13, Christ is called the Great Shepherd who was brought again from the dead to guide His people through the wilderness of sin and death. This is the theme of Psalm 23. Finally, the Chief Shepherd of I Peter 5 finds its roots in Psalm 24 where Christ returns in power and great glory to establish His Kingdom upon the earth.

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Prediction of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

One of the remarkable things about the 22nd Psalm is that David vividly described the crucifixion of Christ approximately 1,000 years before the event took place. Another amazing fact is that death by crucifixion had not yet been introduced into humanity at the time of David's writing. It is believed the Assyrians were the first to use this form of execution, for they were well known for their inhuman tortures. But what the Assyrians created, the Romans perfected. By the time of Christ, death by crucifixion was the chief form of execution in the Roman Empire for crimes against the state.

But when the Son of God states that He was forsaken by the Father, we stand amazed. If there is one thing that characterized the life of Christ upon the earth, it was the unbroken communion which He enjoyed with the Father. The silence of heaven was broken on more than one occasion when the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt. 17:5). But now in His darkest hour the Father had forsaken His Son. Why? This was the very question that weighed heavily upon the Son's heart as He sought to understand, humanly speaking, why He had been abandoned.

As darkness descended from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. the day Christ died, the Son reasoned, "O my God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent...Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them" (Psa. 22:2,4). Here we have the innermost thoughts of Christ as He hung on the Cross. It is the only place in the Word of God where we are told what the Savior was actually thinking as darkness fell over Palestine. Only the Spirit of God could have given us this remarkable revelation through the prophet. The Son reasoned with the Father, "Our fathers trusted in Thee: they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them." As the Son pondered the history of His people, He recalled how Samson was delivered from the hand of the Philistines; Daniel from the mouths of hungry lions; and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. But there would be no deliverance for the Son, who was foreordained to suffer for the sins of His people, indeed for the sins of the world!

The Son answered His own question as to why He was forsaken of the Father in verse 3: "But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." The Father is holy, which speaks of His moral excellence. Sin is, without exception, a violation of His holiness. Our finite minds cannot begin to take in the majesty and holiness of God. He is infinitely pure. This helps us to understand the purpose for the veil in the tabernacle; it separated a holy God from His unholy people. Both King Uzziah and Isaiah had an encounter with God's holiness with totally different results.

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke" (Isa. 6:1-4).

One sin brought death and banished Adam and Eve from the garden. One sin barred Moses from entering the Promised Land. One sin ended the lives of Ananias and Sapphira. You see, a right view of the holiness of God leads to a right view of sin. When Isaiah came into the presence of God and heard the Seraphims cry to one another "holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts," and felt the posts of the door move at his voice, this was Isaiah's reaction: "Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Because Isaiah had the proper view of the holiness of God, he lived, and had his iniquity taken away, and his sin purged (Hebrew kaòphar or atoned?Isa. 6:5-7).

Since sin is a violation of God's holiness, the Father could not look upon His Son who was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Christ bore the burden of our sins alone. As despair visited like an unwelcome friend, the Savior reasoned, "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." The term "worm" in this passage is the Hebrew word tola. The tola was a small maggot, specifically, the crimson grub. In ancient times they were placed in a bowl and crushed to produce a scarlet dye. As we know, Solomon robed the daughters of Israel in scarlet. May we suggest that the analogy we are to draw from the tola is this: the weight of Israel's sins (and ours) crushed the life of Christ, who shed His precious blood that we might wear the garments of salvation.

THE PHYSICAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

"Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me" (Psa. 22:12-17).

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Prediction of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

It is interesting how many references there are to animals in Psalm 22: the bull, lion, dog, unicorn, etc. Those who were responsible for the crucifixion were like the beasts of the field. They were cunning, vicious, and methodically stalked their prey. The strong bulls of Bashan undoubtedly refer to the religious leaders in Israel, who sought to gore the Lord with their horns of hate (Luke 23:8-21). Like the beast of the field that taunts it prey before killing it, these wicked leaders scoffed:

"He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the Cross, and we will believe Him.

Death by crucifixion was the death of deaths. The victim's arms were outstretched and nails were driven through the palm of the hands. Then they tied off the wrists so the nails wouldn't tear through the victim's hands. Next, one foot was placed on top of the other and a large spike was driven through both feet. Hence, "they pierced my hands and my feet." This was only the beginning of sorrows, for death by crucifixion was a slow excruciating process that took two or three days. Three rusty nails secured our redemption?one fastened the law to the Cross, one fastened the sins of the world to the Cross, and one fastened self to the Cross (Col. 2:14; II Cor. 5:14-19; Gal. 2:20).

While not a bone in our Lord's body was broken, it does appear that when the Cross was placed into its slot the Savior's arms were dislocated from His shoulders, based upon the statement "all my bones are out of joint." Hanging by outstretched arms placed such tremendous pressure upon the lungs that it gradually became more and more difficult to breathe. To do so the victim had to push himself up by his feet to inhale. As the carbon dioxide levels increased in the body, the victim began to suffer from pulmonary edema, eventually dying from either a cardiac arrest or suffocation.

Interestingly, the Savior died within a matter of hours after being placed upon the Cross. In His own words He states, "my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels" (vs. 14). Could it be that the Savior died of a broken heart over the sins of the world? As the moment of His death approached, the Son prayed to the Father:

"But be not Thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste Thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog [Gentiles]" (Psa. 22:19,20).

It was the Savior's desire to voluntarily give His life for the sins of the world and not have it ended by the sword of godless Gentiles. The Father graciously granted His Son's request, for we read in the gospel according to John, the Savior had already given up the ghost before the sword touched His side: "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (John 19:32-34).

PRACTICAL LESSONS FOR YOU AND ME

While the word of man is as unstable as water, the Word of God is always accurate and true, as we have seen from the prediction of the Cross and the actual fulfillment of the events nearly 1,000 years later. God's Word is truth.

The context of this passage is a warning not to adopt the ways of the world. Since the world had rejected the resurrection, their philosophy was to eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. Those of the household of faith are appalled at such reasoning. But God says, be not deceived, evil associations gradually destroy good morals. In other words, if you entangle yourself with the world, before long its influence will cause you to question and deny the Word of God. Consequently, sin and the condoning of sinful behavior is displeasing to God. The Corinthians are a prime example of failing to heed this warning, but let us not be guilty of the same (I Cor. 5:1-13; 6:1-8,13-18; 11:20-22).

Psalm 22 teaches us that there is a conflict between good and evil in the world. Christ was the very embodiment of everything that is good and righteous. His enemies, on the other hand, were given to lies and hypocrisy. They hated Him without a cause. Therefore, we should not be surprised when the world hates us without a cause for standing for the truth of the gospel.

To Be Continued!

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Teaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society
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As we began our voyage last month, the first port of call brought us to the predictions of the Cross. David gave us a vivid description of the crucifixion of Christ one thousand years before it actually transpired. Psalm 22 is a remarkable testimony of the foreknowledge of God.

With our sails reset, we are now going to consider the teaching of the Cross. As our voyage brings us within view of the crucifixion, we want to study the events preceding and following this great historical event. We are now sailing with Peter, as the drama of redemption continues to unfold. As we sound the depths of the Word of God, exactly what did Peter and the other apostles of the kingdom understand and teach about the Cross?

UNWELCOME WORDS

"From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16:21).

Approximately one year before the end of our Lord's earthly ministry, He began to teach His disciples about His impending death. This is another noteworthy reference to the Deity of Christ. Who among us can predict the place, time, or manner of our death?Christ did! Once again, the Spirit of God demonstrates that both the sovereignty of God and human responsibility were key components in the crucifixion. The term "must" here is a clear indication that Christ's death at Jerusalem was unalterable according to the plans and purpose of God. This intersects with the foreknowledge of God, which permitted the leaders in Israel to carry out their diabolical plan to have the Lord executed.

After the Lord foretold His death, Peter received them as unwelcome words, therefore he took Him aside and began to rebuke Him: "Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee" (Matt. 16:22). If Peter were around today, he would be the last one chosen to head up a high profile national ministry. In the eyes of many, he was impetuous, ignorant, unlearned: a mere lowly fisherman. But the Lord saw something in Peter, as He does in all believers. In Peter's case, his greatest asset was a willing heart

As we return to his formative years, Peter couldn't believe his ears regarding what would soon take place at Jerusalem. It engendered this response, "Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee." In essence he is saying, "You are the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel. We will defend you with our last breath, if need be." Peter's actions proved the sincerity of his love when he drew the sword, the night the Lord was betrayed, and attempted to separate the High Priest's servant's head from his shoulders. Malchus apparently took evasive action, or an unseen hand protected him, which resulted in only his ear being cut off. There is no record of anyone ever dying in the presence of our Lord (John 18:10,11).

For one reason or another Peter failed to understand that, according to prophecy, the sufferings of Christ must precede the glory of the kingdom. This first part was partially veiled, therefore he only saw the brilliance of the crown before him. Peter had a classic case of tunnel vision! He was looking forward to the Golden Age: that time of peace and righteousness when Israel's enemies will be subdued and the faithful will reign with the Messiah upon the earth.

"But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matt. 16:23).

Moments earlier Peter had been the mouthpiece of the Father, when he announced the Master was the Messiah, the very Son of God. How quickly things changed, now he had become the mouthpiece of Satan when he declared, "be it far from Thee Lord," which demonstrated his indifference to the will of God. Simply because we are believers does not preclude us from being an instrument in Satan's hand. There is nothing more pitiful than a child of God who's caught in the snare of the devil. Sadly, those who allow themselves to become ensnared in his web of deceit are usually the last ones to be aware of it.

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Teaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society
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Peter fell into Satan's trap by failing to savor the things of God. In this context, the "things of God" speaks of the rejection and suffering of His dear Son to accomplish the plan of redemption, even though this was not fully understood at the time. Rather than accepting God's word by faith, Peter followed in the footsteps of Satan by relishing the things of men; that is, glory and honor and recognition. The kingdom was just too close to entertain the thought of anything happening to the Master. As we follow this line of thought, it helps us to better understand the Savior's next statement:

"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24).

This passage has suffered greatly at the hands of those who apply it devotionally to believers today. Many say, for example, that "your cross" may take the form of financial reversals, loss of health, or whatever other burdens you may be bearing. But, dispensationally, the Lord is speaking about what the kingdom saints may be called upon to endure for the cause of Christ. Those who denied themselves and followed Him would be rejected and, in all probability, pay the ultimate sacrifice

AN AMBITIOUS REQUEST

"And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death. And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again" (Matt. 20:17-19).

Now, in the shadow of the Cross, the Lord takes His disciples aside to give them a more detailed account of the events soon to unfold at Jerusalem. He confirms the words of the prophet, that He would be betrayed into the hands of ungodly men who would condemn Him to death. It should also be noted that the Gentiles would bear the responsibility of carrying out the will of the leaders of Israel. This is the first time that the Lord specifically states the manner of His death. He would suffer death by crucifixion, as foretold in Psalm 22!

What exactly did the disciples and the kingdom saints understand about the death, burial, and resurrection at this point in time? Nothing! Clearly the disciples did not grasp the significance of these events, nor did they place their faith in the coming death of Christ at Calvary to be saved, although this would be the means by which they would be redeemed. According to the biblical record, these things were hidden from them (See Luke 18:31-34).

This sheds more light on why the disciples seemed oblivious to our Lord's words. They were more interested in the glories of the kingdom and the positions they would have when they reigned with Him. This is substantiated by what follows.

"Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him. And He said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto Him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in Thy kingdom" (Matt. 20:20,21).

Every mother wants the best for her children, but sometimes her ambition can be a product of the flesh. Concluding that the kingdom would soon be established, the Mother of James and John wanted her sons to have the distinct honor of being seated on the right and left hand of the Master. Of course, James and John competently argued the case. After all, they were among the first who left their fishing nets behind and faithfully followed the Lord. The true intent of their request was to secure positions of authority so they could rule over others, like the Gentiles. But the Gentiles desire for such power was purely selfish.


You see, the key to greatness in the kingdom was not based upon position and power, things that the Gentiles covet, but character. They were to follow in the spirit of our Lord who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give Himself a ransom for many. Christ was the Creator of all things, yet He humbled Himself and took on the form of a lowly servant. Thus, the Master admonishes His disciples, "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matt. 20:23-28 ). We believe this same principle can be applied to the Body of Christ when we rule and reign with Christ in the heavenlies.

REMOVAL OF THE VEIL

"These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day" (Luke 24:44-46).

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Teaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society
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It was not until after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that the Lord opened the disciples' eyes that it was He who was spoken of in the Law of Moses (Deut. 18 ), and the prophets (Isa. 53), and the Psalms (Psa. 22). The veil that once shrouded their eyes on this matter was removed. It now became clear to them for the first time that Christ was the promised Redeemer the Scriptures had foretold. But let us be careful not to assume that the disciples understood more than they did. They merely understood the fact of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Nothing more!

Armed with this new light, the disciples continued to proclaim Christ in accordance with the prophetic theme, which portrayed Him as a victim. This is confirmed by Peter's address to his countrymen on the day of Pentecost.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).

As we enter into the bay of the Book of Acts, we are still sailing in prophetic waters. Peter is going to cautiously steer us through the dangerous shoals created by the traditions and commandments of men. It is important to remember that the early chapters of the Acts record are merely a continuation of the earthly ministry of Christ.

Luke makes this very plain when he writes, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen." The "former treatise" that Luke refers to here is the gospel according to Luke, wherein he introduced his friend Theophilus to "all that Jesus began both to do and to teach." But as Paul Harvey would say, "Now for the rest of the story...." "To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:1-3).

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:22,23).

As we have seen, the death of Christ was according to the sovereign design of God, referred to here as "the determinate counsel." Peter strongly asserts Christ was not delivered into the hands of evil men due to "weakness" or that He was beyond the control of the circumstances surrounding Him. The Scriptures are unmistakably clear that Christ gave His life voluntarily (John 10:17,18 ).

Interestingly, Peter adds, "and foreknowledge of God." God chose the most appropriate time, place, and manner for His will to be carried out. Simply because God foreknew the actions of those who would reject and condemn His Son does not diminish from their guilt. Some of those standing before Peter at Pentecost were the very co-conspirators who helped set up the false witnesses against the Lord. There were also those present who cried out, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas!" Hiding behind them were the ones who chanted, "Away with him, away with Him, crucify Him!"

Peter wasn't one to mince words. He effectively exposed the guilt of those responsible for the death of Christ when he stated, "ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." It was as if the blood was dripping off the ends of their fingers. Incidentally, have you heard any good news up to this point? For want of a better term, Peter was preaching the bad news of the Cross. As if that wasn't bad enough, he tightened the noose with: you crucified Him, but God the Father raised Him from the dead and placed Him at His own right hand until all His enemies are made His footstool. Let all Israel know who committed this evil deed that they are the enemies of God (Acts 2:24-36).

Suppose for a moment you and a friend planned and carried out the perfect murder. Unexpectedly, a couple of months later your friend taps you on the shoulder and says, "By the way, remember that man we murdered, he's back from the dead and he's looking for us." Now that would have your undivided attention! In like manner, Peter had his hearers' attention when he charged them with the death of Christ. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" That is, what must we do to be saved from this terrible sin we have committed?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent ...." Finally, here's the good news, "repent" repent of what? Repent of crucifying their Messiah. This would have included belief on His name,

These were the amended terms of salvation under the kingdom gospel after the day of Pentecost. Land ho! We are most grateful to Peter who has brought us safely to our destination where he will give the first legitimate offer of the kingdom to Israel (Acts 3:17-21). Her rejection, however, of God's gracious offer of repentance will mark a major turning point in God's dealings with mankind.

One of the things from Peter's message that we would all do well to remember is, we are always responsible for our actions. The greater the position, the greater the responsibility. Next month we will be sailing with Paul!

To Be Continued!

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Preaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

With Peter's ship, The Teaching about the Cross, beginning to take on water, it became necessary for us to abandon ship. As we walk across the causeway of the Book of Acts, we are now going to be sailing with the Apostle Paul. Paul will bring us to our final destination. We are about to sail across the deep waters of the finished work of Christ, which is uncharted territory prior to the Pauline revelation. As we plumb the depths of these waters, we are going to find that the Apostle Paul was the first to show us the significance of the death of Christ. He proclaimed the Cross as good news! There is always one of two responses to this message; either it's received with thanksgiving or it's rejected as mere foolishness!

THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS

"For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (I Cor. 1:18 ).

The term "preaching" is not one of the typical words the apostle uses when referring to the proclamation of the Cross. For example, in II Timothy 4:2, Paul instructs us to "Preach the Word." Here the apostle uses the Greek, kerusso, which signifies a herald. It refers to the one who announces clearly and loudly the entrance of the King. In like manner, we are to give a clear presentation of the gospel of salvation. Interestingly in I Corinthians 1:18, Paul employs the term Logos - the Word. So then, it is the Word of the Cross, which is the power of God unto salvation. It is the apostle's objective to contrast the Word of the Cross with the word of man.

The Cross to the natural man is mere foolishness - why, it's absurd to think that God would take on a human form, be crucified, and rise again in order to redeem mankind! To the natural man this is beyond the realm of reason. Therefore, Paul challenges the world to step forward and match its wisdom and knowledge with the wisdom and knowledge of God.

"Where is the wise [intelligentsia] - Where is the scribe [doctor of the law] - Where is the disputer [debater] of this world - Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (I Cor. 1:20).

Paul summons the world to answer these age-old questions, if they will. Where did man come from? How can he be made right with God? What is his purpose in life? What is his final destination? The natural man's attempt to answer these questions apart from God is like the man who's blind, searching in a dark room for a black cat that doesn't exist. The world's philosophy to the above is as follows:

1. Origins:

2. Justification: If my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds on the scales of life, God will accept me into heaven when I die.

3. Purpose: On one side of the coin, the epicurean philosophy is, "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die." After all, you owe it to yourself to indulge in everything the world has to offer. On the other side of the coin, the stoic says you must devote yourself to fleshly inhibitions to find fulfillment in life.

4. Eternal Destiny: Most unregenerate men deny that there is life beyond the grave. In the words of Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer, "Death is the end!"

According to the Word of God, in the beginning God created man in His image (Gen. 1:26 cf. 2:7). John Milton said: "The greatness and sacredness of man's soul is attested by two facts: First, the creation of his soul in the image of the eternal God; and second, the price that had to be paid for the redemption of his soul." Today, man is justified by the grace of God through faith in the finished work of Christ, apart from works (Rom. 3:24 cf. I Cor. 15:1-4). Upon conversion, man's chief end in life is to glorify God, with whom he will spend eternity in the heavenlies (Rev. 4:11 cf. Col. 1:5).

The world by human wisdom will never know God! Thus, "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21). The phrase "foolishness of preaching" is the rationale of the skeptic - it's nothing but foolishness to them. But the preaching of the Cross is to those who are saved a demonstration of the power of God. It convicted us of our sins and brought us to salvation. The power of God transformed our lives!

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Christ and Him Crucified - The Preaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

UNLIMITED REDEMPTION

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (I Tim. 2:3-6).

The preaching of the Cross clearly teaches us that Christ died for all. The term "will" in this passage has the sense that God "desires" all men to be saved. If He willed it, then every man would be saved. Here again we have the sovereignty of God and human responsibility intersecting one another. God, in His sovereignty, convicts man through His Word, yet He never violates man's will. Man is responsible to believe the good news that Christ died for his sins.

When Christ came into the world He gave Himself a ransom for all. In biblical times, the "ransom" was the price paid to purchase a slave out of slavery. In similar fashion, Christ stepped into the slave market of sin to redeem us back to God. While our salvation is free, it did not come without a cost. The ransom the Father required was blood, the precious blood of His dear Son. According to Paul's gospel, the scope of redemption is unlimited. Christ gave Himself a ransom "for" Gr. huper "on behalf of" all. A provision has been made for all, which is confirmed in II Corinthians 5:14: "If one died for all, then were all dead."

May I inquire, is there anyone reading these lines who does not believe that all men are dead in trespasses and sins when they enter this world? (Eph. 2:1-3). If you agree, then you must also agree that Christ died for all because this is the argument of this passage.

According to I Timothy 2:6,7 these things were "to be testified in due time" through Paul's apostleship. As he says, "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle." You see it was given to Paul to explain the significance of Calvary. He was the first to reveal that Christ is the mediator between God and man, the first to teach that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, the first to show that we have redemption through Christ's shed blood, even the forgiveness of sins, the first to make known that Christ died for all, the first to reveal that Christ was the propitiation for the remission of sins that are past (prophetic saints), through the forbearance of God. A failure to acknowledge this truth is to anticipate revelation, which does a great injustice to the Word of God.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13,14).

As the Apostle Paul brings us within view of heaven's glory, we are going to learn that our passage has been bought and paid for by the shed blood of Christ. The Word of God is unmistakably clear that "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Dear ones, we must never underestimate its value in our redemption. There are those who would rob us of this wonderful truth. The liberals deny it, the new evangelicals avoid it, but we who seek to defend the faith thank God for the precious blood of Christ. We plead guilty to preaching a gospel of blood! The Bible is a book of blood; it's woven throughout the pages of the sacred record.

Likewise, in God's war against sin, He has conquered the enemy by the shed blood of Christ. When we consider Christ's coming into the world to redeem mankind, we are immediately faced with what appears to be an insurmountable problem. How can God's only begotten Son enter the human race without sin? After all, human parents who are sinners can only reproduce sinful offspring. The answer is found in Hebrews 2:14:

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."

Here is a classic example as to why it is so important to consult the original languages at times, to arrive at the proper sense that the Spirit of God initially intended. Thankfully, we don't need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars, simply because the work has already been done for us by those who are gifted in these languages. God has not left us without assistance!

[nChrist]

Christ and Him Crucified - The Preaching of the Cross

By Paul M. Sadler - The Berean Bible Society

When it states that the "children are partakers of flesh and blood," the term "partakers" is the Greek word koinoneo, which denotes "to share in common or to share fully." Thus, the human race shares something in common - flesh and blood - through which has passed the sin nature. But the Spirit of God is careful to draw a distinction between the human race and Christ's identification with humanity.

"He also Himself likewise took part of the same."

Notice Christ is said to have "took part" of the same. The Greek word here is metecho, denoting "to share or participate in, but not fully." Through the miraculous conception and virgin birth, Christ laid hold of human flesh without inheriting the sin nature. Since "the life of the flesh is in the blood," we can safely assume that His blood was not tainted with sin. This certainly cannot be said of us. The life of the flesh is in our blood only in the sense that the blood coursing through our veins keeps us alive to sin another day. Little wonder Peter calls it "the precious blood of Christ" (I Pet. 1:19). It is the antidote for the disease of our sins.

While this is denied by some, we believe Christ literally shed His blood at the Cross. When the priest in Israel poured out the blood at the foot of the brazen altar, it symbolized the foot of the Cross, where the blood of the Lamb would one day drip (Lev. 4:32-34). Blood is an interesting paradox: murderers attempt to get rid of it, God cleanses our sins with it. This crimson thread is woven throughout Paul's epistles leaving us with a tapestry of redemption.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:8,9).

Today God is justifying ungodly sinners on the basis of the shed blood of Christ. In this context, justification means to be declared eternally righteous by God. Justification is a legal term. For example, if a prisoner is brought before the bar of justice there is only one way he can be justified. He must be found NOT GUILTY

But let us consider another case. A man commits a federal crime and is found guilty and sentenced to death. The President of the United States can pardon him, but he can never justify him. Even though the man is pardoned, he is still a criminal guilty of the crime. There is no way to justify him or remove his guilt.

But wonder of wonders, we are found guilty before the bar of God's justice, yet we are justified by God's grace. The law points its bony finger into our face and says, "You are a sinner, guilty as charged, and therefore condemned to die" (Rom. 3:19,20). As the sentence is about to be read, Christ says to the Father, "I will bear their guilt and punishment." Christ gave Himself a ransom for all. He took our place!

God did not overlook the penalty of our sins - the death of Christ paid for it. Our sins and guilt were placed upon Him, and His righteousness was imputed to us. In Christ, we are guiltless before God, accepted in the Beloved One, and delivered from the wrath to come. This is the wrath of God we would have experienced at the Great White Throne Judgment and subsequent sentence to the Lake of Fire. By God's grace, we are beyond the reach of God's righteous judgment. As the apostle declares, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). As the apostle pondered the character of Christ through the prism of the once-for-all sacrifice, he was moved to write, "Let this mind be in you." In other words, be compassionate, humble, generous, forgiving, etc. Christ loved the unlovely. Allow me to illustrate:

George Whitefield, in one of his travels, found himself at an inn one evening. To his surprise, in the next room there was a company of gamblers. Their language was terrible. Whitefield and his friend spent a little time in prayer and reading the Word, and then he said, "Before I retire, I must go in there and testify to those men," and he did. He went into the other room and told them about the Lord. They listened, but by the time he got back to his room, they were as bad as ever. His friend said to him, "Brother Whitefield, what did you gain by that?" And he said, "I gained a soft pillow. I can now go to sleep."1

George Whitefield had a burden for lost souls. He loved the unlovely. Even though his words appeared to fall on deaf ears, he could rest easy that evening having shared the gospel and warned these ungodly men of the judgment to come. I fear sometimes that believers are so busy majoring on minors that they fail to realize that lost souls are slipping away to a Christless eternity, while they are trying to prove a point.

May the lesson that we learn from Calvary be this: a humble heart is one that can be greatly used of God. As it has been said, "The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all! Humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it!" THE END!

Endnote

1. Edward Drew, Studies in the Pauline Epistles.