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Guest
In Part 1, we examined the trouble mankind was in, and it was severe trouble at that. Engineered by Satan, mankind's fall ensured that Man would join him in the Lake of Fire. Now in Part two, let's take a look at the Cross:
As mentioned before, when "the Cross" is mentioned, a lot of people think of the actual Cross that Jesus was nailed to. But it is FAR more than that; the Cross is also what is called a "watershed event". An event that is a turning point in history, and in this case, it is THE turning point in history.
After Man had sinned, he was naked and ashamed. God had to cover his shame by providing animal skins to cover them:
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."(Genesis 3:21 NASB)
This was symbolic of God providing a way to cover Man's sin until the prophesized Messiah would come to redeem Man. And as a point of fact, an early prophecy that God would send someone is right in Genesis:
" And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NASB)
This predicted that Jesus would come, and would indeed crush Satan's head, and Satan would strike His heel. But in the meantime, God provided a temporary “cover” for Man’s sin- the sacrifice:
" Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering:" (Genesis 4:4, NASB)
God began this with Adam's family, and it continued down through time to the Hebrews as they Sacrificed animals to cover their sin. But no animal sacrifice could ever wash away the stain of sin:
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11-12, NASB)
A perfect sacrifice was needed, as a blemished offering could not be accepted; it had to be without stain. Unfortunately, all of man was contaminated with sin.
Enter Jesus.
Being God almighty, Jesus was born without the sin nature; he was without stain, and perfect:
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB)
Jesus' mission was to become the sacrifice for us, because we could NOT pay for our sin ourselves. We were spiritually bankrupt, and had no righteousness of our own. We simply could not pay the debt. In our place, Jesus died, being the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's justice.
And this shattered Satan's kingdom.
After Satan had chained Man through sin, Satan gained dominion over him and the planet. For millennia, Satan's influence was strongly felt throughout the earth and nothing Man could do was able to break those chains that bound him so tightly. Satan had him "dead to rights", and he held mankind in a choke hold that he was not about to relinquish. Man was separated from God, and Satan was licking his chops over it.
But when Jesus died on the cross, all of that changed!!!
"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26, NASB)
When Christ cried "it is finished", the veil in the temple between the holy place and the Holy of Holies split. This indicated that God was no longer unable to be approached, but was now approachable through his son Jesus:
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6, NASB)
This was THE victory against Satan's kingdom: Satan, who held the world in the death grip of his clawed hand, was delivered a MIGHTY blow that resonated throughout all of creation!! He reeled from it in utter shock and agony!!! Indeed, the serpent's head had been crushed, and his minions also felt the tremendous shockwave of that blow. Satan's kingdom was effectively blown to debris in one powerful swipe of the Sword of God. THIS was the event that marked the turning point in history. No longer was mankind bound in chains; he now had a means to escape, because the debt had been paid.
In Part 3: we will look at the finished work of the cross, and what it means to us today.
I bid you all peace.
YBIC,
-Sojo414
As mentioned before, when "the Cross" is mentioned, a lot of people think of the actual Cross that Jesus was nailed to. But it is FAR more than that; the Cross is also what is called a "watershed event". An event that is a turning point in history, and in this case, it is THE turning point in history.
After Man had sinned, he was naked and ashamed. God had to cover his shame by providing animal skins to cover them:
"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."(Genesis 3:21 NASB)
This was symbolic of God providing a way to cover Man's sin until the prophesized Messiah would come to redeem Man. And as a point of fact, an early prophecy that God would send someone is right in Genesis:
" And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NASB)
This predicted that Jesus would come, and would indeed crush Satan's head, and Satan would strike His heel. But in the meantime, God provided a temporary “cover” for Man’s sin- the sacrifice:
" Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering:" (Genesis 4:4, NASB)
God began this with Adam's family, and it continued down through time to the Hebrews as they Sacrificed animals to cover their sin. But no animal sacrifice could ever wash away the stain of sin:
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11-12, NASB)
A perfect sacrifice was needed, as a blemished offering could not be accepted; it had to be without stain. Unfortunately, all of man was contaminated with sin.
Enter Jesus.
Being God almighty, Jesus was born without the sin nature; he was without stain, and perfect:
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB)
Jesus' mission was to become the sacrifice for us, because we could NOT pay for our sin ourselves. We were spiritually bankrupt, and had no righteousness of our own. We simply could not pay the debt. In our place, Jesus died, being the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's justice.
And this shattered Satan's kingdom.
After Satan had chained Man through sin, Satan gained dominion over him and the planet. For millennia, Satan's influence was strongly felt throughout the earth and nothing Man could do was able to break those chains that bound him so tightly. Satan had him "dead to rights", and he held mankind in a choke hold that he was not about to relinquish. Man was separated from God, and Satan was licking his chops over it.
But when Jesus died on the cross, all of that changed!!!
"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26, NASB)
When Christ cried "it is finished", the veil in the temple between the holy place and the Holy of Holies split. This indicated that God was no longer unable to be approached, but was now approachable through his son Jesus:
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6, NASB)
This was THE victory against Satan's kingdom: Satan, who held the world in the death grip of his clawed hand, was delivered a MIGHTY blow that resonated throughout all of creation!! He reeled from it in utter shock and agony!!! Indeed, the serpent's head had been crushed, and his minions also felt the tremendous shockwave of that blow. Satan's kingdom was effectively blown to debris in one powerful swipe of the Sword of God. THIS was the event that marked the turning point in history. No longer was mankind bound in chains; he now had a means to escape, because the debt had been paid.
In Part 3: we will look at the finished work of the cross, and what it means to us today.
I bid you all peace.
YBIC,
-Sojo414
