Ali als je dit leest, mbt tot deze vers:
17Denk niet dat ik gekomen ben om de Wet of de Profeten af te schaffen. Ik ben niet gekomen om ze af te schaffen, maar om ze tot vervulling te brengen. 18Ik verzeker jullie: zolang de hemel en de aarde bestaan, blijft elke jota, elke tittel in de wet van kracht, totdat alles gebeurd zal zijn.
Die samenhangt met deze passage na Jezus' wederopstanding:
44Hij zei tegen hen: ‘Toen ik nog bij jullie was, heb ik tegen jullie gezegd dat alles wat in de Wet van Mozes, bij de Profeten en in de Psalmen over mij geschreven staat in vervulling moest gaan.’ 45Daarop maakte hij hun verstand ontvankelijk voor het begrijpen van de Schriften. 46Hij zei tegen hen: ‘Er staat geschreven dat de messias zal lijden en sterven, maar dat hij op de derde dag zal opstaan uit de dood, 47-48en dat in zijn naam alle volken opgeroepen zullen worden om tot inkeer te komen, opdat hun zonden worden vergeven. Jullie zullen hiervan getuigenis afleggen, te beginnen in Jeruzalem. 49Ik zal ervoor zorgen dat de belofte van mijn Vader aan jullie wordt ingelost. Blijf in de stad tot jullie met kracht uit de hemel zijn bekleed.’
Ik wil graag terugkomen op een vorige stelling van mij: Ik geloof wel dat de wet van Mozes is afgeschaft eigenlijk. Je hebt gelijk dat Jezus nog niet alles vervuld heeft met betrekking tot de Profeten of de psalmen. Jezus heeft echter wel de wet vervuld en het daarna aan het kruis genageld. Wanneer Jezus zegt "totdat alles gebeurd zal zijn" refereert dan niet naar de vervulling van alles wat in het Oude Testament staat, maar naar zijn missie op aarde. Daarom riep Jezus uit aan het kruis "het is volbracht". Laten we eerst dit puntje bespreken voor we verder gaan. Ik had nog wat belangrijke info gevonden dat dit punt verheldert:
17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
And this was accomplished by Jesus dying on the cross:
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
We see this also when Jesus was speaking to the disciples in Luke 24:44-48,
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.“
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
The Law was intended to guide us to Christ, and that now that we have faith, we are not under the supervision of the Law according to Galatians 3:23-25
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
The New Testament states that the Law has been cancelled and God has forgiven our sins. Colossians 2:13-14
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
Indeed, we see Jesus abolished “the law with its commandments and regulations” in Ephesians 2:14-15. Although I think he was speaking of the requirements for man to follow the Law since its requirements were fully met by Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
We see in Romans 10:4 that “Christ is the end of the law”.
4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
We are told in Romans 7:6 that “we have been “released from the law”. In fact, “we serve in the new way of the Spirit”, rather than “the old way of the written code.”
6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
We see in Hebrews 7:18 the same thing:
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless
In every case, these are synonymous phrases to the fact that we are not required to follow the Law.
In fact, if we try to keep the Law, and break one part of it, we are guilty of breaking all of it, according to James 2:10.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Yet it is evident people do not sacrifice at the temple, since it was destroyed in 70AD. So if those who follow the Law do not make offerings and sacrifices at the temple, are they not breaking the Law? Instead of worrying if we are breaking one of the 613 laws in the Mosaic Law, we are under a new set of regulations – those of faith. As such, we should trust in Christ.
Hebrews 10:22-23
22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
So no, technically, the Mosaic Law has not been abolished, but it has been fulfilled. Since it was fulfilled, its requirements no longer apply. Thus practically, it has been abolished. As such, we are not required to follow it. But even so, if you think you can follow the Mosaic Law and not replace the grace of God with the following of these laws (Galatians 1:6-8), then feel free to do so. Paul didn’t think it was something you should do, but you should be convinced in your own mind. Likewise, those who are convinced that there is no requirement to follow said law should show love to those who do.
What you say sounds good, when taken out of context.
However, Matthew 7:23 speaks of lawlessness – which you claim points to the Tohah. That may or may not be. The context is not clear.
What IS clear that those who are God’s will be evident from their fruit. We are to obey God. I have never said not to.
The question is whether we must obey the Mosaic Law.
We have to recognize first that Christ is our high priest forever, according to Hebrews 6:20.
20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Second, we have to recognize that the priesthood changed from the Levitical (order of Aaron) to the order of Melchizedek. Not only was there a change in priesthood, but a change in law as well.
Hebrews 7:11-12
11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.
We see in Hebrews 7:18-19 that the law was set aside because of its weakness and uselessness.
18 For, on the onehand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect ), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
You try to put words into my mouth when you insult me with claiming I have said people should have sex with animals or put stumbling blocks in front of people.
In fact, the scripture is clear that God has defined what is appropriate sex and not (Matthew 15:18-20, Mark 7:20-23. 1 Corinthians 7:2, – in fact, I have written on this
http://wbmoore.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/sexual-sin/ ).
Further, Romans 14:13 tells us we are not to put a stumbling block in front of anyone.
You speak of your website refuting Colossians 2:14. However, the word translated as “certificate of debt” by the NASB is cheirographon. This word does not mean that. It means document (
http://www.concordances.org/greek/5498.htm ). The word translated as decrees is Dogma and means decree (
http://concordances.org/greek/1378.htm ) but is also considered to mean “rules and requirements of the law of Moses” (
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/dogma.html ). The word translated as “against” is kata and means through or toward is according to (
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/kata.html ). That being the case, a valid translation is, “having canceled the document consisting of decrees toward us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” So, yes, the Law was nailed to a cross.
As for your attempt to show that Ephesians 2:15 is speaking of human laws, you can not have it both ways. If anomia in Matthew 7:23 (lawlessness) speaks of being without the Mosaic Law (according to you), then nomos in Ephesians 2:15 is not mere man’s laws, but the Mosaic Law of commands. Paul was quite clear in Ephesians 2:12-16 that Christ made believing gentiles and Israelites into one group, breaking the barrier of the dividing wall by annulling (a better translation for Katargeo which is translated as abolishing in Eph 2:15) in His flesh the Law. It was NOT man’s laws Christ abolished – but the Mosaic Law.
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
As for the idea that you should keep some of the law but not all of it, James is quite clear that if you stumble on one point you break it all.
James 2:10
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
You have taken great pains to prove your point that we should follow the Mosaic Law, but you have ignored what scripture actually says.
As I have said in the article, “if you think you can follow the Mosaic Law and not replace the grace of God with the following of these laws (Galatians 1:6-8), then feel free to do so. Paul didn’t think it was something you should do, but you should be convinced in your own mind. Likewise, those who are convinced that there is no requirement to follow said law should show lLAW AND GRACE, WORKS AND CHRIST
What is the relationship of law to grace and how do we reconcile the commands in the Old Testament law with grace. So many say grace is there to keep the law, but the bible states in the New Testament that if you fail to keep one of the laws you have broken them all. This is the very reason we are under grace. In the Old Testament there was grace under the surface of the law in the New Testament grace rules over the law. If you failed in one of the commands the way it was dealt with was by sacrifice. With New Testament we are not under grace to keep the law of the Old Testament because the scripture makes it clear no one can. It is Jesus who kept the law where we could not and he kept it absolutely perfectly. Every requirement small or large was kept in the absolute way God required it of man. So Christ lived a perfect righteous life even to the point of his death on the cross. We are under grace because of his righteousness that is imputed or given to our account. So many people misunderstand which covenant they are living under and because of this there is so much confusion that they get condemned because they have not lived up to the perfect standard the law requires. Not realizing the purpose of the law is to make one guilty, so we are to go to the ultimate sacrifice found not in animals without blemish but in Christ Jesus the lamb.
So many do good works because they think it is demanded of them, instead of it flowing out of natural lifestyle of faith.
The old covenant was for the Jews only. For one to be under the Old covenant they need to convert to Judaism. In the new covenant, it is for both Jews and gentiles. In Eph.2 when we believe in Christ we become part of the body of Christ, not Judaism. God made a whole new entity called the church, the body of Christ, and filled it with his spirit to operate in his ways.
Hebrews 8:6, “But now hath He (Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a “Better Covenant, which was established upon “Better Promises”. The new covenant is not a covenant of works: but rest in his work. By it all the Body of Christ is not under of the condemning ministry of the law (2 Cor. 3:9; Rom. 8:1-2 there is no condemnation), since believers are not under the law they are beyond its grasp to condemn (Rom. 3:19).
Paul states in Rom. 6:14...” for you are not under law but under grace.” He also makes it clear in Gal. 5:18 “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The previous verses state “so that you do not do the things that you wish.” The Law is not given to the Christian as the standard to live by, but to show the unbeliever how below the standard we do live, as Paul states in 1 Tim.1:9 The Law is for the unrighteous.
Paul states the LAW is Not of Faith. The ministry of the law working in a Christian cannot please God, for it is not of faith yet the law is not of faith, but “The man who does them shall live by them.” Gal. 3:12
In the dispensation of grace, “the law is not of faith.” Today faith and law are mutually exclusive. In Israel's dispensation of law, faith and law were equally beneficial, one needed both (Rom. 10:5-6, 10). Without faith the requirements of the law would not be acceptable. This is why The Lord said that he rejected their sacrifices because it was not mixed with faith. Under law, faith is necessary. Under grace, the OT law is prohibited. So today, “the law is not of faith.” And Paul states without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). So if the Law is not of faith what do we live by? For a member of the Body sins by putting himself under the requirements of the law. Remember Paul said in Rom. 14:23 “whatever is not of faith is sin.” (he used the example of food to represent this concept).
The righteousness we need cannot come from the Law. For the law demands perfect obedience. God’s standard is perfection, something we cannot fathom since we never see it or experience it. It is impossible to please God by following the law, because the law is not of faith. Righteousness pleases God, but today righteousness cannot come from doing the works of the law, but from faith alone. A faith which shows that it is alive and active!
Rom. 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Paul further makes it clear in Gal. 3:21 “For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.” In the past, with Israel under the law, righteousness and the law went together (Rom, 10: 5-6, 10), but now Paul writes, the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed... Rom. 3:21 We know that today, Christ is “the end of the law for righteousness.” Any requirement, any command, all that God asked, Christ fulfilled.
So there must have been a time in the past, when Christ was not “the end of the law for righteousness.”
Gal 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (teacher for the immature).”
This time was Israel's, as a whole nation under the law. But when God moved from law to grace, Israel resisted that move, preferring the old program of rules and regulations from Moses, illustrating the danger of law. The law looks appealing today, but it separates those who embrace it from the Spirit of grace.
For [Israel] being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For ' Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Rom. 10:3-4
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law ... but the righteousness of faith speaks in this way... with the heart one believes to righteousness. Rom. 10:5-6, 1.0
Charles Spurgeon “There is no point upon which men make greater mistakes than upon the relation which exists between the law and the gospel. Some men put the law instead of the gospel: others put the gospel instead of the law; some modify the law and the gospel, and preach neither law nor gospel: and others entirely abrogate the law, by bringing in the gospel. Many there are who think that the law is the gospel, and who teach that men by good works of benevolence, honesty, righteousness, and sobriety, may be saved.
Such men do err. On the other hand, many teach that the gospel is a law; that it has certain commands in it, by obedience to which, men are meritoriously saved, such men err from the truth, and understand it not. A certain class maintain that the law and the gospel are mixed, and that partly by observance of the law, and partly by God’s grace, men are saved. These men understand not the truth, and are false teachers. … The coming of the law is explained in regard to its objects: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.” Then comes the mission of the gospel: “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
The law came through Moses, grace came by Jesus Christ. The law is synonymous of Moses, grace is synonymous to Christ.
Our relation to Christ is by his death and resurrection in the new covenant. The law is of the old creation from another dispensation. We are made into new creatures, prepared for a new heavens and earth. No law or act of obedience can help us to prepare, it has to be grace. We obey him because we love him and we don't like to hurt the ones we love. The times that we are disobedient are summed up by loving something else instead of him.
God let Moses see the promise land from the Mt. top, we can see the promises by faith in his word. The law killed Moses because of his disobedience, only once did Moses misrepresent God to the people, by striking the rock twice in anger. (Num.20:7-12). The whole generation of Israel that came out of Egypt except 2 entered the promised land. Only 2 who had a different spirit entered. The old creation could not enter the promised land, only the new. They could not enter the land under the law (being disobedient) so everyone had to die. But they entered it under faith.
If one continues to look to the law for their guidance, then true successful Christian living cannot really occur. Practicing this runs the risk of consciously or unconsciously thinking they have obtained or are keeping salvation by the works of the law. But it is actually what separates them from Christ, as Paul said, falling from the grace of God (Galatians 5:4).
When Stephen was arrested, the charge was that he spoke blasphemous words against both Moses and God. That he spoke judgment against the temple (against this holy place)… they knew what Christ said about the temple being destroyed in the future. They also accused him of speaking unceasingly against the law because he spoke of grace. They also stated they heard him say that Jesus will change the customs of which Moses delivered to us. This would include both the torah and the Law of Moses. What Stephen was preaching is that the law had come to an end with the Messiah’s crucifixion. And that Judaism as they know it was to be replaced by faith. Those who love laws, biblical or not, will always persecute those who hold to pure faith. 2 Cor. 3: 6-9. In this portion Paul states that we are “servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” This is why law keepers condemn others who live under this new Covenant because they are living under the wrong covenant. The letter is the law and it only makes one guilty, and unless one depends wholly on grace, they continue to strive by the commands given to Israel.
As Walter Martin said, “Now, we don't begin our day saying, Today I am going to make the effort to keep the Ten Commandments.” We begin our day saying, Lord Jesus, give me the grace that I may walk with you.” Because if I am going to walk with Christ, I'll be obeying the will of God and the law of God.”
In the dispensation of grace, “the law is not of faith.” Today faith and law are mutually exclusive. Under law, faith is required. Under grace, law is prohibited.(Gal.3:1-3) A believer of the Body doesn't become more spiritual by keeping the law but actually sins by putting himself under the law.
So are we without law? Absolutely not, we are under the law of Christ, the royal law of the spirit of life. The Holy Spirit becomes our instructor in the word and in our personal walk; in what is beneficial and what is not.
So how are we to be accepted by God if not by his commands. It is by the work of Christ that we are accepted, not by anything we can do. This is the content of the Gospel. Acts 20:24 says it is a Gospel of grace. We find the disciples preaching Jesus' death burial and resurrection all through the book of Acts. His work for us, as God saw man’s predicament He took the initiative to do for us, something we could never do for ourselves.
Why does Islam hate the cross? Is it because they do not believe in sacrifices? No. Because they do not believe that we can have such grace from God that it would exclude doing intense religious duties.
Why do Mormons twist the scripture to say it wasn't at the cross that we had our sin dealt with, but in Gethsemane that he suffered. But in Gethsemane he never suffered as much as he did on the cross where all the sins were laid upon him, and he felt the judgment and penalty of sin. At Gethsemane he wrestled over the decision of the cross knowing what it would entail, yet it says it was his joy to go to the cross, not his demise. Mormons simply want to prove their own righteousness by their works.
Why do Jehovah's Witnesses hate the cross? Calling it pagan and saying God would never sacrifice his son on a pagan symbol. But the Romans were pagans, this is what they used to crucify those guilty of heinous crimes. The fact is No religion has ever recognized the cross. It makes no sense to the natural man that one could suffer in the place of another, take their deserved penalty, serve their sentence, and out of mercy give them his life of freedom and his riches for doing no work on their own. To the Jews a suffering Messiah was repulsive, as the Son of Joseph, he was weak. They wanted a conqueror, the ruling King who would overthrow their enemy Rome. They wanted the Son of David or nothing at all.
Why does Roman Catholicism attempt through the sacraments to obtain what the cross did almost 2,000 years ago. The cross is everywhere one looks in the church, but they do not tell the people that the cross Christ was on was the final work for their sins. They depend on today's sacrament of the wafer as an ongoing sacrifice for their sins.
But there is no longer any propitiatory sacrifices offered for the forgiveness of sins, the church, the body of Christ was made by the one sacrifice of Christ upon the cross and the Holy Spirit sent on Pentecost. That sacrifice is never to be repeated because it paid the full penalty demanded by God's justice and made it possible for God to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). So “there is no more offering for sin” (Heb 10:18).
Why is it in every religion of the world man has a deep longing to know his maker but he attempts to go to God their own way and not come the way God has ordained and declared to the whole world. Jude states that the grace of God has appeared to all men. Why do people look to their own works instead of accepting God’s grace? It’s easier to look at ones self obedience to gauge how we are doing spiritually than to rest in Christ's work for us. If we stop trying to live it in our own strength and let Christ live it through us by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can see the results of the new life. We will understand it is all by grace; which is found in Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.
The cross is hidden to those who think they are wise. It is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are saved by faith we know it is the power of God. But the cross became God’s highway to Himself. As Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to Father except by me. But it was a certain way. It is not just following Him as a good example, someone who has a greater set of ethics and morals. Nor is it following Him as a wonderful teacher or the greatest prophet, or a miracle maker.
It is going through the cross (and the one who died on it) for one’s relationship to be restored to God. Exactly where Jesus pointed to and where all the apostles pointed too as well.
In John 10:1 Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved...” (Jn 10:9). In v.11 Jesus tells them “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
The night before at the last supper Jesus revealed the prophetic meaning of the Passover to his disciples. It spoke of him in his crucifixion. He was introduced by John to the people as the lamb of God and now he was about to become the lamb. Judas sitting at the table had Satan enter him and he betrayed the son of man after he ate the bread. But he did not partake of the wine which was his blood. The bread was His body and it would be broken for them. But he (Judas) did not partake of his death the blood that could cleanse him of his sin. Satan hates the cross where our sin was dealt with. He tried to have Jesus killed in his ministry before he went to the God ordained altar. If Jesus had died any other time or way it would have annulled the atonement for our sins.
Heb. 10:19-20 “We can enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” He became a living tabernacle and just like the Old Testament tabernacle there was only one way in. The first thing anyone saw when they went into the outer court was the sacrifices on the brazen altar. The only way to God today is through the sacrifice of Christ.
At the same time Christ died Matt. 27:51 states, “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the old temple which no longer had the ark or the presence of God was dealt the death blow the same time Christ died. The way was made open for all by the person of Christ and his sacrifice.
The Cross, was a symbol of shame to the Romans, but glory to the Christian who is saved through it. This is why so many cults focus on their works, they do not see the glory that is in the cross.
The fallen nature loves religion, the gospel is the opposite of religion, Religion is man’s answer to God, Christ is God’s answer to man. The fallen nature of man tries to justify itself by doing deeds to prove it is worthy. But then this would mean Christ died in vain if we could reform ourselves by law or works.
Consider the prologue of Paul to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1:17-31, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 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. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
The Jews request a sign. All through Christ's ministry they asked for a display of power and even at his last moments in life we find written in Mark 15:31-32, “the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” God’s way is for us to look at the cross and see the sacrifice and believe. Man’s way is to take him down and ignore it. But we don't ignore it, today it is worn as jewelry, even by non believers, by rock stars and Hollywood. The cross is more popular than ever big crosses, small crosses, beautifully plated ones. Completely unlike the one who died on a cross that was a plain piece of wood stained with the blood of others before His blood was spilled to cleanse our sin.
The cross has become the universal emblem of Christianity. Yet those who hate Christ the most, are able to wear it with no conviction, mocking the very event that can save them.
The Bible states It is the “preaching of the cross” that contains “the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Are we preaching Christ crucified, have we made revisions in the ancient story to fit it to our contemporary culture. It has become so popular to preach Christ without the uncomfortableness of the cross.
Gal 6:14-15, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” God took what was most precious to Him, put him to death so that life could come to all who would look toward His death. To boast in His work is to take your eyes off yourself and give glory to another.
This humility was what Paul encouraged the believers in Philippi to have; that the mind of Christ may be in them.
Phil 2: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”…”but made himself of no reputation”…And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
It wasn't just great bravery that had Christ fulfill this task, nor was it just a legal obligation. It was his being a servant and willing to do the Fathers will. Completely innocent of the crime he was accused of and was willing to take the brunt of punishment, not for a few, but all. Not just those on his side but those who opposed him, those who were his enemies. What religion has this kind of sacrifice or idealism. Can any other live up to this? There are many who were crucified, but who went with the intention to die for others? And who actually raised back from the dead just as they said, to prove that he died for others.
The cross had an eternal purpose Col. 1:20 “and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
The world searches for peace by making agreements with kings, presidents, armies and countries. But it never stays as a solution. Here is the solution, Christ dying for all mankind's sins and therefore making a way to have peace with our maker. A better sacrifice than any man made in a war, no matter how valiant. Yet it is ignored. It is scoffed at, just as in the day it happened.
Consider the humiliation to be accused of a crime you did not commit. Trading places with a criminal so that you can die for those who hated you and everything you stood for. Not only did he endure the wrath and mocking of his brethren but God the Father turned away as he poured out his anger and punishment against our sin on him. (Rom.3:25 l Jn.2:2; 4: 10)
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus.3:5); “for by grace you are saved, through faith...it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast...” (Eph. 2:8-9). It is God’s work done for us, moved by love, so He can have mercy on us. Our part is to just believe it.