The Cross The Center of History

THE CENTER-POINT

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the center-point of all history. It is the pivot of man's existence on earth. In the Old Testament days, all of God's dealings with man pointed him to the Cross that was to come. His salvation was through faith in what God promised would happen. Today we look back to that time, nearly 2,000 years ago, when the Son of God hung on the Cross between heaven and earth, between God and man, and receive salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
ADAM AND EVE
From the moment the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, sinned (see Genesis 3), God's plan of redemption was set into motion and Jesus was foreordained to die.
" . . . the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" Revelation 1 3:8 .
THE PROMISE OF THE SAVIOUR

"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) .
Here, at the beginning when man first sinned, is the first promise of the coming of the Saviour. The bruising of the serpent's seed (Revelation 12:9) and the woman's Seed (Galatians 3:16) took place on the Cross. Satan's "head" was bruised. The head speaks of authority (see Ephesians 5:23) and Satan's authority over man was broken on the Cross. The bruising of the head also speaks of a total and permanent disabling. It is a mortal wound. Jesus' ''heel" was bruised on the Cross. The heel is the lowest part of our body, the part that touches the earth, and speaks of how God humbled Himself and became a man upon the earth to suffer and die for us (read Philippians 2:5-11). But the bruising of the heel is not a mortal wound - Jesus rose from the dead!
THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" Genesis 3:21.
In order for coats of skin to be made, an animal's blood had to be shed. Here God gives a prophetic picture of the shedding of Jesus' blood on the Cross, which would bring spiritual clothing for us - a clothing with the righteousness of God (Revelation 3:5; 19:8).
ABEL

Abel's offering was accepted by God because he shed the blood of a lamb as a substitute for himself (see Genesis 4:1-7; Hebrews 11:4). He was expressing to God that he was a sinner, deserving of judgment. Cain's offering was not accepted because he offered the work of his own hands (the fruit of his labour in the fields) and in so doing was denying the fact that he was a sinner and unworthy to come into the presence of a holy God.
From the beginning of time God ordained the sacrifice of a lamb as a substitute to be the only way to receive forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God. It was given as a picture of THE Lamb of God that would die once and for all as the substitute for all mankind (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:25-26).

ABRAHAM

Abraham was declared righteous by God because he believed His promise concerning his seed, or offspring (read Genesis 15:1-6; 17:1-8). Galatians 3:16 explains that this "seed" was Christ himself. In other words, Abraham believed that the fulfilment of all that God has promised him would be through the coming of the Saviour. His righteousness was the result of his faith in the Christ who would come (see John 8:56).
ISAAC

Hebrews 11:17 reveals that when Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice (see Genesis 22:1 -14) it was a pre-picture of Jesus being offered as a sacrifice upon the Cross for us.
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

The descendants of Abraham's grandson, Jacob (or Israel, as he was later called) were set apart as a nation by God to be the means of bringing the promised Saviour into the world. God used them to prepare the way for His coming (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-11).
This passage of Scripture tells us that all the experiences of the children of Israel were used by the Lord as a picture for us of Christ's work in our lives.

PASSOVER

The killing of the lamb and the placing of its blood on the doorposts of the house so that the Angel of Death would "pass over" them (Exodus 12:1-33) all painted a picture of what Christ would do on the Cross for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).
THE BRASS SNAKE

The people of Israel, bitten by poisonous snakes while travelling through the wilderness, are healed by looking on the Brass Snake that Moses put on a pole and lifted up before them (Numbers 21:6-9). Jesus said:
"Just as Moses fifed up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him" John 3:14- 15.
SACRIFICES OF LAW

Israel was given strict instructions by the Lord concerning the sacrifices to be offered for their sins. The altar of the Temple flowed constantly with the blood of lambs and goats offered as substitutes for the sinner (1 Peter 1:18-20).
THE PROPHETS

Throughout history God has had His prophets foretelling the coming of the Messiah: Moses, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and many, many more. Here are a few examples: Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 32:6-9/Zechariah 11:12-13 (Matthew 27:3-10); Psalm 22:18 (John 19:23-24); Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18; Matthew 26:20-25); Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10 (John 19:32-37).
"But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer" Acts 3:18.
TODAY

From the time of the Early Church until today we are reaping the benefits of the Cross we look back and by faith receive all that was accomplished for us there.1 Corinthians 11 :23-26 says that every time we break the bread and drink the Cup of Communion together, we do it in REMEMBRANCE of Him - of His broken body and shed blood on the Cross - until He comes again! The Cross of Jesus Christ is the centre of all history.
THE PROBLEM

"As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who under-stands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one" Romans 3:10-12 (read also verses 13-23) .
The whole human race is in a place of utter and total separation from God. From the time the first man and woman sinned until the resurrection of Christ man had no legal access into the presence of God. In the Old Testament only the high priest could come into the Holy of Holies once a year, and then only after detailed ritual (see Leviticus 16:2-30).
MANKIND IS DESCRIBED AS:

Children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2)
Children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3)
Children of the devil (John 8:44)
Enemies of God (Colossians 1:21; James 4:4)
Having no hope (Ephesians 2:12)
THE BIBLE REVEALS:

There is sin in everyone (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:23).
Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2).
Man is unable to be righteous by his own efforts (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16).
God judges sin (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23).
Because God's nature is holiness, and because He is a righteous Judge, He is bound to abide by His own righteous Law. Man's sin, rebellion and disobedience made it impossible for a holy God to accept him into His presence without destroying the very foundation of the moral law which governs the universe. Sin brings the death penalty; man has sinned and therefore has to die.
THE PLAN

The only way God could abide by His righteous Law and still bring forgiveness and reconciliation to man was to find a substitute to die in his place. A suitable substitute had to be found who could stand righteous before God, and yet who could truly represent the human race. It had to be a man who had no sin. But there was no man - for all had sinned. So God Himself had to become man in order to reconcile man to God.
" . . . Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8 (read also verses 9-11; Hebrews 2:9).
" . . . that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation . . . God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Corinthians 5:19,21.



THE SUBSTITUTE

"Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" Isaiah 53:4-5 (read the whole chapter).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered fully into the stream of human life, becoming, as He called Himself, 'the Son of man' (Luke 19:10). He lived a perfect life and thus was able to represent us before God, bringing man and God together. He was the only one who could satisfy both the holiness of God and the total needs of mankind.
''Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" Hebrews 4: 14-16 (see also 8:6; 1Timothy 2:5).
God's judgment on sin is death - both physical and spiritual. Jesus died in the place of all sinners. He took upon Himself God's judgment on sin.
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" 1 Peter 2:24 (see also Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 3:18)
THE CROSS

Why did God choose the Cross as the means of Christ's death? The disciples glorified in the Cross and continually preached "Christ crucified".
" . . . but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gen-tiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (see also Galatians 6:14).
The Cross is the greatest symbol of shame and humiliation: To the Jews it was a sign of being cursed by God. Therefore it was a stumbling block to them to think of the Messiah being crucified.
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree' " Galatians 3:13.
In the Old Testament only those guilty of idolatry or blasphemy were hung on a cross or tree, after being stoned to death, as a warning to others (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23). The Romans used the cross as a means of executing slaves and the worst criminals. That mankind's sin was judged on a cross indicates God's attitude towards those who reject Him: their rebellion is compared to the worst crime.


LOVE AND JUSTICE MEET AT THE CROSS

The Cross is the place where the love of God and the righteous judgment of God meet. His righteous judgment demanded the death penalty for sin-the shedding of blood. His love met His own demands and Jesus, the Son of God, died as our substitute.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him. For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" Romans 5:8-11.

Studying these truths is hard work. Right? A1though spiritual hunger and need are prime requisites for light and understanding, the Holy Spirit does not release the treasures of the Word quickly nor easily. “Deep calleth unto deep” (Ps. 42:7). We have to be prepared, and even then there is much time and digging and praying and meditation and yearning and experiencing involved. True spiritual reality comes in no other way, but, praise the Lord, it does come in this way!
Understanding and appropriating the facts of the cross proves to be one of the most difficult and trying of all phases for the growing believer. Our Lord holds His most vital and best things in store for those who mean business, for those who hunger and thirst for His very best as it is in our Lord Jesus Christ. The believer’s understanding of the two aspects of Calvary gives the key to both spiritual growth and life-giving service.

“Calvary is the secret of it all. It is what He did there that counts, and what He did becomes a force in the life of a Christian when it is appropriated by faith. This is the starting point from which all Godly living must take its rise. We shall never know the experience of Christ’s victory in our lives until we are prepared to count (reckon) upon His victory at the cross as the secret of our personal victory today.

There is no victory for us which was not first His. What we are to experience He purchased, and what He purchased for us we ought to experience. The beginning of the life of holiness is a faith in the crucified Saviour which sees more than His substitutionary work. It is a faith which sees myself identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.”

Actually, our Father has trained every one of us for clear-cut, explicit faith in this second aspect of Calvary: our individual identification with the Lord Jesus in His death to sin and rising onto resurrection ground. This training taught us thoroughly in the first realm: believing and appropriating the finished work of His dying for our sins justification. Now we are asked just as definitely to believe and appropriate the further aspect: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6); “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God” (v. 11).

Our intelligent faith, standing on the facts of Calvary, gives the Holy Spirit freedom to bring that finished work into our daily lives. We stood on the fact of His dying for our sins, and this act of faith allowed the Holy Spirit to give us our freedom from the penalty of sin—justification. Now, once we come to see the fact of the further aspect, we are urged in the Word to stand on the liberating truth of our dying with Christ in His death to sin, which allows the Holy Spirit to bring into our lives freedom from the power, the enslavement, of sin—progressive sanctification. And of course when we stand with Him in glory, we will be forever free from the presence of sin—entirely sanctified and glorified.

“As our Substitute He went to the cross alone, without us, to pay the penalty of our sins; as our Representative, He took us with Him to the cross, and there, in the sight of God, we all died together with Christ. We may be forgiven because He died in our stead; we may be delivered because we died with Him. God’s way of deliverance for us, a race of hopeless incurables, is to put us away in the cross of His Son, and then to make a new beginning by re-creating us in union with Him, the Risen, Living One (II Cor. 5:17). It is the Holy Spirit who will make these great facts real and true in our experience as we cooperate with Him; and so the plague of our hearts will be stayed, and we shall be transformed into the likeness of Christ.”

“Through the crucifixion of the old man with Christ the believer has been made dead unto sin, he has been completely freed from sin’s power, he has been taken beyond sin’s grip, the claim of sin upon him has been nullified. This is the flawless provision of God’s grace but this accomplished fact can only become an actual reality in the believer’s experience as faith lays hold upon it and enables him moment by moment, day by day, though temptation assail him, ‘to reckon’ it true. As he reckons, the Holy Spirit makes real; as he continues to reckon, the Holy Spirit continues to make real. Sin need have no more power over the believer than he grants it through unbelief. If he is alive unto sin it will be due largely to the fact that he has failed to reckon himself dead unto sin” (Ruth Paxson).

The Reformation brought into focus once again the emphasis upon spiritual birth, without which there can be no beginning. What is lacking amongst believers to this day is the proper emphasis on growth—not just to be saved, and heaven by and by. What sort of salvation would we have if our Father simply saved us from the penalty of our sins and then left us on our own to deal with the power of sin in our Christian life and walk? But most believers feel this is about as far as He went and are struggling to get on the best they can, with His help. And this is the Galatian error, so prominent even now throughout born-again circles. We must be brought back to the two basics: freed from the penalty of sin by His finished work; freed from the power of sin by His finished work. “Justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24); “We walk by faith” (II Cor. 5:7); “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6).


We are not left to deal with the old life ourselves; it has been dealt with by Christ on the cross. This is the fact which must be known, since on that fact is built the New Testament principle and doctrine of holiness. In other words, Calvary is as much the foundation of sanctification as of justification. Both gifts spring from the same work and are two aspects of the same salvation.

Now, as long as the believer does not know this dual aspect of his salvation, the best he can do is seek to handle his sins via confession (I John 1:9)—that is, after the damage has been done! This takes care of the penalty of the product but not the source. Is it not time we allowed the Holy Spirit to get at the source and cut off this stream of sins before they are committed? Is this not infinitely better than the wreckage caused by sin, even though confessed? When believers get sick and tired of spinning year after year in a spiritual squirrel cage—sinning, confessing, but then sinning again—they will be ready for God’s answer to the source of sin, which is death to self, brought forth from the completed work of the cross.

“When God’s light first shines into our heart our one cry is for forgiveness, for we realize that we have committed sins before Him; but once we have known forgiveness of sins, we make a new discovery—the discovery of sin, and we realize that we have the nature of a sinner. There is an inward inclination to sin. There is a power within that draws us to sin, and when that power breaks out we commit sins. We may seek and receive forgiveness, but then we sin again; and life goes on in a vicious circle—sinning and being forgiven, but then sinning again. We appreciate God’s forgiveness, but we want something more than that, we want deliverance. We need forgiveness for what we have done, but we need deliverance from what we are.”

Our reckoning on the finished work of our death to sin, in Christ at Calvary, is God’s one way of deliverance—there is no other way because that is the way He did it. We learned not to add to a finished work in the matter of justification, and now we must learn not to add to the finished work of emancipation. We will be freed when we enter His prepared freedom—there is no other.

“The believer can never overcome the old man even by the power of the new apart from the death of Christ, and therefore the death of Christ unto sin is indispensable, and unless the cross is made the basis upon which he overcomes the old man, he only drops into another form of morality; in other words, he is seeking by self-effort to overcome self, and the struggle is a hopeless one” (C. Usher).


Miles J. Stanford
Paul, Bunty and David Collins