THE INTRINSIC NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE CROSS

THE INTRINSIC NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE CROSS

 Phil. 2:8 "The death of the Cross""
"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
He not only stooped from the glory of heaven’s throne to become a true human being, yet sinless, but He also became like a bondservant and finally like a guilty criminal, condemned to die, even(!) to die in what has been said to be the most excruciatingly painful death conceivable, that of crucifixion. His obedience all through His life culminated in this ultimate act of obedience (Hebrews 5:8), and it was all for us!

• A Number of Things Combined in the Plan of God to Bring about the Death of the Cross

l. There was the Jewish instigation of this judgment. Acts 3:13-15; 4:10
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole."

2. There was the Roman implementation of this judgment. Acts 2:23; 4:25-27
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together."

3. There was the Divine intention in this judgment. Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."
"But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."
"For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Christ was the Lamb ordained before the foundation of the world. 1 Pet. 1:18-20
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,"
Vain conversation is one who talks without walking what he talks about.

Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
The establishment of this kingdom was determined before, and designed and prepared from the foundation of the world.
 The all-consuming purpose of God in creation was to establish a Kingdom on this earth in which He could display His glory in the Person of His Son. This display was to be made to creatures made in His image and likeness and therefore capable of apprehending, appreciating, and applauding that glory.
 Like phrases are given in Isa 14:26-27; Matt 13:35, Matt. 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24, Eph. 1:4,  Heb. 1:10, Heb. 4:3, Heb. 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20, Rev. 13:8, Rev. 17:8. Whatever application these passages may have to the future kingdom, we cannot rid ourselves of the plainly implied meaning that, in the mind of the Divine Architect and Purposer, the contemplated final use of this world was allied with its origin.

Christ was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The OT question asks the question where the Lamb is at and Isaac was the person asking in Gen. 22:7, and here John answers the question in the NT.