“The Most Costly And Convincing Evidence” — another look
at the cross — in the larger setting of the great controversy over God's character
and government.
In the second Conversation we considered again the Bible's description of sin as more
than mere breaking of the rules. Sin involves a breakdown of trust and trustworthiness, a
stubborn and suspicious unwillingness to listen. Left untreated, sin makes peace
impossible. To set and keep things right, trust must somehow be restored. God sent His Son
"to deal with sin." Why was it not enough for Jesus simply to tell us the truth
about His Father and to demonstrate by His own gracious treatment of the worst of sinners
that God is not the kind of person His enemies have made Him out to be? Why did Jesus also
have to die? Why was there no other way?
The way Jesus suffered and died is the greatest revelation of the truth about God the
universe will ever see or ever need. Correctly understood it means defeat for the accuser
of our Heavenly Father. No wonder Satan has sought to obscure, even pervert, the meaning
of the cross — to his own evil advantage and to our great loss! But why did
Jesus have to die?
Bible passages included:
Romans 6:23. "Sin pays its servants: the wage is death." (Phillips)
Genesis 3:4, 5. "But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not
die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God.'" (RSV)
Romans 3:4. "As the Scripture says, 'That You may be shown to be
right in what you say, and win your case when you go into court.'" (Goodspeed)
Romans 3:25, 26. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus." (King James)
"For God showed him publicly dying as a means of reconciliation to be taken
advantage of by faith. This was to demonstrate God's own righteousness, for in His divine
forbearance He had apparently overlooked men's former sins. It was to demonstrate His
righteousness at the present time, to show that He Himself is righteous and that He sets
right everyone who trusts in Jesus." (Maxwell)
2 Corinthians 5:21. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew
no sin." (RSV)
Romans 1:18, 24, 26, 28. "For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the
truth... Therefore God gave them up... For this reason God gave them up... And since they
did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up.." (RSV)
Romans 4:24, 25. "...Jesus our Lord, who was put to death (given
up) for our trespasses." (RSV)
Hosea 1 1: 7, 8. "My people are bent on turning away from me...
How, oh how, can I give you up, Ephraim! How, oh how, can I hand you over, Israel!" (Phillips)
Matthew 27:46. "Jesus cried with a loud voice,...'My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?'" (RSV)
John 19:31. "Then the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow
them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, and to take the bodies down from
the crosses. They requested this because it was Friday, and they did not want the bodies
to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath, since the coming Sabbath was especially holy."
(GNB)
2 Corinthians 5:19. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to
himself." (RSV)
Colossians 1:20. "...and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." (RSV)
John 12:32. "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw
everyone to me." (GNB)
1 Corinthians 1: 17, 18. "For Christ did not send me to baptize
but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be
emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (RSV)
Romans 1:16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power
of God for salvation to every one who has faith...for in it the righteousness of God is
revealed." (RSV)
Jeremiah 9:24. "Let him who boasts boast about this: that he
understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord." (NIV)
©1984 Graham Maxwell
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