THE subject before us is one of thrilling interest, and has many sides. It is the center of two eternities. Eternity past looked on to it. Eternity future looks back to it. In the cross of Christ we see God in the fullest manifestation of His holiness and love; His righteousness and peace; His mercy and truth; His greatness and power. In whatever way we look, we see Him in His essence and attributes acting in a way worthy of Himself towards His sinful creatures.
It was ever God’s gracious purpose from the beginning that man should be blessed, not only on earth, but for eternity. And the Lamb of God was “fore-ordained before the foundation of the world.”
What an easy dupe of Satan was the first man, notwithstanding his pleasant and happy surroundings provided without cost to himself. Yet, by one act of disobedience, he dishonored God and fell an easy prey into the enemy’s hands.
Could he improve his condition? Impossible!
Could he really hide himself from God? Impossible!
Could he repair his loss? Impossible!
Could he recover his confidence? Impossible!
Communion with God was snapped in a moment, “so He drove out the man.” There was no getting back into the presence of a holy God by the Way he came out. For God “placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Adam’s offspring, constituted sinners by his own act of disobedience, proved themselves atrociously corrupt. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:55And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)). And God had to judge the world, bringing in the flood which swept the whole creation off the scene, save those who were saved by His grace and shut within His ark of safety.
After the Deluge, man was put under the government of the sword; and on the ground of sacrifice God blessed Noah and his sons. This was evidently the way of approach to God. On this ground alone could untold blessings come to man. “Jehovah smelled the sweet savor” of the offering, and in virtue of it could righteously be gracious to His creatures, setting His bow in the sky as a token of the everlasting covenant with the renewed earth.
Alas! man in his sins would build a city and a tower, and make himself a name! so that Jehovah had to confound the language of men, and scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth. Then idolatry came in, and Abram is called out by God from his country and kindred that in him should all families of the earth be blessed. Gal. 3:1616Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16), tells us that the blessing was to come through the promised Seed, that is, Christ. And in due time we see that blessed One shining forth in the fullness of grace and truth, honored indeed by a few, but rejected by the many, to their ruin and destruction.
“Ah! Thee the world knew not,
Created erst by Thee;
Its kings and rulers cast Thee out,
And nailed Thee to a tree.”
It is written, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” Also, “There they crucified him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.” In the cross are seen man’s direst hatred, and God’s most marvelous love. Here indeed, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. They hated Him without a cause. They led Him as a lamb to the slaughter. They mocked Him. They spit upon Him. They crowned Him with a crown of thorns and with purple and reed they derided the co-equal, co-eternal, Son of God, and bowed the knee, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Every possible indignity of wretched sinful man was heaped upon that blessed One.
“Those kind hands that did such good,
They nailed them to a cross of wood.”
Oh! what darkness, what blindness! what malignity! to nail the holy, blessed Son of God to a gibbet as a malefactor! “They that passed by reviled him.” “They laughed him to scorn.” “They gaped upon him with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion.” The assembly of the wicked enclosed Him: they pierced His hands and His feet, and not content with that, a cruel soldier with a spear pierced His side, and there came out blood and water. They brake not His legs—that the scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him shall not be broken.”
But oh, the triumph of God’s love therein. The cross of Christ is the foundation of every blessing. “The God of our fathers glorified his servant Jesus.” Him whom man slew and hanged on a tree God exalted with His right hand to be “a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins,” so that “in the thing wherein they acted proudly” God “was above them.”
Oh, what a sight! the Saviour now in the glory, and able to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him! Able to bless the worst sinner that ever lived and the best of men coming to Him in their nothingness through that all-sufficient, God-glorifying death on Calvary’s cross. Now, through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven we are able to see the purpose of God. “Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)).
My friend, would you know your sins put forever away? Look to Christ! See Him on the cross suffering for your sins! Hear His agonizing cry for you! See His shed blood for you! A ransom for you! A mediator for you! A substitute for everyone who really believes in Him.
Do you now believe? May you rest on the finished work of Christ and be saved.
C. H. C.