HOW DOES THE CROSS FIT INTO GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION?

 HOW DOES THE CROSS FIT INTO GOD'S PLAN OF REDEMPTION?

 When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 God's Passover Lamb

 OK, right away, that is indicating that Jesus the Messiah was God's Passover Lamb. He was to die sacrificially, and His life's blood that He would shed as the Passover Lamb would deliver us from the wrath of God. But how does the Roman form of execution get involved in Jesus' death for the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law and Jewish prophecy? Jesus was condemned by the Jewish religious leaders. He was accused of being a blasphemer, claiming to be the Son of God (which He is). Under Jewish law, He was to be stoned to death, but because they were under Roman Law at that time, He would have to have been executed the Roman way, which was crucifixion. This is so critical! According to the justice and ordinances of God's Mosaic Law, stoning to death (which was the way people who blasphemed were to be put to death)  could not have suited the demands of God's sacrificial laws. Blood had to be shed, and the entire Law had to be satisfied in order for us to be guiltless and accepted by God, including the curse of the Law, and the Roman Cross fulfilled it completely! The Savior of the World had to therefore be hung, "...because cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree," thus also freeing us from the curse of the law, Galatians 3:13. His blood was shed by the ruthless, bloody Roman scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails in His hands and feet, and finally the spear, "...and when I see the blood, I will pass over you." Exodus 13:13, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:9.  "Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6. OH, but that is not all! He had it nailed on the tree, not just to fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 22:16,  BUT, "...blotting out the handwriting ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS." The Law, though it is the truth and the parameters of obedience to God, had not only to be fulfilled and satisfied, but also had to be done away with as far as being demanded for our righteousness and salvation, because none of us were able to keep it. It was nailed to the cross with Jesus, Who fulfilled it perfectly and completely!!! And through the final nail of the cross of Christ, "Having spoiled/disarmed the principalities and powers, He made a show of them OPENLY, triumphing over them in it (the cross)." Colossians 2:14,15. As a man, in the place of man, and for man's guilt, Jesus fulfilled all that was against us and thus rendered Satan's hold on mankind powerless and completely defeated, in a complete public display!!! On and through the cross, He took care of everything. His blood washes away our sins and thus removes our guilt before God, breaks the power of death and the grave (the penalties of sin), and He broke the powers of darkness over us. Furthermore, through it He imparts to us His righteousness for our justification and salvation, gives us the hope of our resurrection and eternal life along with all the unfathomable benefits of the grace of God. One last point, because it was not carried out under Jewish law, but as it were, secular law, all the world is included! How glorious and wonderful is our GOD!!!

 So now we can say as the apostle Paul said,  "May I never boast except in the cross or our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14

"For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of GOD is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23