I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4)
The death of Jesus is the performance in history of the very mind of God. There is no room for looking on Jesus as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him, and which might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came! The preaching of forgiveness should never be built on the fact that God is our Father and that He will forgive us because He loves us.
It is untrue to Jesus Christ' s revelation of God... it makes the cross- unnecessary and the Redemption "much a do about nothing". God does forgive sin, but it is because of the death of Christ, God could forgive men in no other way than by the death of His Son, and He is exalted to be the Saviour because of His death. ' We see Jesus... because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour. The greatest note of triumph ever to sound upon the ears of a startled universe was that spoken by Jesus Christ as He died on the Cross... The last word in the redemption of man:
"It is finished"
Anything that belittles or obliterates the holiness of God by a false view of the love of God is untrue to the revelation of God given by Jesus Christ. Never host the thought that Jesus became a curse for us out of sympathy with us. He became a curse for us out of the Divine decree. Our portion of realizing the terrible curse He took upon Himself is in the conviction of sin. The gift of shame and penitence is given to us... and that is the great mercy of God to us. Jesus Christ hates the wrong that is in man, and Calvary is the everlasting proof of His hatred.Anon.
