The Cross of Christ

By William H. Wetmore

The most momentous time in all of recorded history was when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to proclaim the kingdom of God. Because He challenged the Jewish and Roman authorities with the Truth of God, He was arrested, condemned to death, nailed to the cross, died for the sins of the world, and rose from the grave. Therefore God has highly exalted Him. Christ fulfilled the reason for which the Father had sent Him into the world.

On the cross, our sins were exchanged for Christs righteousness. On the cross was Christ, the Righteousness of God; standing before the cross were we, sinners in need of redemption. He died as the evidence of the love of God.

The result of the cross is that we have been redeemed and reconciled to our Father and Creator. We have peace with God; we have become the children of God. He who knew no sin became sin for us. The Righteous for the unrighteous, the Sinless for the sinner.

Therefore, the cross of Christ symbolizes the glory of the Christian gospel (I Cor. 1:17); the fact that, through this cruel and inhuman death, the debt of sin was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14); and we, having been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20), have been freed from sin and death and made alive in God (Rom. 6:6-11).

The cross is the symbol of Christs love, Gods power to save, and our faith in Him, who died for us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490881256

William H. Wetmore

William H. Wetmore graduated from Duke University and Lehigh University and had a successful career in engineering science, primarily in teaching and in basic research. He was a member of the faculty of Lehigh University and UCLA before becoming a division director in basic research at the National Science Foundation (NSF). After retiring from NSF, he served as associate dean of engineering at West Virginia University. He is the author of eight books: Him We Proclaim; God’s Hidden Treasures; The Parables of Jesus; You Must Be Born Again; Our Father, Who Art in Heaven; Freedom: The Epistles to the Galatians; Because of Love, He Came….; The Gospel: Love Divine; and The Cross of Christ. He teaches Bible studies on a broad range of theological subjects.

Book preview

Chapter 1. Overview

Now my [Christ] heart is troubled, and what shall I say?’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again. The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:27-33)

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. (Acts 2:22-24)

He [Christ] is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you. (Matt 28:6-7)

Introduction

The Cross of Christ is the moment of truth for the world forever and ever. It was the crowning moment to which all of Creation pointed; it is the crowning moment from which all of Creation turns to glorify God.

There is no historical event which has such meaning for God, for His Creation, and for all of humanity.

The Cross of Christ is the pivotal event by which repentant sinners become the righteousness of God and the saints of God.

The Cross of Christ was to unite mankind with God, the Creator, Provider, Protector, and Sustainer of the world.

All of human and divine history is contained in this progression: first, the Love of God; second, the Plan of God; third, the Gift of God; fourth, the Redeemed of God; fifth, the Reconciled of God; sixth, the Righteousness of God; seventh, the Kingdom of God.

This overview summarizes the major themes and events which define the path to the Cross before presenting the crucifixion and then the events which flow after the Cross. The purpose is to explain the major doctrines of Christianity, as related to the Cross of Christ.

Consider the passages at the beginning of this chapter

John 12:27-33 states that Christ, by His obedience on the Cross, came into the world for such an hour so as to glorify the Father.

John 19:28-30 states that the purpose of God for the redemption of mankind had been accomplished on the Cross: Christ had finished what the Father had sent Him to do.

Acts 2:22-24 is the recognition that the Cross was not the idea or the will of man: the Cross was the set purpose of God for the forgiveness of sins to all who believe in His Son.

Matthew 28:6-7 proclaims that the Savior of the world has died and has risen from the grave. The resurrection of Christ and all believers is a reality.

The Gospel of Christ

The cornerstone of Christianity is the gospel of Christ: the centerpiece of the gospel is the Cross of Christ: the Cross of Christ defines the love of God; the love of God defines the basis of eternity.

God is love: that single thought has dominated and will dominate the history of civilization. His love is revealed in Creation, justice, redemption, reconciliation, salvation, and regeneration—all as preparation for the coming of the New Heaven and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:1-4)

His love has two dimensions: grace and mercy. However, God is also a God of wrath who expresses His anger against all godlessness and wickedness. (Rom 1:18)

His grace is giving us what we do not deserve, which is His love. His mercy is not in giving us what we deserve, which is His wrath.

Grace bestows love; mercy withholds wrath.

God choose to make man in His image: that remains one of His primary goals forever.

Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:26-27)

It is interesting that God said: let us make man in our image … Notice the pronouns, us and our—defining the unity of the Trinity. The plurality of the Godhead was established and defined in the beginning …

So man was given a divine commission, to rule over the earth: in addition, man was given a divine goal, to be in the image of God.

Further, that first man, Adam, was given a wife, Eve; they were told not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden. God warned them of this consequence: if you do, you will surely die. However, this was not a physical death; instead, it meant a spiritual death which is separation from God.

And the LORD God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. (Gen 2:16-17)

However, the serpent, the devil, Satan, tempted them; they listened to the lie, and they disobeyed God. Such was the beginning of sin. This act of disobedience broke the first of nine covenants that God made with His people.

Sin, expressed in disobedience, led to separation from God. It happened then; it happens today.

From this original sin of Adam and Eve, the record is that every inclination of the thoughts of men’s hearts was only evil all the time.

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen 6:5-8)

As a result, God’s reaction to man’s wickedness was the Flood, because God was grieved that He had made man. The Flood was God’s first attempt to warn mankind of the seriousness of sin. Therefore, the Flood foreshadows the Cross.

And we move forward to Abraham, whom God chose so that, through him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Notice: all nations would be blessed.

Your [Abraham’s] descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring [Jesus Christ] all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Gen 22:17-18)

The Scriptures confirm that the offspring of Abraham will be Jesus Christ. The first sentence in the New Testament begins with these words: A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: (Matt 1:1). Jesus Christ is the physical son of both David and Abraham: it is through Abraham’s offspring, Jesus Christ, that all the nations on earth will be blessed. The manner in which all nations would be blessed is through the forgiveness of sin, of being declared innocent, and being set free. This forgiveness defines justification. Therefore, in this translation, the word, blessed, means justified.

Justification is the result of the acceptance of the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God on the Cross.

We have, in Genesis, this promise that everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and believes in His name (John 1:12) will be justified by God.

This relationship with Abraham represents one of the nine covenants which God made with His people. The one between God and Abraham is the fourth of the following nine covenants: 1. The Edenic Covenant (Gen 9:1-9); 2. The Adamic Covenant (Gen 3:15); 3. The Noahic Covenant; 4. The Abraham Covenant (Gen 12:1-3); 5. The Mosaic Covenant (Exo 19:5-8); 6. The Palestinian Covenant (Deut 29:10-15, 19-20); 7. The Ten Commandments (Exo 34: 4-11); 8. The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:4-17); 9. The New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34).

In the covenant with Abraham, God promised to bless Abraham’s descendants because of his faith. The other covenant of direct relevance to the Cross of Christ is that expressed through the prophet, Jeremiah, which provides for the forgiveness of sins to all who believe in the Son of God (Jer 31:31-34).

However, God chose His people out of all the nations of the earth so that they would be a witness to the glory and majesty of God. God chose His people to be a holy nation who were to be the light in a dark and evil world.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exo 19:5-6)

The Lord God chose the Israelites because of the oath which He swore to their forefathers.

The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deut 7:7-10)

This book considers the events surrounding the crucifixion and emphasizes the following: the statements and teaching of Christ that led to the Cross, the specific changes in the Passover that Thursday evening, a detailed examination of the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the hatred of the Sanhedrin as it impacted their judgment and their decision, a review of the Jewish and Roman laws affecting the verdict, the trials as conducted under these laws, the relationship of Jonah as relating to the resurrection, the timeline in which all of these events occurred, and finally, the understanding of the cup of God’s wrath as a major element of the Cross.

With that introduction, this book examines three areas: Part I. The events leading To the Cross: Part II. The events At the Cross: Part III. The events that follow From the Cross.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

The Cross of Christ gives life to the dead.

Part I. To the Cross

The cornerstone of the Cross is the Love of God: that is what we now address.

Chapter 2. God: His Love

The earth, O LORD, is full of thy steadfast love; (Ps 119:64 RSV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him [Christ] is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18 RSV)

A new commandment I [Christ] give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 RSV)

By this we know love, that he [Christ] laid down his life for us; (1 John 3:16 RSV)

So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:16 RSV)

Introduction

The love of God is the foundation for Creation, for all of history, for all nations, for all people, and for every blessing in this world. From His love flows His Word, His truth, and His peace: His love reflects His will and His purpose for eternity.

The love of God is the primary characteristic of God around which all of His other attributes revolve.

In many respects, the Bible is the story of the love of God played out over the ages.

The love of God is the reason for the Cross of Christ: it is God’s divine plan for the redemption and reconciliation of repentant sinners. God’s love sent His Son to the Cross.

The love of God is shown in the fact that Christ laid down His life for us. (I John 3:16)

The Initial Passages

As evidence of the love of God, consider the passages at the beginning of this chapter.

Psalm 119:64 confirms that the earth is filled with God’s love. God’s love is higher and mightier than the heavens. God’s earth and God’s heavens express God’s love.

John 3:16-18 is the reason for the Cross of Christ. God loved and He gave: God sent His Son to die for the sins of the world, so that we would become the righteousness of God.

John 13:34-35 states the new commandment that Jesus Christ gave His disciples which is to love as Christ has loved us. Human love has now a divine perspective, and it is the evidence that we are Christ’s disciples.

1 John 3:16 defines love as well as gives the ultimate example of love. Love is the righteous laying down their lives for the unrighteous. The example is the Cross of Christ: the example is Christ Himself. The Cross is the witness, and love is defined by the Cross.

I John 4:16 presents two truths about love. First, we know the love that God has for us; second, we rely upon that love for every thought and every act. We do this for the reason that God is love. If we understand love, then we understand God. If we understand God, then we understand love. If our life mirrors God’s love, then we live in God, and God lives in us.

God is the God of love (1 John 4:8). In addition, God is the God of truth (Psa 31:5); God is the God of peace (Heb 13:20). God is the God of peace which defines our union with God. If we are united with God, then we know love, peace, and truth.

This chapter examines three subjects: first, The Love of God; second, His love as conditional; third, The Wrath of God as an expression of His love.

First, The Love of God

Love is the keystone of the character of God; it is the basis and foundation of His omnipotence, His omniscience, and His omnipresence. In like manner, love is central to Jesus, the Christ. Further, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth who will lead us into all truth, which is the understanding of and the appreciation of the love of God. Christ is the fullness of the deity of the Godhead: Christ is the fullness of the love of the Godhead.

Companion to love are the law and truth. The interaction of these terms is significant.

The Gospel of John addressed this relationship: For the law was given through Moses; grace [love] and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 RSV)

The law, given through Moses, was given to reveal sin.

But what is the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ? What does grace and truth have to do with the Incarnation?

We begin by recognizing that love has two dimensions which are grace and mercy.

Grace is God giving us His love, which we do not deserve: mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve, which is His wrath.

Grace bestows love; mercy withholds wrath.

The ultimate evidence of the love of