Crucify That Thing Before It Kills You

By Barry Nehls

Jesus clarified the requirements of every believer. He simply said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. 16:24). Sounds simple enough...until you begin to break it down. In today's affluent society, most are not accustomed to denying themselves anything, even if they don't have the means to pay for it. Personal responsibility is at an all-time low. When tragedy strikes, we look for someone or something to blame. Certainly not my fault. Jesus requires us to take up a cross. Well, that's easy enough...gold, silver, or platinum? But don't forget the cross is not jewelry to be worn; on the contrary, it is an instrument of death. Our death. Have an addiction that you are struggling with? Perhaps you have concluded that God made you to live as a homosexual. God's fault there. And that alcohol or drug addiction, well, it's a disease. Not my fault there either. So open the pages and take a look. Dare you. The hard truth for all is that the Bible, God's Word, is a mirror. You and I must see ourselves, in light of His Scriptures, as He sees us. But read on. The Bible contains all the power and tools you and I need to obey Jesus' command. So take up your cross and follow Him!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781644681626

Book preview

The Nature of Flesh Revealed

In the beginning, God created. If you are looking for a single word that best describes the God of the universe, it is simply Creator. That is what God does: He creates. As Moses wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit concerning creation, we see that God took deliberate steps, with a planned order, in creation.

Genesis begins by telling us that God created the heaven and the earth. What God purposefully creates is good and perfect in every way. And yet in Genesis 1:2 it states, And the earth was [became] without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Why would the earth be void and without form, and dark? I believe that Jesus’ disciple Peter received revelation from the Holy Spirit in his writings to the church:

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Pet. 3:1–8, KJV)

Some refer to this description of a water covering of the earth as Lucifer’s flood. The distinction is clearly made in verses six and seven, referring to the world that then was and the heavens and the earth, which are now. Clearly Peter is not referring to the flood of judgment of Noah’s day, as that flood was a purging of all sinful men in the earth as it exists for us today.

Today about 71% of the earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96% of all earth’s water. Scientists have proven through fossil records, prehistoric animal remains, and geological studies that the earth has been covered multiple times with water. Peter is describing a world that perished due to a covering of water. Jesus commented to His disciples that He saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). In Isaiah chapter 14, the prophet records the events of the rebellion in heaven:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa. 14:12–15, KJV; emphasis mine)

The rebellion is clearly recorded in what many refer to as the five I wills. Satan, or Lucifer, often masquerading as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), this bright and morning star, was cast out of heaven along with one-third of the host of angels (Rev. 12:3–9). This cataclysmic event caused the world to be plunged into the judgment of darkness. And thus we see the earth without form and void, and darkness upon the earth.

This silence between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 at least suggests a time period for the roaming of the dinosaurs, the multiple coverings of the earth with water, and the explained presence of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. We must always remember that the Bible is not a history book, and yet when giving historical facts and details, the Bible is accurate with other historical documents and records.

Now God on the first day created light for the heavens, dividing light from the darkness. Day two saw the creation of firmament (heaven) and the dividing of waters. On the third day of creation, He created the dry land, dividing the waters from the waters. And although the earth is nearly two-thirds covered with water, it remains in place, with exception of the occasional local flooding. God went on to create all types of vegetation, including seed-bearing fruit, grasses, trees, etc.

Most importantly, God created on day four the sun and moon, essentially creating time for us: for signs, for seasons, for days, and for years. On day five, God filled the seas with all sorts of life as well as fowl and all types of birds to soar the heavens. Lastly, God turns to creating living creatures to roam the earth.

On day six He commanded the following:

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Gen. 1:24–25, KJV)

The start of day six saw the creation of all animal life on the earth. And then to wind up the sixth day of creation, God created man. This was the creation of the spirit man, not the flesh. Moses writes,

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Gen. 1:26–28, KJV)

This spirit man was made in God’s image. An image is a representation of what something looks like; we look like our Heavenly Father. Likeness refers more to our nature: that we would be like God, full of love, compassion, mercy, and grace. Notice that man was to replenish the earth; to repopulate the earth that perished in Lucifer’s flood. With all of creation in place, God now forms a body of flesh for man: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7, KJV).

A living soul. We know that man is created as a spirit being. Jesus declared in John 4:24 that God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Spirit beings created to live forever. Now there is a living soul and flesh. The soul consists of emotions, intellect, and feelings. Flesh is the container.

The Apostle Paul clearly understood the makeup of each of us, first as a spirit being, created in God’s image, placed in a physical body, and possessing a soul. Look at Paul’s blessing to the church at Thessalonica: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23, KJV).

The material for the flesh of man…the dust of the ground. The name Adam means red earth. In Genesis chapter five, Moses describes the descendants of Adam, and lets us know that at creation God created male and female:

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Gen. 5:1–2, KJV; emphasis mine)

Did you catch that? One body of flesh, called Adam, male and female. Even after naming all the animals in the Garden of Eden where God had placed Adam, there was not a suitable mate found. Placing Adam, this man of flesh, in a deep sleep, God separated the male and female, creating a new body of flesh for the woman. Adam then declared,

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:23–25, KJV)

The man and woman were covered in the splendor and glory of God, the same glory that Moses was allowed to view as God hid him in the cleft of the rock and passed by:

And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. (Exod. 33:18–23, KJV)

These fleshly bodies of Adam and Eve were covered with the glory of God! That is why the Bible records that they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Now admittedly, once a man and woman have passed through their marriage vows and experienced what I call the miracle of marriage, that is, oneness, it should be natural for this married couple to feel no shame, being naked in one another’s presence. It may be a bit awkward, at first, but certainly there should be no shame.

The reason I believe that they were surrounded initially with the glory of God is because man was made in God’s image. In describing sin, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We’ve missed the mark, all of us. Secondly, once sin coursed through their veins, the glory of God was lost, their eyes were opened, and now they not only saw one another but were ashamed and attempted to cover their nakedness.

Now we know that God made man from the dust of the ground, from the earth. At nearly every graveside committal service, the minister will recite this familiar passage: Earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes. A close look at the nature of this flesh, these bodies, reveals that there was an issue, a defect, if you will, with the material. What? God doesn’t make junk!

A closer look at the Scriptures reveals something about the building material for the flesh of man. In the book of Ezekiel, we see the Old Testament prophet rebuking the prince of Tyrus. Metaphorically, I believe that Ezekiel received a vision, much like that of Isaiah, concerning the fall of Satan.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou was upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. (Ezek. 28:13–19, KJV)

The Bible tells us here that Satan was a created being, perfect in his ways, of impeccable workmanship. The materials described are as precious stones, jewels, with a brightness of light. However, we see in verse 15 that iniquity was found in him: sin exposed. It was based in pride, a desire to be God, to usurp His authority. His heart became full of pride which led to a corruption of wisdom. Verse 17 is key: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground. Did you catch that? He was cast to the ground.

And now this spirit man and woman are placed in bodies that came from that very corrupted ground. King David declares that he was conceived and born in sin. Many theologians or church denominations refer to this as original sin. Something that we are each born with…from Adam and Eve in the beginning until now.

Back to the garden. Living in a paradise, Adam and Eve have only one commandment to keep. Probably they were not aware of the consequences of disobedience, wasn’t sure what God meant when He said that in the day thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2:17, KJV).

However, a brief investigation of the dialogue in the garden between man and the serpent quickly reveals that the flesh was indeed filled with iniquity. In 1 John we see the apostle condense this iniquity, this sin issue, into the following three basic categories:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:15–16, KJV)

There it is: lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. These three elements are essentially all wrapped up in the pride of the flesh. The forbidden fruit is offered up as pleasant to the eyes, food for the flesh, and a tree to be desired to make one wise; the seed of temptation sprouted. They both partook of the forbidden fruit, their weak flesh unable to resist.

They attempt to cover their flesh and hide from God. The intimate fellowship, the relationship that man was created for in the first place, was shattered. Adam and Eve each attempt to blame the other. And now the consequences.

First, it was not a spiritual death that they each experienced. On the contrary, in my first book, The Myth of Spiritual Death, I plainly articulated that the loss in the garden was a loss of intimacy with the Creator. It was physical death, just as God had warned, that came to the flesh of man. It required 930 years, but sin finally put to death the flesh of Adam—a thousand years as a day, and a day as a thousand years—and he died (2 Peter 3:8).

Secondly, notice how the dust and the ground were a big part of the punishment proclamation:

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen. 3:14–19, KJV)

The serpent is cursed to eat the dust of the ground. Then God says to Adam the ground is cursed for his sake. In the Garden of Eden there was a plethora of fruits, plants, vegetables, and growth. Now, however, the ground is cursed and will only produce thorns and thistles, i.e. weeds. And finally, God declares that man will return to the ground from where he was taken: earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

God then thrust this first rebellious couple out of His garden and forbids their return. The reason: the tree of life. God realizes that the flesh of man is sinful, full of pride, with a deceitfully wicked heart (Jer. 17:9). Access to the tree of life must be denied, at least for now. No way does God want His man to be trapped in a sinful body forever. He has a plan: there is a Savior to be born; His name is Jesus Christ.

A very good friend of mine has often referred to the making of the flesh of man as God’s dirty trick. He creates us, then places us in a fleshly body, along with a list of rules: the law. Knowing that there is simply no way that we, in the flesh, can keep the law. What a trick indeed!

But you see Jesus Christ came in this same flesh. Born of a virgin, not conceived in sin as David described his conception. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he gives insight into the fleshly body of Jesus Christ:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5–11, KJV)

Jesus…the greatest hope for mankind.

Jesus Christ, the son of the Godhead, had to learn obedience. And though God in the flesh, He never once uttered any claim to deity, never boasted of His descent from the heavens. The Bible tells us that He (Jesus) was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. Jesus came in the flesh. We are told He was hungry, thirsty, tired, angry, alone, at times jubilant, and yet in the end, betrayed by His own. That is why He is the perfect Savior, the greatest hope for mankind. God’s plan from the beginning (see Genesis 3:15 and the indication of the Savior’s virgin birth: seed of the woman). Jesus Christ, born to fulfill His destiny through obedience to the cross.

Let’s take a closer look at the nature of this body you and I carry around. In Genesis chapter two, it says that God formed man’s body of the dust of the ground. As we discussed, the ground was cursed and corrupted, and as such iniquity was found in man. As recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, God created life in the sea and the fowls of the air:

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Gen. 1:20–25, KJV)

In this fifth day of creation, God created these living creatures, great and small, and saw that it was good. It does not say that these creatures were created from the dust of the earth, but simply that the waters brought forth abundantly and that the earth brought forth the cattle, beasts, and creeping things; once again stating that He (God) made these creatures. From this account, we come to understand that the flesh of man is radically different from the flesh of other animals or living creatures.

As a companion was sought for Adam, none of these living creatures were found suitable. Genesis chapter 2 verse 19 says that out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. The following verse says that for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.

In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, written from Ephesus, he provides insight into the differences in flesh: All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds (1 Cor. 15:39, KJV).

Paul clarifies that there is a distinct difference in the flesh of men, and that of beasts, fish, and birds. Physiologically, the flesh of man has been proven to be different from any other living creature. There is a significant body of scientific study and research into the development of the human species, from Neanderthals, Cro-Magnon, to anatomically modern Homo sapiens (I guess that is you and me).

It is for another book (or two) to engage in a discussion of evolution, Darwin’s theory, and the Scopes Trial of 1925. This trial was formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes, a high school teacher. He was accused of violating Tennessee’s Butler Act, which made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. The trial was conducted by two of the most famous lawyers/orators of the day, William Jennings Bryan (against evolution) and Clarence Darrow (for). Scopes was found guilty, but the verdict was overturned on a technicality and he was never brought back to trial. We will discuss further in chapter five as we explore the evolution of addictions.

I will at least offer my limited perspective on the topic of evolution. Did man evolve from monkeys or apes? Certainly not. The Bible clearly makes the distinction in the flesh of animals and that of man. What about evolution? Seems scientifically proven. I must admit that I do believe in evolution. Let me explain.

From my very limited perspective, I believe evolution is better described as adaptation. There is well-documented data showing how species will change and adapt to their environment. That is God’s survival plan at work. Staying within their respective species, there is an evolution, if you will, as species with the built-in software for survival will adapt and change accordingly. Let me offer a simple example. A quick look at the insect world, and we see insects making amazing adaptations, allowing them to essentially completely disappear into their environments, or looking like a completely different insect altogether. Some of these evolutions are defensive; others are for survival, and simply others a way to lie and wait for their next meal. God created it all, instilled in creatures, both great and small, the ability to adapt and change to their surroundings and environmental conditions. That’s not just evolution, that is divine design!

According to animal geneticist Lawrence Schook of the University of Illinois, the pig is genetically very close to humans. The complete set of genes for any organism, known as a genome, reveals this similarity. Indeed, the use of pig heart valves for transplant into human hearts has been practiced since as early as 1976. The valves do undergo chemical procedures in order to make them suitable for implantation in the human heart and can last for eight to ten years or more. In addition to the pig valve, tissue from the pericardial sac of cows or horses has also been used to make leaflets that are then sewn into a metal frame. The tissue has extremely durable physical properties and is normally sterilized so that the biological markers are removed, eliminating the response from the human immune system. These leaflets make great heart valve replacements and are flexible, durable, not requiring the use of blood thinners. And that is more than enough biology and anatomy for me. (My first degree was in chemistry, and chem majors tended to avoid the biology labs.)

Our flesh is different. Paul goes on to explain to the church in Corinth some additional insights into the flesh of man:

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Cor. 15:42–50, KJV)

Notice the characteristics of the nature of human flesh:

Sown in corruption

Sown in weakness

A natural body

A living soul

Of the earth, earthy

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Interestingly, this mirrors the declaration of Adam upon the making of Eve: this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man (Gen. 2:23). As David declared, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me, there is iniquity or sin in each of us (see Psalm 51:5).

Paul declared that in my flesh dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). He goes on to make the explicit point that sin dwells in me:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Rom. 7:7–25, KJV)

We will explore further Paul’s fleshly contradictions later and the purpose of the law; for now it is sufficient for us to see that the nature of flesh is corrupt, sinful, and weak. As you think about your own flesh (body) and the sin nature that you and I have both resisted (although not unto death), think about the Savior. In the book of Hebrews it tells us that He (Jesus) was in all points tempted like we yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). He took on flesh, He learned obedience (Phil. 2:8).

And the Old Testament prophet Isaiah saw and revealed God’s plan for the redemption of man:

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he hath 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; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:1–11, KJV)

Wow! God placed all the iniquities of man on Jesus, the sinless, spotless sacrifice, that you and I might be redeemed and set free from the power of sin. And not only did Jesus bear all our sins but at His darkest moment, when He cried out from the cross, God the Father turned away. No angels to the rescue; no cosmic battle this day. All alone, to die on the cross, Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave, and gave sin a death blow.

Before moving on, I need to share a story here. I was on a four-hour flight from Salt Lake City to Detroit, Michigan. I had been visiting my daughters and their families and was returning on an afternoon flight.

God does nothing by chance.

Finding my aisle seat, I placed my bag in the overhead compartment and took my assigned seat. Amazing how obedient everyone is when it comes to that seat assignment. In any event, two gentlemen soon asked me to allow them into their seats to my