Farmers Independent

WHY THEY CRUCIFIED CHRIST
Because It Was God's Will
Rev. S. L. Swenson
Clearbrook, Minn.

"Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father." Jn.10:17-18.

The teaching of Scripture throughout is that God is love, but it just as consistently teaches that He is also righteous. To emphasize one of these attributes and omit the other is to make God a liar, for He has said, "I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me." Ex.20:5. He has said also, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Rom.2:5. God, therefore, in His love is Holy Love and demands, "Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy." Lev.19:2.

Because of man's disobedience he came under the judgment of God's righteousness and consequently became subject to eternal condemnation. God's love, however, demanded man's salvation. This salvation was foreordained before the foundation of the world, "even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." Eph.1:4; promised after man had fallen into sin "He shall bruise thy head." Gen.3:15; and fulfilled when the fulness of time was come, "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal.4:4-5. We see, therefore, that it was God's will that men should be saved, but that this could not be accomplished unless atonement be made.

In order to accomplish this atonement God sent His Son, who was born according to the flesh of the Virgin Mary, consequently He was the God-man. Jesus Christ, the true Mediator between God and Man. Atonement could be made only through propitiation for the sins of mankind, "apart from shedding of blood there is no remission." Heb.9:22. It was necessary then that Christ should shed His blood that He might cleanse the world of sin, "Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory?" Lk. 24:26.

Men in the harness of their heart oppose God's will and try to bring it to naught, but God in His wisdom is able to turn their wickedness to the accomplishing of His will and purpose. This was the case also in the crucifixion of Christ. We deprecate malice of the rulers of the Jews and the Roman governor in their denial and condemnation of the Savior, and well so, but God turned their sin into good, for it was through the suffering and death of Christ that He wrought atonement for the sins of the world. The forces of evil tried to undo God's purpose, but in so doing they fulfilled it, "For of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel foreordained to come to pass," Acts 4:27-28.

The crucifixion of Christ, therefore, was according to God's will, "Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief." Is.53:10. He gave His life, not on account of coercion on the part of the Father, not because He was overpowered by the devil, but freely, submissively, because He knew that it was the Father's will. For this reason He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Mt.26:39. Consequently He could say, even after He had been betrayed and captured, "Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and He shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Mt. 26:53-54. He died on the cross, not from exhaustion, but through His own power, "And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up His Spirit." Mt. 27:50. Thus was accomplished God's will and plan of salvation. God's righteousness was satisfied and atonement was made. God's love also was satisfied for the straying ones were brought back to the fold.