Рет қаралды 34,873
The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ stands at the center of the history of mankind. It marks the culmination of the entire mediatorial work of Jesus Christ on behalf of God's elect who are by nature guilty, defiled, and depraved. The Bible teaches us that before the foundation of the world God chose a people out of Adam's fallen, sinful race and determined to save them and give them all eternal blessedness and the whole inheritance of grace --
Ephesians 1:4 -- According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Thessalonians 2:13 -- But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
But God is holy and righteous and just. He always deals in truth. His judgments are always based on truth without respect of persons. Wherever His holy law and justice finds sin, it demands death. Wherever His holy law and justice finds righteousness, it demands life. So God could not give His chosen people, guilty sinners, the least of His blessings apart from His holy law and justice being satisfied. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek. 18:20). God will "by no means clear the guilty" (Ex. 34:7).Therefore, before God could give eternal life and the least of His favor and blessings to any one of His elect, He had to provide a way to remove their guilt and defilement, to redeem them and atone for their sins so as to satisfy His holy law and justice. He had to provide a righteousness that would enable Him to be just and yet justify the ungodly, a righteousness that would demand the entire salvation of the whole election of grace.
For this reason, when God chose His people out of Adam's fallen race, He chose them in His Son, Christ Jesus. He appointed Christ as their Representative and Surety, and He conditioned all of their salvation upon Christ. He determined to give them all spiritual blessings IN and BY CHRIST --
Ephesians 1:3 -- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: {4} According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: {5} Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, {6} To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In time, God the Father sent His Son into the world to become incarnate, and by obeying the law and dying on the cross establish for His people an everlasting righteousness of infinite value whereby God could be both a just God and a savior (Isa. 45:21). During His time on earth, Jesus continually told His disciples that He must suffer and die on the cross to fulfill all the conditions of the salvation of His sheep by establishing this righteousness in His obedience and death (John 12:27). He was sent for this purpose, and His crucifixion made an atonement for sin. It was the establishment of righteousness to enable God the Father to be both a just God and a Savior and to insure the salvation of all whom the Father had given Him before the foundation of the world. His death was a victory, not a defeat. It is spoken of as an accomplishment, not a failure(Luke 9:31). His death paid the ransom price for His people. We preach Christ and Him crucified which means that He accomplished the redemption of all for whom He lived, obeyed, and died. We are going to consider this great event in this study -- "WHAT HAPPENED AT CALVARY?"
I. THE EVERLASTING COVENANT OF GRACE WAS COMPLETELY FULFILLED.
In the Bible, redemption and salvation are spoken of as the results of an everlasting covenant. Christ's blood is called "the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Heb. 13:20). This means His death marks the culmination of the fulfillment of the terms of that covenant. That everlasting covenant is revealed as being between God the Father and God the Son. As stated, and according to the terms of this covenant, God the Father chose a multitude of guilty, hell-deserving sinners out of Adam's fallen race. The conditions of this covenant were perfect satisfaction to God's law and justice, perfect righteousness, which no sinner could produce even by his/her best efforts (Rom. 3:20). According to the terms of this covenant, God the Son agreed to take upon Himself the responsibility of saving all whom the Father had given Him. "And the government shall be upon his shoulder" (Isa. 9:6) -- This refers to the government, the fulfillment, establishment, and maintenance of the everlasting covenant of grace.