Appointment With Destiny The Crucifixion Of Jesus

Appointment with Destiny: The Crucifixion of Jesus

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history. It is the climax of God's plan to save humanity from sin and death. But why did Jesus have to die on a cross What was the meaning and purpose of his suffering and death How did his crucifixion fulfill the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament And what does his crucifixion mean for us today

The Necessity of the Cross

Jesus did not die on the cross by accident or by mistake. He died on the cross because it was God's will and his own choice. He said, \"No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father\" (John 10:18). He also said, \"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many\" (Mark 10:45).

Jesus died on the cross because it was the only way to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says, \"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord\" (Romans 6:23). Sin is rebellion against God and his holy law. Sin separates us from God and makes us guilty before him. Sin deserves God's wrath and judgment. The Bible says, \"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God\" (Romans 3:23) and \"The soul who sins is the one who will die\" (Ezekiel 18:4).

But God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die in our place. The Bible says, \"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us\" (Romans 5:8). Jesus took our sins upon himself and bore the punishment that we deserved. The Bible says, \"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed\" (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus satisfied God's justice and appeased God's wrath. The Bible says, \"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God\" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The Significance of the Cross

Jesus died on the cross not only to save us from our sins, but also to fulfill the Scriptures. He said, \"Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms\" (Luke 24:44). The Old Testament contains many prophecies and types that point to Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. For example:

The Passover lamb that was sacrificed to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt foreshadowed Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Exodus 12; John 1:29).

The bronze serpent that was lifted up on a pole to heal those who were bitten by venomous snakes foreshadowed Jesus as the one who was lifted up on a cross to heal those who were bitten by sin (Numbers 21; John 3:14-15).

The suffering servant who was despised and rejected by men, who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, who was oppressed and afflicted yet did not open his mouth, who was cut off from the land of the living and assigned a grave with the wicked foreshadowed Jesus as the one who fulfilled all these things in his crucifixion (Isaiah 53; Matthew 27).

Jesus died on the cross not only to fulfill the Scriptures, but also to reveal God's love and glory. He said, \"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself\" (John 12:32). The cross shows us how much God loves us and how much he values us. The cross shows us how much God hates sin and how much he desires holiness. The cross 061ffe29dd