Harvest Daily - June 23, 2005

June 23

Why the Cross?

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .

—Luke 9:51

Why did Jesus have to die? Why the cross? Why couldn’t God just say, “Look, I know you have sinned against Me. It’s okay. Never mind. You are all forgiven.” The answer is that it doesn’t work with His nature and character. God is just. And the justice of God requires that our sins be paid. He could not accept us into fellowship with himself unless the penalty was paid.

You see, the cross demonstrates the justice of God. At the cross of Calvary, the love and the justice of God met. Jesus had to go to the cross because humanity is sinful, and there was no other way to bridge the gap between a just and holy God and sinful humanity. The cross was His goal, and it was His destination from the very beginning. He spoke of it frequently.

So don’t think the cross was a mistake. Don’t think that Jesus didn’t know it was coming. Jesus, being God, had complete foreknowledge. He was braced for the cross. He knew the cruel and horrendous pain that awaited Him. In fact, Scripture tells us, “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He would let nothing or no one deter Him from His course.

God said, “My righteous requirements must be met. But I love humanity. And there is no way they can do it on their own. So I must assist them. I must help them.” So He sent His only begotten Son to bridge the gap. Jesus came to this earth to purchase back what had been forfeited in the Garden of Eden.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.