or was it man?
The cross, was it God's justice that had to be fullfilled, or was it God's demonstration of His love, that in the eyes of sinful men, they could not accept forgiveness of sins for which they deserved death that God put their punishment on His Son, to justify God in man's eyes as being righteous.
That God so loved the world that He decided the best way to show that was putting man's sin on Jesus that He might declare His love for us, saying, look, your punishment has been paid, come to Me. Was God justifing His forgiveness of sinners to Himself? Or was it that God was demonstrating His righteousness to sinful men who require a price be paid for their debt? He gives the water of life freely. So was the cross there for God's sake, that He required it, or was it that man required it. Man being wicked and not understanding the love or forgiveness of God could not accept forgiveness without a price being paid. God had been sending prophets calling the people to repentance, and you see the ultimate fruit that brought in bringing them to repentance for there had been many prophets. So then God sends the ultimate prophet, His own Son, who teaches men the true nature of the law and demonstrates to men the true nature of God.
Why did Jesus ask them if they understood the scripture, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice"? Was Jesus on the cross God's sacrifice to man or man's sacrifice to God?
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Is it then that God needed the sacrifice, or that He offered man the sacrifice to show His love for us. That He gave His most beloved, most cherished Son, hung Him on a cross, put the sin of the world on Him, poured His wrath out on Him, so that we would believe that God will forgive us. If it wasn't God's requirement for forgiveness but man's, woe to man, that we would require God to put our punishment on Jesus, so we could believe God is merciful.
I was listening to a sermon yesterday and the pastor said that it isn't explained in the bible why God choose the cross and they mentioned that even Martin loyd Jones said he couldn't explain it, why God became manifest as a man and put on the cross to reconsile Himself to man. So that's what got me thinking about why.
The cross, was it God's justice that had to be fullfilled, or was it God's demonstration of His love, that in the eyes of sinful men, they could not accept forgiveness of sins for which they deserved death that God put their punishment on His Son, to justify God in man's eyes as being righteous.
That God so loved the world that He decided the best way to show that was putting man's sin on Jesus that He might declare His love for us, saying, look, your punishment has been paid, come to Me. Was God justifing His forgiveness of sinners to Himself? Or was it that God was demonstrating His righteousness to sinful men who require a price be paid for their debt? He gives the water of life freely. So was the cross there for God's sake, that He required it, or was it that man required it. Man being wicked and not understanding the love or forgiveness of God could not accept forgiveness without a price being paid. God had been sending prophets calling the people to repentance, and you see the ultimate fruit that brought in bringing them to repentance for there had been many prophets. So then God sends the ultimate prophet, His own Son, who teaches men the true nature of the law and demonstrates to men the true nature of God.
Why did Jesus ask them if they understood the scripture, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice"? Was Jesus on the cross God's sacrifice to man or man's sacrifice to God?
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Is it then that God needed the sacrifice, or that He offered man the sacrifice to show His love for us. That He gave His most beloved, most cherished Son, hung Him on a cross, put the sin of the world on Him, poured His wrath out on Him, so that we would believe that God will forgive us. If it wasn't God's requirement for forgiveness but man's, woe to man, that we would require God to put our punishment on Jesus, so we could believe God is merciful.
I was listening to a sermon yesterday and the pastor said that it isn't explained in the bible why God choose the cross and they mentioned that even Martin loyd Jones said he couldn't explain it, why God became manifest as a man and put on the cross to reconsile Himself to man. So that's what got me thinking about why.