Always back to the cross

“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Lk. 23:33,34).

“And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Mk. 15:33,34).

There is only one solution to our painful self-centeredness. Even though God might bring us to take delight in His selfless will, there always exists this inborn seed of selfishness that wars against God’s wonderful peace and the gift of submission to Him. Our natural rebellion is always working to come back to life if the Holy Spirit has ever been able to successfully vanquish it at all, and remove the bitterness of soul that has proven such a vexation to the human soul.

Only one remedy for our curse exists—Behold the Lamb of God. Nothing else can heal us except sorrow for our pride which blocked the Lamb’s precious connection with His Father. Like the year-old lambs and kid goats, the young heifers and bullocks, little pigeons and sparrows, He was innocent, perfectly pure. As the Israelites brought their docile and sweet animal to pay the price of human sin, the worshipper saw that God was more innocent than this animal He had created.

They saw His willing goodness toward their evident sinfulness. Repentance took hold and humbled their heart. Then the horrific bitterness left them as rebellion fled before surrender. They were free again to be good and loving and obedient to God.

The Amalekites and rest of the world didn’t have this experience. That is why they were always so malicious and warlike. Finally, their malice and bitter hatred left no other remedy but total annihilation.

We must keep going back to the crucifixion of Jesus. He was the lamb from heaven. Who alone can take away our cursed pride and its bitterness which prevents us from obeying God’s will and being loving? There at the cross we see a Man who fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies of a Savior to come. For thousands of years animal sacrifices looked forward to a great propitiation to remove the wrath of God. Only Jesus accomplished that propitiation. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (Jn. 3:36).

We can trust His sacrifice to be more than martyrdom. He was the Anointed One. “Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25), the One with the immeasurable connection and peace with God. He was that “Servant’” with whom God was “well pleased.” (Is. 42:21).

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief.” (Is. 53:10). “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” (Is. 53:11). “He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Is. 53:12). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53:6).

Let us keep going back to His cross again and again forever and ever, there dying daily, crucified with Him, dead indeed to sin and alive unto God. Rom. 6:11.