The Cross
The Center of History

THE CENTER-POINT

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the center-point of all history. It is the pivot of man's existence on earth. In the Old Testament days, all of God's dealings with man pointed him to the Cross that was to come. His salvation was through faith in what God promised would happen. Today we look back to that time, nearly 2,000 years ago, when the Son of God hung on the Cross between heaven and earth, between God and man, and receive salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross.

ADAM AND EVE

From the moment the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, sinned (see Genesis 3), God's plan of redemption was set into motion and Jesus was foreordained to die.

" . . . the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" Revelation 1 3:8 .

THE PROMISE OF THE SAVIOUR

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel" Genesis 3:15 (NASB) .

Here, at the beginning when man first sinned, is the first promise of the coming of the Saviour. The bruising of the serpent's seed (Revelation 12:9) and the woman's Seed (Galatians 3:16) took place on the Cross. Satan's "head" was bruised. The head speaks of authority (see Ephesians 5:23) and Satan's authority over man was broken on the Cross. The bruising of the head also speaks of a total and permanent disabling. It is a mortal wound. Jesus' ''heel" was bruised on the Cross. The heel is the lowest part of our body, the part that touches the earth, and speaks of how God humbled Himself and became a man upon the earth to suffer and die for us (read Philippians 2:5-11). But the bruising of the heel is not a mortal wound - Jesus rose from the dead!

THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" Genesis 3:21.

In order for coats of skin to be made, an animal's blood had to be shed. Here God gives a prophetic picture of the shedding of Jesus' blood on the Cross, which would bring spiritual clothing for us - a clothing with the righteousness of God (Revelation 3:5; 19:8).

ABEL

Abel's offering was accepted by God because he shed the blood of a lamb as a substitute for himself (see Genesis 4:1-7; Hebrews 11:4). He was expressing to God that he was a sinner, deserving of judgment. Cain's offering was not accepted because he offered the work of his own hands (the fruit of his labour in the fields) and in so doing was denying the fact that he was a sinner and unworthy to come into the presence of a holy God.

From the beginning of time God ordained the sacrifice of a lamb as a substitute to be the only way to receive forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God. It was given as a picture of THE Lamb of God that would die once and for all as the substitute for all mankind (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:25-26).

ABRAHAM

Abraham was declared righteous by God because he believed His promise concerning his seed, or offspring (read Genesis 15:1-6; 17:1-8). Galatians 3:16 explains that this "seed" was Christ himself. In other words, Abraham believed that the fulfilment of all that God has promised him would be through the coming of the Saviour. His righteousness was the result of his faith in the Christ who would come (see John 8:56).

ISAAC

Hebrews 11:17 reveals that when Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice (see Genesis 22:1 -14) it was a pre-picture of Jesus being offered as a sacrifice upon the Cross for us.

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

The descendants of Abraham's grandson, Jacob (or Israel, as he was later called) were set apart as a nation by God to be the means of bringing the promised Saviour into the world. God used them to prepare the way for His coming (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-11).

This passage of Scripture tells us that all the experiences of the children of Israel were used by the Lord as a picture for us of Christ's work in our lives.

PASSOVER

The killing of the lamb and the placing of its blood on the doorposts of the house so that the Angel of Death would "pass over" them (Exodus 12:1-33) all painted a picture of what Christ would do on the Cross for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

THE BRASS SNAKE

The people of Israel, bitten by poisonous snakes while travelling through the wilderness, are healed by looking on the Brass Snake that Moses put on a pole and lifted up before them (Numbers 21:6-9). Jesus said:

"Just as Moses fifed up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him" John 3:14- 15.

SACRIFICES OF LAW

Israel was given strict instructions by the Lord concerning the sacrifices to be offered for their sins. The altar of the Temple flowed constantly with the blood of lambs and goats offered as substitutes for the sinner (1 Peter 1:18-20).

THE PROPHETS

Throughout history God has had His prophets foretelling the coming of the Messiah: Moses, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and many,many more. Here are a few examples: Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 32:6-9/Zechariah 11:12-13 (Matthew 27:3-10); Psalm 22:18 (John 19:23-24); Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18; Matthew 26:20-25); Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10 (John 19:32-37).

"But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer" Acts 3:18.

TODAY

From the time of the Early Church until today we are reaping the benefits of the Cross we look back and by faith receive all that was accomplished for us there.1 Corinthians 11 :23-26 says that every time we break the bread and drink the Cup of Communion together, we do it in REMEMBRANCE of Him - of His broken body and shed blood on the Cross - until He comes again! The Cross of Jesus Christ is the centre of all history.

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The CrossThe Center of History