Day 198
“As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead.” Galatians 6:14
One can only surmise what the Father and Son talked about in heaven when it came time to redeem mankind. The whole thought of God subjecting Himself to human flesh, living 33 years on the earth, and then abject rejection ending in a torturous death is beyond our understanding. Yet, God the Father determined it before time—“But God, following his prearranged plan, let you use the Roman government to nail him to the cross and murder him” Acts 2:23 [LB]. Jesus was the Lamb of God.
We think about the cross more in a historical context or as a passing mention rather than meditating on its meaning to us. We [should] know that we were purchased and set free through Christ’s redemptive work, but, that is not all the cross infers. Paul declares it made him a dead man to the world. That is opposite of how most of us live. That position can only come to us when we have looked into the depth of the cross and understood the price that was paid for our redemption.
Do you want to know the heart of the Father? The cross is the center of God’s plan and it reveals His very character to us. One writer called the cross “love in excess,” probably because our love is so faulty. Actually, the cross is what true love is all about. And when recognize that compelling love, the world suddenly has nothing to offer.
“My constant boast is God. I can never thank you enough!” Psalm 44:8