Why Crucifixion ?

Why Crucifixion ?

Friday, November 28, 2008

And it is the Cross of Christ that appears to us in the incident of the fiery serpents NUM 21:6-9
The book of Numbers was written between 1450 and 1410 B.C., but yet it tells us why Christ had to die on a Cross, publicly exhibited for all to see. The fiery serpent spoke of Christ being lifted up on the Cross in order that He might save, through the look of faith, those who were dying from sin.

2CO 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

At the Cross, the prince of this world met his demise, forever defeated by the Son of God, 1JO 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

We’ve been taught well that God cannot overlook sin, so God’s Justice agreed to judge His own Son, and Satan did not want God to display His love in this great sacrificial way.

The Cross was a necessary and PLANNED place of judgment, and if it weren’t a public exhibition, no one would have known who this great and innocent Man was.

So Moses was commanded to fix the brazen serpent upon a pole; the divine remedy was publicly exhibited so all Israel might look and be healed.

When the Lord was on earth, He knew His destiny. He knew His Father’s plan for Him was to die the most difficult death, being tempted to quit the whole way.

But the God-Man was more than ready and willing; because Love was His burden; we were the Joy set before Him. HEB 12:2

When He said with spikes in His hands “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they do”, people had to see that, to witness that, seeing this attitude of love even though He was a totally innocent man and not a criminal at all.

1. Satan hated him.
2. The selfish nature of man doesn’t pay attention unless there is something dramatic to draw their attention.

This was God’s Plan all along; to become our substitute for sin, and to be publicly humiliated so all could see Him, and look to Him to be saved.
What would you be willing to do to save the life of your child?

Zechariah predicted 700 years before Christ came that they would “look upon the one whom they pierced”.

Prophecies of the Messiah
According to Old Testament, the Jewish prophets predicted that God would one day become a man, the Messiah, also called Emmanuel which means “God with us”.

In fact, God sets forth a challenge to false prophets to tell the future, and the challenge has remained for 2500 years. ISA 41:21-23

The laws of mathematical probability:
Statistical theory shows if the probability of one event occurring is one in five and of another event is one in ten, then the probability of both events being fulfilled in sequence is
1 in 5×10 = 1 in 50.

Consider one area of prophecy and its fulfillment; the sending of the Messiah.
There are 3 specific predictions made by 3 different prophets at 3 different times.

The Bible teaches the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah; one of the 12 tribes descended from Jacob.
GEN 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh (Messiah) comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
What is the probability? 1 in 12 tribes.

The Bible predicts the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
MIC 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
Now what is the probability of this? Conservatively 1 in 200 cities in Judea.

He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Zech 11:12, MAT 26:15
Let’s say probability is 1 in 100, there could have been any number of pieces of silver, or none at all.

So we have 3 probabilities.
1 in 12, 1 in 200, and 1 in 100
1 in 12 x 200 x 100 = 1 chance in 240,000 that this one man could fulfill all 3 of these prophecies.

Now there are 48 specific prophecies in the Old Testament that point to Jesus Christ being the Messiah!

1. The Messiah born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2. (written in 700 B.C.)
Probability 1 in 200.

2. He would be preceded by a messenger.
ISA 40:3
Probability 1 in 20? He could have been said to be preceded by anything, or nothing.
ISA 40:3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

3. He would enter Jerusalem on a colt. He could have entered many different ways, even planes and cars! This was written 700 years before Christ was born.
Probability 1 in 50?
Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

4. He would be betrayed by a friend.
Probability 1in 10? He could have been betrayed by an enemy, mother in law, ruler, daughter, son….

Ps 41:9
Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.

5. He would have His hands and feet pierced.
Probability 1 in 100? He could have been killed by guns, electric chair, stoning, injection, off a cliff…..
PSA 22:16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.

6. He would be wounded by His enemies and whipped by them.
Probability 1 in 25?
ISA 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

7. He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
Probability 1 in 100?
Zech 11:12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.

8. He will be spit upon and beaten.
Probability 1 in 10? How many criminals do you know are spit on and beaten when they go to trial?
ISA 50:6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.

9. He would have His betrayal money thrown in the Temple and given for a potter’s field. Probability 1 in 200?
Zech 11:13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

10. He would be silent before His accusers. What are the odds of that? None of us could be silent especially if we were innocent! Right?!
Probability 1 in 100?

ISA 53:7
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth

11. He would be crucified with thieves!
Probability 1 in 100?
ISA 53:12
Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Multiply 200x20x50x10x100x25x100x10x200x100x100.

The answer is 1 chance in 10 to the 19th power. 1 in 10 with 19 zeros, which is 1 in 10 billion x a billion that one person could fulfill just these 11 prophecies!
1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000.

The Bible is like no other religious book. It is true and supernatural and you had better look into what else this book says about life and salvation!

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus was resurrected from the dead 3 days after His burial. To this day scientists cannot find the remains of His body in the tomb.

One day the church will be raptured, so if you do not believe you will be left behind on earth, as millions of Christians will disappear from earth to meet Christ in the clouds.

This same Book tells us in the last days before the return of Christ, we will have a cashless society, one-world currency, and eventually one-world government; things that are coming together right before our eyes, even though they were written 2000-3000 years ago.

And by simple faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we accept His free gift of salvation. ROM 6:23
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!” Acts 16:31
“For God so loved the world that He gave His uniquely born Son, that whoever believes in Him shall never perish, but has eternal life!” JOH 3:16