 THE
KINGDOM AND THE CROSS
The cross is a subject that has been searched out, dissected,
examined with a microscope and marveled at for centuries. The cross represents something
that is totally unexpected. Paul said in 1CO 1:18 For the word of the cross is to those
who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. The
fact is, the cross is the only hope of those who are perishing! But the cross is not
understood by those who are perishing. That is why Paul preached the cross, so they would
understand. Another fact is; The cross is not well understood by those who confess the
cross. The cross is supposed to be the power of God to those who are being saved. More
likely the cross is part of a doctrine of salvation. Then we discover there are some
believers who are enemies of the cross of Christ. We wonder how that could be. The cross
becomes a stumbling block because of a lack of understanding. The very logic of the cross
is a stumbling block to many. Why would a loving Father subject his only begotten Son to
such a cruel death? Of course we know what the bible says. COL 1:20 and through Him to
reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through
Him, {I say}, whether things on earth or things in heaven. EPH 2:16 and might reconcile
them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 1PE
2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness; There is no doubt at all that it is the cross of Jesus Christ at
calvary that is essential to our salvation. The cross without the person of The Lord Jesus
Christ would accomplish nothing. We are reconciled to God through the blood of the cross.
God canceled out our certificate of debt ( our I owe you ) by nailing it to the cross. It
is Jesus Christ on His cross that provides salvation to all those who believe. But that
still doesn't answer the question " Why the cross?" Why not a sword to the neck
or into the side? The same blood would be shed and death would be the result. Many months
before Calvary Jesus said LUK 9:23 " And He was saying to {them} all, "If anyone
wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow
Me." LUK 14:27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be
My disciple. The cross is a principle in God even before Calvary. Jesus could have died
and shed His blood many other ways to redeem fallen humanity. GAL 6:14 But may it never be
that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world
has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Paul's boast was in the CROSS OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST. In those days the cross was equivalent to the electric chair today. It was
something to be ashamed of. DEU 21:22 "And if a man has committed a sin worthy of
death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, DEU 21:23 his corpse shall not
hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is
hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God
gives you as an inheritance. HE THAT IS HANGED ON A TREE IS CURSED OF GOD. Logic tells us
that is not something to boast in. Jesus presents a paradox when He warns believers that
they also must take up their cross, deny themselves, and follow Him. A paradox is
something that seemingly is contrary to common sense or to common opinion, yet it is true
to fact. It is true but it is difficult to see why it is true. If the blood of His cross
has purchased our salvation; if our certificate of debt has been nailed to His cross; if
we have been crucified to the world through His cross; if we are to glory in His cross;
why should there be any emphasis on our cross? Or to put it in the context of our title,
what has our cross got to do with the Kingdom? Or with being His disciple? Didn't His
cross provide everything we need to participate in the Kingdom? MAT 16:24 Then Jesus said
to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me. The prerequisite to the cross is denying yourself. If our
motivation in taking up the cross is to promote ourselves, then the cross will not work
for us. LUK 14:27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be
My disciple. This is one big reason we so many believers and so few disciples. The cross,
after 2000 years, is still the only way to God. God's way is THE WAY OF THE CROSS. The
cross is the only way to man's salvation and it is the only way to become His disciple.
There is the eternal, divine order of things which we call the Kingdom of God. Then
disarmingly, standing between us and the Kingdom is OUR CROSS. First it is His cross and
then it is our cross. Many have missed the great significance of the centrality of the
cross in the eternal purpose of God. It would be good if we could stand back and see the
cross from God's perspective, in a panoramic view, from the throne of God. The view from
there gives a whole new meaning and revelation of the cross. Whether it is His cross or it
is our cross, the cross takes on a different dimension when seen from eternity. We all
very much believe in the sovereignty of God. God is sovereign over all His creation. God
does what He wants, when He wants. God is sovereign over all His plan and eternal purpose.
Man can rebel against God's sovereignty but he can never alter it in the slightest degree.
Many scriptures tell us about God's sovereignty over all His creation. God commands the
times and the seasons and the borders of every nation etc. The place of God's sovereignty
is the throne of God. Say unto the nations " our God reigns". The unfolding of
the cross of Christ is the manifestation of the sovereignty of God. God was absolutely
sovereign over the cross of calvary. The cross was not something that the Romans or the
Jews designed while God was not looking. The cross was no surprise to God. Calvary had
been prophesied for centuries. THE CROSS WAS THE PLAN OF GOD. The cross was the will of
the Father. Jesus said" Not my will but thine be done." The throne of God, the
will of God and the sovereignty of God were in full power the day of the crucifixion.
Jesus was crucified in the fore-knowledge of God, in the will of God, under the
sovereignty of God and within the purpose of God. God's eternal throne was manifested in
the cross. God's judgement was passed at Calvary. JOH 12:31 "Now judgment is upon
this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. JOH 12:32 "And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." JOH 5:22 "For not even
the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, This took place at
Calvary and continues today. Judgement was passed at the cross. Even Pilate, probably
unwittingly, declared Him to be KING OF THE JEWS. As he hung at Calvary, we might say He
was upon the THRONE OF THE CROSS. JOH 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and
what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for THIS PURPOSE I came to this
hour. The divine objective and goal of the incarnation was the cross. COL 2:15 When He had
disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed
over them through Him ( THE CROSS ). It was God's weapon of the cross that God used to
defeat Satan and his hosts. When God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in
them He just spoke His word. When God created man He changed His method and got personally
involved. In re-creating man, God also got personally involved with man in the cross of
Jesus Christ. Now the cross is the wisdom of God and the power of God when it applies to
Jesus Christ. The cross was the single greatest accomplishment of Jesus during His time on
earth. Raising the dead, healing the sick or casting out demons all pale in the shadow of
the cross. The point I'm making is this; THE SPIRIT OF THE CROSS transcends history and
even time itself. To discern the cross we have to begin before man fell, before the earth
was and before God said "Let there be light." We have to begin in all eternity
past. The CROSS PRINCIPLE existed in God as a very part of His character. It was a
principle of the Kingdom of heaven. Satan manifested exactly the opposite of the"
cross principle" when pride raised up in him and he attempted to grasp the throne of
God and exalt himself in the presence of God. Therefore he was rejected by heaven. He used
the same " pride principle" to deceive Adam and Eve to lay aside the "
CROSS PRINCIPLE" and rebel against God. They also were rejected by heaven. How then
was Jesus Christ going to defeat Satan and provide for the re-creation of man? By the
"CROSS PRINCIPLE " of heaven. We could call it the eternal cross. PHI 2:5 Have
this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, PHI 2:6 who, although He
existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, PHI
2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, {and} being made in the
likeness of men. PHI 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. PHI 2:9 Therefore also God
highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, PHI 2:10 that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth, PHI 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. This is a very clear description of the eternal cross
principle of the Kingdom of heaven. Through pride Satan grasped for equality with God.
Jesus didn't grasp but laid aside His privileges and divine equality with God and humbled
Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross. Therefore God raised Him to the
throne. Satan defied the Cross principle of heaven and was cast out. Satan and those with
him defeated themselves. Now satan and those with him are defeated again on earth by the
same " CROSS PRINCIPLE". The cross triumphed over satan publicly, shamed him
openly and exposed him. Now in the light of scripture, we can stand back and view the
cross from God's viewpoint, in a panoramic view, and understand why Jesus said "
Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me, you can't be my disciple. A disciple is
one who is taught. Jesus can't teach us about the Father or about the kingdom which have
the cross principle as the basis of their being. If we refuse the cross we can't be His
disciple. In eternity there is the "ETERNAL CROSS PRINCIPLE" which is mandatory
in order to participate. It is the cross that maintains peace and harmony in Kingdom of
God. We can't be living in pride and grasping for a higher position or demanding our own
way in the eternal Kingdom. We can't be tramping on everybody to promote ourselves in
eternity. God didn't put up with the devil and He won't put up with us. If we insist on
these things now Jesus just can't teach us. If God opens our eyes to see the " CROSS
PRINCIPLE OF THE THRONE OF GOD "we will fall as dead men and confess our ignorance
and independence. If we saw the rainbow around the throne, we would know the New Covenant
came by way of the cross. All who aspire to the throne of God and that kingdom of priests
will know the personal cross in our lives. That is the pre-requisite for reigning with
Him. |
