What Kept Christ On The Cross

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• Dr Desmond Ford
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Jun 25, 2016 1374

Let Christ, the king of Israel come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. (Mark 15:32)

When we combine the testimony of all the Gospels, we discover that Christ was not only mocked by the passersby and the mob around the cross, but by the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, the Pharisees, the soldiers and the thieves.

“He saved others, himself he cannot save.” Such was a major sneer in the mocking of the bystanders. They imitate the words of him who had earlier tempted Christ by saying, “If you’re the Son of God, cast yourself down.” “If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself” echoed the suffering thieves before one of them surrendered to Incarnate Love beside him.

Here, as always, the devil overreached himself. The words meant to shame Christ actually glorify him. He was not on the cross because he could not come down, but because he would not. The bonds of love, not the nails of men, kept him there. It was strictly true that if he was indeed to save others then he could not, must not, save himself.

“He that destroys the temple, and in three days buildest it, save yourself.” This also was prophetic in a way undreamed of. He would in love permit the tabernacle of his body to be taken down, but within three days it would be rebuilt. Thus, we find in the mockery, statements both radically false and in another sense sublimely true.

What Jesus did, he did out of his perfect love. Will you accept his perfect love today?