The Undeniable Logic in God's Salvation Plan

Many Old Testament prophets wrote about the coming of such a champion or Savior. Moses, for example, promised the Lord's coming, somewhat cryptically in Genesis 3:15, as he spoke of One Who would defeat the devil. In similar fashion, King David in Psalms 2:7-8 also talked about the coming of God's Son and ended that Psalm by promising blessing and happiness to those who would place their trust in Him. Whenever God's chosen people, the nation of Israel, heard such words of their coming Messiah, they became excited because they could envision a strong, powerful leader Who would help them overthrow their earthly enemies. Because of their many difficulties, they were at least a little bit seeking and wanting Someone Who could help them put an end to all of their worldly trials and tribulations. But what they got in Jesus was Someone completely different!

As was seen in the last chapter, the Prophet Isaiah wrote about the devil and revealed his initial conflict with God in Heaven. That confrontation can be found in Isaiah 14:12-14. Thus, Isaiah wrote about Satan. But he also wrote about the coming of the expected Messiah! Concerning the coming of this latter-day Conqueror and Deliverer, the Prophet described Him as One Who would be much different, though, than that of a conquering warrior. In fact, he described the Messiah not as a mighty general coming to overthrow but rather as a suffering sacrifice Who would be coming to die:

Thus, like the Old Testament animal sacrifices which were described by Moses in the opening five Books of the Bible, Isaiah characterized the Lord, in the above passage, as One Who would die in shame and rejection, not as One Who would live in glorious power and victory. He wrote about One Who would be treated like a common criminal, not about One Who would be heralded by all as a great and mighty leader. For the spiritual Jew, this sort of message was perhaps clear. But for the unspiritual, who probably made up the majority, the message may not have been so clear. One does not normally picture their champion as a defeated, rejected, powerless victim, suffering an humiliating death on the cross! Nevertheless, Isaiah spoke of Him in just this way, as he described the death of God's Son, Who was and Who is the world's Champion and Savior.

Other prophets also portrayed Christ as the suffering, crucified Messiah. Isaiah was not the only one. For example, in Zechariah 13:6, that prophet wrote that the Lord would be wounded in the house of his friends, meaning that He would be betrayed by the people of Israel. In Micah 5:1, that prophet spoke about how Israel's judge, Who is Jesus, would be smitten on the cheek, still another indication of the type of treatment that He would receive. The Psalmist, in Psalms 22:6-8, 22:16-18, 35:11, 38:11, 69:4, 69:8, and 118:22, just to name a few more instances, also told of Christ's rejection and sufferings. Hence, Jesus truly is the Son of God, but as we can clearly see, He was ordained from the beginning of time to be both our sacrifice and our Savior. Thus, while the notion of these two contrasting roles might sound absurd and even contradictory, this twofold, dual-role description of His mission is still the Gospel truth!

When the Lord finally came, even his entry into this life was wrought with controversy. Two young Jewish kids, named Mary and Joseph, both of whom were descendents from the Tribe of Judah and of the House of David, either had just been or were about to be married, although it was probably the latter. As sometimes happens even in the best of families, however, Mary turned up pregnant, and this was even though their marriage had not yet been consumated! Despite that, though, this major detail about their relationship was not even the more awkward part of that predicament. What made matters worse was that Joseph was not the father! He and Mary had never been together in that way. Consequently, Joseph suddenly found himself either married to or soon to be married to a woman who seemingly had been fooling around with other men. This revelation clearly should not have made him very happy, and it did not! As a result of her condition, Joseph had decided to forget about Mary, to quietly divorce her without making a scene, and then to move on. At least, that was his plan until an angel of the Lord spoke to him. The one way conversation, which ensued between those two and which was recorded by the Apostle Matthew, is shown in the following passage:

Joseph listened carefully to the angel. After listening, he then did as he was instructed. He stayed with Mary, and either they were married or they remained married. Then, just like the angel had promised, she did give birth to a male child. Also like the angel had promised, this was a very special male child because He had been miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit. So once again, they did exactly as they had been instructed and named their child, Jesus.

People do not often speak of Joseph or of his tremendous faith when they recount this story of Christ's birth. But despite this lack of due recognition from others, he by staying with Mary did what few other men could have or would have done. By his action, he showed his love and devotion to her, but more importantly, he demonstrated his love and devotion to, plus his faith in God. According to the above passage, the angel of the Lord did not walk up to him on the street or in any other way physically appear to him. Similarly, this angel did not speak audibly to him. So, in other words, this entire event for all intents and purposes was not real at least not in the physical sense!

The whole episode had actually happened to him in a dream. Yet, Joseph went against what his mind might have been telling him. He went against the traditional norms of the Jewish culture. Instead, he believed the dream! Critics of God and Scriptures frequently attack the virgin birth, that is they say that a child could not have been conceived by the Holy Spirit and then born of a virgin. They often describe the godly as fools and emotional weaklings, but they rarely note the internal strength and courage which one must have just to live by faith! For Joseph to have remained with Mary throughout this experience, based only on the witness of a dream, is a testimony of how the Lord can strengthen any heart and life. Of course, one must not overlook Mary, either, because her part in all of this certainly required great faith, courage, and strength, as well. Therefore, in demonstrating the validity of how God shows Himself to be real, to Him be the glory for what He has done and continues to do in the hearts and lives of those who trust in Him!

After Jesus was born, Jewish Law required an offering to be made for their newborn son. So, Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple, where such an offering could be presented. Upon their arrival, they encountered a man named Simeon, and amazingly, this man was already waiting for them. As the writer Luke has indicated, this old man had been, figuratively speaking, waiting for a very long time:

Simeon was quite old. Yet, at some time earlier in his life, God had promised that he would live long enough to see the coming of the Messiah. As soon as this devout man of God saw Mary and Joseph with their Son, he knew that the time had come. He may or may not have known or understood all that would someday befall that young child, but he did at least know that he was in the presence of God's only begotten Son. As a result, he could see that God's plan was taking place, right on schedule and right before his very eyes. The devil tries hard to discredit the Lord. As Simeon became older and older, Satan had probably even tried to tell him that God would not keep His earlier promise. But remember that deception is one of the devil's principle devices and realize that despite his evil, devious ways that the Lord is always in complete control! He was then, and He is now!

As Jesus grew, He became more and more mighty in the things of God. See Luke 2:52! However, the Bible does not present much detail about His youthful days. It only shares a few isolated events. Hence, one is left to simply ponder what might have happened during those early years at home, a time when He grew up among other siblings and also a period when He probably faced many of the usual challenges of early life. What sort of relationship did He have with other family members? No one can really say. All that one can actually know, and this will be discussed in more depth later, is that He lived all of those days of His youth in sinless perfection, which was quite a feat considering that seven of those years were spent as a teenager! Nevertheless, according to John 8:46 and I Peter 1:18-20, He managed to pull it off. He lived from His first day until His last, but sin was never once found in Him!

Based on the teaching of I John 3:4, this observation about His sinless life means that through all of His years on earth, plus in all of the many different situations which He must have experienced that Jesus never once disobeyed the Old Testament Mosaic Law. He never broke one of the Ten Commandments, and He never lived in a manner which was contrary to the other laws of Moses. In addition to all of that, one can also see, from I John 5:17, that He was never guilty of any other wrongdoings, either. He did not even stumble into those temporary lapses of faith which many of us experience. Consequently, in all points of the Law, He accomplished a feat which not one of us has ever been, or ever will be, capable of doing. He pleased God, and this dramatic confirmation is provided by the Apostle Matthew in Matthew 3:17.

As a young man in His late twenties, Jesus began His earthly ministry. His first significant act occurred on the shores of the Jordan River, in a place where He had gone to meet with John the Baptist. His purpose for being there on that day was to be baptised. But notice as Jesus approached how John referred to Him because this label, the "Lamb of God", along with the sinless life just mentioned is highly significant:

Between the two, Simeon and John the Baptist together had seen in Jesus the dual roles discussed earlier - sinless sacrifice, plus Savior of the world. Simeon recognized the Lord as the Messiah and as the salvation of God, while John the Baptist more completely saw Him as both sacrifice and Savior. Over the next three to four years, the Lord would walk the land and fulfill many great works. Time and time again, He would amaze the people. During those years on earth, He would demonstrate His power to heal, He would teach sound, godly principles to others, and He would live a life that could later serve as an example for all. According to Scriptures, many followed just to see what He would do next. However, while He did accomplish many things, He was not on earth just to be a great healer, great teacher, or great example. He was and He is all of these things, but His true purpose for being here was to be our sacrifice so that He could ultimately become our Savior.

Jesus Christ as our sacrifice is quite a concept! Concerning the circumstances surrounding His horrible death, many believe that He might have been the powerless victim of a Roman cross, maybe even caught up in a power struggle between the Roman Empire and the early Church. Recall that the persecution of the early Church was discussed in Chapter Two of this text! Also recall that Christ's death on the cross and the events of that death were the topics of Chapter Three! Therefore, based on all of the available evidence, these happenstances appear to be very real. Many think that Jesus was merely a helpless victim of all of that. Others think that He might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, while still a great many others do not consider Him or His life, at all. However, none of these beliefs or lack of beliefs are correct. In like manner, the notion that He was somehow without power and resources is not correct, either!

While Jesus was a victim of the Roman cross and while He did die a horrible, cruel death, He certainly was not powerless. He also was not in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Jesus was exactly where He should have been, exactly when He should have been there, doing exactly what He was intended to do. What happened to Him occurred at His own volition, by His own choice. In John 10:11-15, the Apostle wrote that Jesus as a Good Shepherd laid down or gave up His life for the express purpose of suffering the torture of the beatings, the scourging, and the crucifixion. In other words, what happened to Him really was meant to be!

Therefore, the only logical conclusion, then, is that Jesus' life was not taken from Him, but was for some other reason offered up. The Bible even teaches that He freely gave Himself because He understood and accepted His primary mission on earth. He knew that He was here to be our sacrifice. In Matthew 26:39, the night before His terrible ordeal, even His prayers substantiated His understanding of that role, as they expressed His desire to do the will of His Father rather than to forsake that duty for an easier way out. Consequently, while on earth, He had been a great healer, teacher, and godly example for others. But even with all of that, He had still always known that His real purpose for being here was to be sacrificed on the cross. To accomplish that purpose, He set aside His earthly ambitions and made that single mission of being our sacrifice His top priority. As a result, He died for all, and in a rather symbolic fashion, He did so as though He had already known each of us by name.

As was just stated, however, Jesus was not the powerless victim of an angry Government. He also was not the naive victim, either. He knew and understood exactly what was happening, plus He knew and understood why it was happening. He was aware of His role in our salvation. He knew that His Father had had a Plan, and He knew that as part of that Plan He was the One to be offered. He even realized that the details of the Plan had been worked out since before the creation of the world. Therefore, with full knowledge of the whole matter, Christ freely accepted His part. On our behalf, He freely gave His all to that role of being our sacrifice. Accordingly, the Apostle Peter wrote:

As this passage reveals, our hope in undoing the damage caused by Adam and in getting back to God lies in the sacrifice of Jesus, a lamb without blemish. But how that plan worked and why it had to be will be discussed a bit further in this presentation. First, we must consider a few of the more important implications of the above passage!

For example, if Christ was chosen before the creation of the world, then His death on the cross was definitely not a "heavenly" mistake. Also, His crucifixion had not been the result of God suddenly or temporarily losing control. As a matter of fact, the above passage actually shows just the opposite, that the Lord had been in complete control from the start, even at that precise moment when His Son was taken into custody. The above excerpt from I Peter shows that Jesus was not simply caught off guard, and in a manner of speaking, it even shows that everything went exactly according to the script. Thus, when one realizes that either the Father or the Son could have easily and quickly called the whole thing off and prevented what followed, then the revelation that neither did makes Christ's death on the cross even more meaningful.

Next, if Jesus was chosen to be a sacrifice before the creation of the world, then God and Jesus both had to know prior to Adam and Eve that such a sacrifice would even be necessary. They had to know well before it happened that Eve would be deceived and that Adam would disobey. They also, then, would have had to know in advance about the devil's initial uprising in Heaven, which has already been described as Confrontation Number One. In short, they would have had to know about all of these things before any of them ever happened! Yet, they were still content to let the devil have his day, knowing that the end result would be the crucifixion of God's only begotten Son. In God's Plan, both God and Jesus had to be willing to do their part, and both were! God was willing to give, and Jesus was willing to be given. Why? The reason was so that each individual might have the opportunity to accept God's provision for salvation. All of the facts have not yet been presented. But when they are, the continuity of this plan, plus how it ties together Confrontations Two and Five will be clear. Hence, the more one actually knows about what is happening and what has happened between God and the devil, the less the opportunity for valid criticism.

The third and last implication of the above passage from I Peter is directed more toward the devil than anything or anyone else because these verses indicate that he, because of Confrontation Number Five, has already suffered his greatest defeat! Ironically, this skirmish took place at a time when Satan might have been thinking that he was about to enjoy his greatest victory. As Jesus hung on the cross, the devil perhaps danced with joy, believing that he had once and for all won his war with God. But if he had reacted like this, then he would have done so without realizing that Christ's suffering and eventual death were all part of a grand plan. As the verses above state, Father and Son had orchestrated this plan from the beginning. So, there were not any surprises in what happened. Neither Father nor Son was caught off guard or found to be out of place. Consequently, the devil definitely could not and still cannot claim any victories!

Therefore, the above excerpt if nothing else shows that the Lord was in total control from the start. To the typical observer, His plan might appear to be very drastic, especially since an innocent man was killed! So, this leads to a couple more questions. First, what caring father would have really let his son die as Jesus died? The death of the cross was, at that time, the most horrible death known to man. In fact, the Romans prided themselves on their ability to inflict pain and torture. Yet, God allowed His Son to be killed in that manner. Why? And second, is a person really expected to believe that God the Father had somehow planned and plotted such an agonizing, gory, cruel death for His only begotten Son? As was just stated, the ordeal of the cross was very hard. The Romans were very adept at inflicting pain. So, why did God allow it, and are we really supposed to believe all of this?

Toward answering both of the above questions, let us begin by quickly considering the first question. Why would God have done or at least allowed to be done the death of His Son on a Roman cross, a type of death which was so horrific and also a type of death which would have caused His Son to suffer so much? For that matter, why would the Son have also gone along so readily with such a plan when He, too, knew the severity and finality of the outcome? The answer to both of these inquiries is love, and the Apostle John summed up the whole matter rather eloquently when he wrote:

This verse explains it all, the motivation of both Father and Son, as well as the requirement for each individual. Yes, Jesus knew that He was to be sacrificed! Yes, He freely went along with the plan! Yes, God's Plan was somewhat drastic! And yes, an innocent man did have to die! But both God the Father and Jesus the Son gave so that each of us might have the opportunity to receive. The answer to the first question, therefore, is that God allowed this terrible death of His only begotten Son because He loves you and He loves me. Not only that, but Jesus also loves you and me. Whether we deserve Their love or not, and we do not, we still get it! Hence, the important thing for each of us to see is that the price which They paid for your redemption and mine was tremendous, and certainly, it was a price which is well beyond human comprehension. Yet, because of Their love for all of us, Both were willing to make Their respective sacrifices.

The next question, then, follows from the first. Given that God does love us and that He did allow His Son to be our sacrifice, are we really expected to believe all of this? The answer to this question should be obvious! Of course, we are. In fact, to actually be a true partaker in His Plan, one is required to not just believe but also to receive the finished work of Jesus Christ. There is simply no other way. We must believe! We must receive! The Apostle John once again summed up this matter when he wrote:

John's words in this verse, as well as those above from John 3:16, show what each of us must do. These words also reveal the consequences of not doing as we are required. He who does not have the Son of God does not have life! Consequently, if one rejects the finished work of God's Son, Jesus Christ, then that person will not regain life, and the separation from God for that individual will continue forever and ever and never be broken.

God and Jesus gave because of Their love for sinful humanity, and we are required to receive the work of Christ or suffer the consequences of not being prepared for the final judgment. So what, one might ask next, is the actual cost to humanity? Or stated differently, if this plan cost God and Jesus so much, then what is the real cost to each of us as individuals? The answer is nothing! We do not pay even one cent for the privilege of receiving the work of Jesus Christ. There is not anything that one can do other than to humbly accept what has already been done.

Unfortunately, humbling oneself to an invisible Lord Who does not speak audibly is a difficult task for many. As a result, a large number of people by not consciously accepting the Lord have actually rejected Him. To those who do accept, though, the benefits are numerous! Two of the more significant are a new life in Him and also preparation for eternity. According to II Corinthians 5:17, each person who comes to the Lord, first of all, gets a new life. That person, as many can already confess, gets a second chance at this life and a chance to start over. Such an individual literally becomes a new creation in Christ.

But second, each of us, based on the above verse, also gains an eternity with God. Hence, through Christ, the separation which was caused by Adam can be broken. To put this second benefit into a more accurate perspective, one must remember again the biblical definition for death and also Confrontation Number Two which had led to the original separation from God. In the same but opposite sense, Confrontation Number Five, which is Christ on the cross, reversed the penalty of that separation. Consequently, that action by Jesus has, in effect, worked to bring many men and women, boys and girls back to God. When He died on the cross, He restored for us the chance to reclaim that which had been lost through Adam. Therefore, Jesus is not only God's Son, but He really is our conquering Champion, Savior, and Lord. After Adam had failed humanity, Jesus became our Hero because He got back for us what had been lost during Confrontation Number Two. As a result of Confrontation Number Five, we can claim victory over the separation which had kept us from God. However, each individual must still believe and receive! It is not completely automatic, but more will be said about that in Chapter Eight.

Now, all that remains in this consideration of Confrontation Number Five with Jesus on the cross is to show its connection to Confrontation Number Two. In the second skirmish, recall that Adam and Eve's eyes, after they had eaten the forbidden fruit, were opened. Recall also their new discovery and new attitude, both of which were that they were naked and ashamed. When they had tried to cover themselves, they were not able to do a satisfactory job. They also could not hide their actions from God. Nevertheless, they still felt the need for a covering. So, before casting them from the garden, God provided such a covering, and in recording these events, Moses wrote:

With new outer garments made from animal skins, God sent Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, never to return. In so doing, the Lord was already taking the first step toward putting His Plan into motion!

By making these clothes for Adam and Eve, God had to kill one or more animals so that He could use the skins. This is the first mention in the Bible where an innocent sacrifice had to die to cover the unprepared state of mankind and womankind. Do not mistakenly miss the symbolism of God's gesture! Adam and Eve could not undo their wrongful act. They could not satisfactorily cover their unprepared condition. But God, Who still loved them as He still loves us, could and did. In killing those animals and using their skins as a covering, He introduced to Adam and Eve the ceremonial practice of offering animal sacrifices as a way to constantly remind them of their need for a covering. Hence, His gesture truly was both symbolic and practical!

The introduction of animal sacrifices during the time period of the first man and woman is supported by the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis, Chapter Four. As children of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel would have known about the provision for making animal offerings to the Lord. They probably would have also known all about the Garden of Eden episode, too. Hence, this explains why God was not pleased with Cain's offering (see Genesis 4:5) but was with Abel's (see Genesis 4:4). Cain had offered crops or fruits of the soil, while Abel his brother had correctly offered from the firstborn of his flock. Thus, by as early as the second generation of human life, God had already outlined His Plan. Moreover, that Plan had required not just any animal sacrifice but also that the animal be firstborn, without blemish or defect, and of a certain type. One could not, for example, just offer a dog or cat. The Lord required different animals for different circumstances, but in most instances, He accepted rams, goats, and lambs.

Several centuries later during the time of Moses, God again outlined His Plan, this time in a way that Moses could record it and all of its requirements. For specific examples, read the Book of Leviticus! One particular case, however, is shown below:

As was just discussed, God knew before Adam and Eve ever stumbled that all humans would fall into sin. He knew that people would continually be unprepared, as it were, and that they would be spiritually dead and separated from Him. Therefore, He instituted this program based on the offering of animal sacrifices to restore humanity to an "unseparated" state.

With this Heavenly provision, in steps Jesus! When Isaiah wrote about the coming of the Lord, he described One who would be offered just like an animal sacrifice. The same was true about the writings of Moses, Zechariah, Micah, David, and the others. Whether or not those authors actually knew and understood the full nature of their writings is not certain. Of course, whether or not they actually knew and understood is really not very important, either! In like manner, whether or not we now have full knowledge of what they understood is also not very significant. What is significant and what is important, though, is that their writings provide solid evidence, plus an audit trail if you will, of God's Plan from the beginning with Adam and Eve, to Jesus' having been born of Mary and Joseph, and then to His having died on the cross. God's Plan is clear, and it is full of facts and symbolism. Jesus was our sacrifice! He endured the shame, the pain, and the agony of the cross so that He might become our Savior. Simeon saw it on that day when Mary and Joseph brought their newborn Son into the temple. John the Baptist saw it when he called Jesus the "Lamb of God". Thus, as history and the prophets have recorded, the work is done! There is nothing more to be done, at least not by the Lord.

God's Plan is revealed in one more fascinating detail, namely that the animal sacrifices are no longer required now that Christ has died on the cross. Why would that be? Simple, as the Apostle Paul explained in the following words:

Jesus was the final sacrifice because He was the True Sacrifice! All of those animals which had been slain by the Old Testament Jewish priests were like a symbolic act, looking forward to that time when Christ would be offered. In literature, one would call such a technique "foreshadowing" because the death of those animals only foreshadowed or preceded the eventual death of Jesus Christ, the true Lamb of God for all of humanity.

God's Plan is comprehensive and complete, right down to the benefits and requirements described earlier. When I came to Him in 1967, I received far more than I had ever expected. I was forgiven for all of my wrongdoings, plus the separation which had existed between Him and me was removed. But I was also given another chance to make something of my life. Thus, concerning mine, as well as in the case of many others, the Apostle Paul has summarized all of the particulars of this heavenly, new birth by making the following statement:

Scientists and scholars scoff at Christian doctrine and would call much of what I and others have experienced coincidence, emotions, or something else other than what it really was. Yet, in my opinion, the evidences are clearly in favor of God, as they are much greater than anything which science can bring to the table. Besides that, all of the pieces of God's Plan fit into a nice, neat, logical package. As we shall see in the next chapter, there is even more information which shows precisely how Jesus has met and continues to meet the conditions for being our Savior. This chapter has really only dealt with God's Plan, itself. But in actually bringing that Plan to pass, there is even more which needs to be shared.

At this point, though, a final point should be made. If God is not real and if Jesus really was not our sacrifice, then some very clever individuals have done an amazing job of fabricating a lot of bogus information. Every detail of God's Plan is smattered across and throughout the pages of Scriptures. We are not talking about any great spiritual mysteries here! We are talking about what anyone can read for him or herself. The translation is in plain English, and as was seen in Chapter Four, that translation has been derived from what is very close to the original manuscripts. Numerous authors over a very long time span have written various details about God's Plan and often done so from very different perspectives. Yet, every piece of this entire puzzle still fits perfectly.

To date, no one has been able to disprove any part of it, from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to Jesus being resurrected from a horrendous crucifixion. Despite these things, however, we remain a nation which either is turning or has already turned its back on God. Why? The answer is really quite simple. We are still a nation which has been and is still being deceived and distracted by the devil. Remember the very basic simplicity of his two devices, "deception" and "distraction", and do not let yourself be counted among Satan's victims!

1. Isaiah 53:12

2. Matthew 1:19-21

3. Luke 2:25-32

4. John 1:29

5. I Peter 1:17-21

6. John 3:16

7. I John 5:12

8. Genesis 3:21

9. Leviticus 5:17-19

10. Hebrews 7:23-27

11. II Corinthians 5:17.

CHAPTER 7. MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING OUR SAVIOR

Back To The Table Of Contents

Back To TLEE's Home Page

Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com