SOMEONE TO DIE FOR?

Jesus Goes to the Cross
For You and me!
The Greatest Exchange

Time with Jesus - 07 July 2013

Hi all,

Sidney Carton goes to
the Guillotine for
Charles Darnay

Have you ever thought what it would be like if you and God changed places? For a moment or two, let’s not quibble about the fact that Jesus Christ has made you righteous; that in terms of what He has done, you are as righteous now as you will ever be. 

Carton at the
Guillotine

That’s not what I mean by the question. Putting aside all gender considerations, what do you think it would be like if you changed places with God? For you, things would be considerably different. You would be perfect and God would not. What would that mean to you?

Jesus on the Cross
for you and me
The Greatest Exchange!

You would be looking at a perfect creation which had gone wrong. Satan’s rebellion and the fall of mankind would mean, almost everything you looked at would be twisted and distorted by sin. Dwelling in timelessness, you would look at what you had made with an overwhelming sense of disgust and horror. A few “moments” ago; i.e. whatever it was that we can consider “moments” in eternity; everything was good. “Very Good”. 

Charles Dickens

Eugene Petersen in the message expressed it as follows. ³¹ God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning-- Day Six. Gen 1:31 MSG That was all gone; tainted and disfigured by sin; by something which you abhorred with a passion and anger beyond human comprehension. What would you say and do?

Anthony Ashley-Cooper KG
7th Earl of Shaftsbury

Because I am me and not God, my reactions would be to wipe everything out and start again. Lucifer and all the angels would be snuffed out along with man and all of creation. They weren’t needed in the first place. So why bother with all that “stuff”. Get rid of it. One command is all that was necessary. A quick shrug of the shoulders (or their divine equivalent); a snap of the fingers and it would be over. Finish; kaput; done and dusted. 

He for We
The Greatest Exchange!

No one would know anything about it except the members of the Trinity. We could continue the three of us, for the remainder of eternity however “long” that was, in our delightful covenant relationship. Who wants a bigger family anyway! Thank the Lord that’s me and not Him.

The Sacrificial Lamb
(A Mature Ram)

We forget that God knew it was going to happen. He had always known it would happen. He had planned for this eventuality with all the precision only possible to our righteous, holy and perfect God. So when everything seemed to have crashed and fallen around His ears, He was able to look at the situation with total foreknowledge. 

Jesus and the Lamb

Paul wrote about this in his Epistle to the Ephesians: ⁴ Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. ⁵ Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) ⁶ He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Eph 1:4-6 MSG

God knew that if He created beings with free will, to love Him or not, they would not remain sin free for ever. So He put in place a plan whereby He could take the punishment for sin Himself.

Jesus as envisioned in the
Old Testament

Someone had to experience His anger, abhorrence and punishment for sin. Only God Himself could survive such treatment. So it was agreed that His Son would endure all this so that we can be with Him.

God’s plan was and is fool-proof. Unfortunately, Lucifer and his buddies were and are, the fools. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

The Greatest Exchange

Redeemed by Jesus

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 07 July 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	SOMEONE TO DIE FOR?
Would anyone freely give his life for someone else? Charles Dickens in his fictional “A Tale of Two Cities” describes the circumstances in which this took place. The book was more than a fictional story. In it, Dickens was commenting on the social life and conditions in England and France at the time, ± of the French Revolution. Many Dickens novels were commentaries of this nature. It has been said that his books did more for the “liberation” of the British people than any other individual in England. His main “rival” for this title was perhaps the Prime Minister, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG; a follower of and devoted to Jesus Christ Toward the end of Dickens’ book, we find the story of Sydney Carton changing places with Charles Darnay. Carton goes to the guillotine and is executed in Darnay’s place. It’s a typical Dickensian tale full of pathos and insight. This book captured the imagination of the British public and has become a classic of English literature. “A Tale of Two Cities” was made into a memorable movie in 1935. It was in black and white which somehow adds to the tension of the plot. The closing scene; Carton and a pretty young woman going to the guillotine, is something I’ll never forget. Carton changing places with Darnay has always fascinated me. He died for someone else. Of course, he knew Darnay, which made the story somewhat more plausible. But the fact is, he died for someone else. I must confess that I don’t think I have it in me to do that. I suppose that under the right circumstances I may be willing to do it for my wife or a close family member. To die for an enemy makes no sense to me at all. Would I give my life for Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, or Ivan the Terrible? The very idea is preposterous. My twisted sense of justice and self-preservation suggests that it would be more fitting if they died for me! That’s not what Jesus did. Imagine a world populated with wicked and evil men and women who would make Attila the Hun look like Father Christmas. You don’t know anyone like that? But you do! You see him or her every time you look into a mirror. You and I are “monsters of Iniquity” compared with a righteous and Holy God. As Paris Reidhead said on one occasion, “We deserve Hell. It would be just and right for us to be sentenced to be in Hell for a dozen eternities and then a bit more.” And that is how we looked to a Holy, righteous God. But in spite of all the filth and cursing we could spew upon Him, He came and died for us. The very thought makes me feel ashamed and weak. “I don’t deserve that” I said. “You’re right, but I love you”, He replied! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			28 "Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free." Mat 20:28 NIrV	To think that He decided to come to earth and die! Is almost unbelievable; I dare not ask Him “Why!” He’ll say He came to save me and all the human race. And then I’ll have to look away; not look Him in the face! He came here as a servant. He came to look for me! Which seems to make no sense at all; I’m sure it cannot be! If I had been a righteous man, then I could comprehend. But I was undeserving; a gross and sinful blend, Of everything conceivable in wicked fallen man; And He knew all about it; He said it was His plan! He came to save His enemies. It makes my legs go weak. That such a thing was possible! The thought still makes me freak. I still don’t understand it. It is as clear as mud. That Jesus Christ would come to Earth and shed His precious blood, For those who were His enemies! It makes me feel ashamed. I wouldn’t think of doing it for those whom I have blamed, For everything that’s happened. I wouldn’t care a fig. If they were not my family I’d treat them as a pig. O Master please forgive me. I know I’m in a jam. I’m just a human being and You are the “I AM”. I do not have the blood of Christ, coursing through my veins. My birth was in iniquity, awash with Adam’s stains. I need a blood transfusion; I never can be clean. Not when I consider the things I’ve done and been. It’s utterly impossible for me to pass Your test. I’ll never join the happy band, of those whom You have blessed. The only way to do it is for me first to die. To take away the tainted blood on which I so rely. Pass it through the cleansing fount which You alone control. And then restore it back to me. That’s sure to make me whole! Your life blood in my body can do what I can’t do. Live a life that’s totally dependent upon you. I’m sure when this has happened, I will not feel ashamed. Instead, a sense of thankfulness that sin has been contained! That is my reaction to that which You have done, In having me adopted to be a precious son. O Lord you are exalted, above the stars on high! You gave Your life so sinners could live and never die. Jim Strickland Written 7th July 2012
			13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:13-14 NLT
			7 He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth. Isa 53:7 GW
			15 just as My Father knows Me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to My voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 "The Father loves Me because I sacrifice My life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take My life from Me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what My Father has commanded." John 10:15-18 NLT
			11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Lev 17:11 TNIV
			22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 NLT
			8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Rom 5:8-9 TNIV