The Victory of the Cross

This story is a testimony to how our God desires us to know what we believe and why. Jesus could have just shown who He was and that would be the end of it. Who is going to argue with God when He has shown you that He is God? Our heavenly Father not only desires to gives us the power of the cross and its saving ability, He also desires that we experience the fullness of its truth and how it brings victory into our lives. So many religions want their followers to remain ignorant and just blindly obey, which in reality does not lead to freedom and victory, instead it leads to bondage and monotony.

Luke 24:13–35  And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.”

  

This encounter that Christ has with two of His disciples communicates some tremendous truths that our God wants us to understand.

Truth #1 - God wants you to know what you believe

Lk 24:13-19 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people

Jesus chose not to let these men know who He was or what He knew.  This should help us understand why so much of Scripture it is not black and white statements. To be sure the large issues of theology are; Salvation, the Trinity and so on. However so much of what God wants us to know and understand is left for us to study, to digest and have ownership of. This shows that our God not only wants obedience, which He does, but he wants His followers to know what they believe and why.

Truth #2 - God wants honest faith - No half gospels

Lk 24:25-26 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

Today, so much of the church desires only a partial Gospel. They love the idea of being joint heirs with Christ, “children of the King”, and access to the throne of God, which of course includes all of his resources. This is true but it is not complete, for the whole Gospel is not just identifying with Christ in His resurrection but also in His suffering. Jesus makes it clear to these two disciples that they need to understand the whole picture of the Messiah. Yes, He will rule and reign, but first He must suffer and die.  Our God wants us to understand the complete picture, for if we are to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, he knows we must count the cost, those that don't, do not finish the race.

Truth #3 - Only God can open up our heart

Lk 24:27, 32 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures…They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

We must remember no matter how much study we do, or even memorizing Scripture, it is God and God alone that illuminates our understanding. The two disciples express it well, that their hearts were  “burning” as Christ explained the Scriptures. This is the key for us also; we must never place confidence in our own intellect, for when we do we will become Pharisees.

Truth #4 - You have to want to abide with Him

Lk 24:28-31, 35 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight…They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

This last truth is so important. There is no reason for us to believe that Christ would not have left them except for the fact that they urged Him to remain with them. Our relationship with God is secure because of the resurrection, however fellowship is an ongoing process, and much of it depends on us. The more we desire to be with Him the more He will be with us. So many Christians who complain to me about having a non-victorious life fail to see that they do not abide in God. They visit Him whenever it suits them, but that will not produce a deep intimate relationship, only a religion. When we urge Christ to abide with us He is delighted to do so and the fruit of that will be experiencing a victorious fellowship that produces much character fruit. God loves fellowshipping with His family. Do you?

The Plan

Hebrews 1:1–2 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Close your eyes and imagine with me: GOD! All Powerful, Almighty - there is nothing…suddenly, God speaks and creation begins.

Psalm 8:3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

Then He took clay and molded man and breathed life into him. At that time man truly had a free will, untainted and innocent. Man chose to sin, which brought death…Separation from God.

Thousands of years later, the time had come:

            * Satan had been told that this time would come.

            * Satan had waited - So had God.

            * Satan thought the Messiah must die - God knew He must!

            * Satan thought the cross would do fine - God had planned to use it.

            * Satan wanted the Messiah to suffer - God knew He would.

            * Satan thought he had the victory - God knew He did!

Hebrews 2:9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

So simple yet very complex! The Plan revolves around one person: Jesus Christ, but it's revelation begins in the garden. It exhibits bit by bit how much God really loves us…shows us for what we are… yet God still loves us.

The Purpose of the plan was not only to redeem us, but to expose us to our need for God.

Four major revelations of this plan

{1} Man without God will become completely unredeemed. When man unites with evil the end result is multiplication of evil.

Genesis 6:6–7 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

{2} Man with God's standards will deceive himself about redemption. Man will convince himself he can live the standards of God and attain eternal life.

Romans 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

{3} Man with God will prove his need for redemption

This has been seen throughout history, when people with their mouth claim they know God and love God, yet do not have a relationship with Him. We see this with the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, walking around as the epitome of righteousness, yet Christ call them whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of corruption on the inside. The church of Laodicea is described in the same way. God says because it is lukewarm he will spit them from his mouth.

Rev 3:14–20 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

The most powerful indictment is found at the end of the age, here after Armageddon Satan is bound and thrown into pit for 1000 years. During this time Jesus Christ Himself rules and there is perfect peace upon the earth. At the end of the thousand years Satan is released one last time, and we find once again man chooses sin. After living with God for 1000 years, many human beings that praised God with their lips but not their hearts are given a choice again and the number that choose against God is “like the sand of the seashore”

      

Rev 20:1–3, 7–8 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time…When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

 The plan has step by step illuminated this truth–as long as man keeps God outside of his heart he will continue to choose sin and be enslaved by it.

It is the fourth revelation of the plan that brings to fruition what God has intended:

{4} God within man

2 Corinthians 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

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

Christ’s death and resurrection has nothing to do with religiosity or inviting human beings into another social club. It has everything to do with a deep inner relationship between God Almighty and His creation. The Plan that God made was deliberate in its goal to strip man of any delusion that within himself alone, man would choose God and reject sin. Our Lord knows the power of sin and the weakness of the flesh, only when a man has God within can he return to being a truly free willed creation. Christ alone satisfied the justice of God for sin, and through the resurrection has the authority to offer an intimate relationship between God and man.

If you know God only from the outside, Easter makes more sense to have a rabbit that lays colored eggs.

God doesn’t want your money or your works… He wants YOU. He has done all He can to make that possible – He leaves the rest to you. If you want to know Him, turn away from your sin, admit you cannot save yourself and trust in what Jesus did for you. Place all your confidence to have eternal life in Jesus Christ, ask Him to forgive your sins and make you a child of God. That is what Easter is about!

Ex 15:11 “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? ”