Son to die for perishing man. John3:14-17. He sent his Son to be the propitiation
or offering for the sins of men. 1John4:10.
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Christ came to take the curse of the law upon himself, and to offer his life as a
ransom for its transgressors. Gal.3:13; 1Tim.2:5,6.
The Father had two objects of the dearest affection: his own perfect law, and
his only Son. He would save man who had revolted from allegiance to that law,
and openly set it at naught. To do this, the great Law-giver must sacrifice either
his perfect law, or his beloved and only Son. The first he could not do; for God
cannot deny himself; and he hath in all ages ever magnified his word above all
his name; [Ps.138:2;] but he could give his only Son to die, that revolted man
might have a sacrifice to bring to God that could avail to take away sin.
Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. He
ascended into the true Tabernacle in heaven, the new covenant Sanctuary,
where the ark of God stands, containing his holy law - as a great High Priest, to
plead the merits of his blood in behalf of penitent men. Heb.9; Rev.11:19. As the
ancient high priest entered the typical tabernacle to sprinkle the ark of the
testament with blood even thus was it necessary that our great High Priest
should act. The earthly high priest did not sprinkle the blood of sin-offering upon
the ark that he might blot out the ten commandments which it contained, or that
he might
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lessen the obligation of men to observe them. On the contrary, he entered the
tabernacle with blood, because man had violated that holy law, and could not be
pardoned without the offering of blood to take away sin.
Even thus did our Lord. By his own blood he entered the true Tabernacle, and
presented himself before the Father on our account. In fulfilling the ministration of
the true holy places, the two dearest objects of affection to the great Law-giver
are again united. But how wondrous the union! Jesus, who has died for the
transgressors of that sacred law, now stands as a great High Priest before the
ark containing the law of God, pleading in behalf of men, the merits of his own
sacrificial death. The Law-giver can accept the offering, and man, who has
broken the law of God, can be pardoned.
It is evident, therefore, that the death of our Saviour sustains the same
relation to the law of God, that the death of the victim in the ancient typical
system sustained to that law. The design of either was not that man should have
liberty to violate the law of God, but that man who had violated that law, might
have the offer of pardon. The typical system could not, indeed, take away sin; but
it pointed out the fact that without the shedding of blood there could be no
remission of sins, and clearly
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pointed forward to the great Sacrifice which should be offered for the sin of the
world.
If it were possible for God to give men an adequate idea of the immutability of
his sacred law, he has given it in the spectacle of his Son dying upon the cross
