“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)
You must remember this, it must always be recalled in times of doubt, in times of fear, when embarrassment attempts to hinder you from what you have been called to do. The Lord Jesus Christ did not have to go to the cross, He chose to.
In my mind, when He said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) I see the Almighty telling Moses to stand aside, that He was going to kill every single Israelite and start over with Moses. I see the Lord Jesus Christ standing in the gap while He hung on that cross, and in those three hours of darkness, God could have changed His mind, destroyed all life on this planet and started over.
But His mercy endures forever.
Love did not die on that cross, love was offered, but there were those who railed against it, who, even if He would have come down would still not have believed, for sight is not faith, nor should it be the foundation of it.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)
What we cannot see we believe in, what we cannot prove we have faith in, what promises are offered we believe to be true. Obedience is love my friends, and it is never offered in pieces or held back in fear.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22)
Only those who have been born-again can hear and understand the words of God, for they are Spiritually discerned, all who cannot serve a different master, the father of lies, and in hell, if they do not repent here, they will be just like their father there. Many of them attempt to cover this truth with a veneer of good works, of deeds worthy of recognition by the world, and some of them do an exceptionally good job at deceiving many. But they do not realize why Moses stood in the gap, why Christ set His face to go to Jerusalem knowing full well what was awaiting Him.
They do not comprehend the depth of love that said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
And why did God not destroy all life on this planet at that time?
Love.
How He loves dust I cannot comprehend, how He can continue to love His creation that has rebelled against Him is impossible for anyone to fully understand. Why He offers so many opportunities to so many of us to repent I do not know. One may as well attempt to find commonality in these two verses.
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:11)
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: (Eze. 33:11a)
The Lord Jesus Christ stood in the gap by hanging on that cross, by being in the way, as it were, of the wrath of God, taking all that was meant for us on Himself. Because of a love we will never truly realize.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
Is it any wonder we call Him Lord, that He is the only way to the Father, has greater love ever been revealed to all mankind? Taking the entire force of God Almighty’s wrath for you? We will never throughout all of eternity completely understand that love, and those in eternal damnation will never experience even one shred of it. But they will know a loss we will never know.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
Remember those words, when all seems hopeless, when life becomes more than you can or want to bear, what He did He did not have to do, but He did, and for one main reason. The Father loves us and sent His Son to express that love for us.
