THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The Cross of Christ
Message Three
The All-inclusive Death of Christ
Scripture Reading: Psa. 22; John 1:29; Rom. 5:12, 6:6; Heb. 2:14, 9:26-28; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:19
I. Psalm 22:1-21 gives a detailed picture of Christ in His suffering of death, as typified by David in his suffering—cf. Isa. 53: (2011 ST, msg. 5)
A. The question in Psalm 22:1 was spoken by David in his suffering, but it became a prophecy concerning Christ in His suffering of His redeeming death—Psa. 22:1. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
B. Verses 6 through 8 display Christ’s suffering unto death through men’s reproach, despising, deriding, sneering, headshaking, and mocking—vv. 6-8. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
C. Verses 9 through 11 show that while people were mocking Him and deriding Him, Christ trusted in God for deliverance, that is, for resurrection; He intended definitely to die and expected to be delivered from death, that is, to be resurrected from the dead—Luke 18:31-33; Heb. 5:7. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
D. Psalm 22:12-18 depicts in vivid detail how Christ passed through His suffering of crucifixion—Mark 15:16-37. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
E. On the cross Christ was forsaken by God—Psa. 22:1; Matt. 27:45-46: (2011 ST, msg. 5)
1. While Christ was on the earth, God the Father was with Him all the time, but at a certain point in His crucifixion, God forsook Him—John 8:29; Matt. 27:45-46. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
2. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross under God’s judgment, He had God within Him essentially as His divine being; nevertheless, He was forsaken by the righteous and judging God economically—1:20; 3:16-17. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
3. On the cross Christ, the God-man, presented Himself to God as the all-inclusive sacrifice through the eternal Spirit—Heb. 9:14. (2011 ST, msg. 5)
II. After His incarnation Christ passed through human living and then was crucified on the cross to die an all-inclusive death—John 1:29; 12:24; Eph. 2:14-16; Heb. 2:14: (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
A. Christ died an all-inclusive death because He is an all-inclusive Person—Col. 3:11. (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
B. As our Substitute, the Lord Jesus had a sevenfold status and therefore died as the Lamb of God, a man in the flesh, a man of the old creation, the serpent, the Firstborn of all creation, the Peacemaker, and a grain of wheat—1 Pet. 3:18. (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
C. The death of Christ is the redeeming and life-releasing and life-imparting death; His all-inclusive death took away all the negative things and released all the positive things. (The Christian Life, msg. 6; Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
1. Christ as the Lamb of God took away our sin—John 1:29. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
2. The Man-Savior died as a man in the flesh, His death dealt with the fallen flesh—John 1:14; 1 Pet. 3:18. (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
3. On the cross Christ crucified our sinful old man that the body of sin might be made of none effect, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. (Bearing Remaining Fruit, msg. 12)
4. Christ as the bronze serpent destroyed Satan, the ruler of this world, and in Christ the ruler of this world has nothing (no ground, no chance, no hope, and no possibility in anything)—John 3:14; 12:31-32; 14:30; Heb. 2:14. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
5. Christ is the firstborn of all creation; hence, through His death on the cross the entire old creation was dealt with.—Col. 1:15. (Life-Study of Colossians, msg. 8; Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
6. “Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace”—Eph. 2:14-15.
7. Christ as the grain of wheat released the divine life for the producing of many believers by imparting (dispensing) the divine life into them—John 12:24. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
D. The blood that came out of Christ at His crucifixion symbolizes the redeeming aspect of His all-inclusive death, and the water that came out of Him symbolizes the life-imparting aspect of His all-inclusive death—19:34. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
III. The altar of the temple, signifying the cross of Christ, was the center not only of the inner court but also of the entire premises of the temple; this reveals that the cross is the center of the universe—Ezek. 40:47; Eph. 2:14-16: (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
A. As the center of the universe, the cross points to the all-inclusive death of Christ, which involved God, man, and all the creatures—Ezek. 43:13; Col. 1:15; 2:9-15. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
B. Christ’s death on the cross was the release of God and the termination of man and all negative things—Luke 12:49-50; Rom. 6:6; Heb. 2:14; 9:26-28; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:14-16. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
C. In Christ’s death God passed through death in man to be released, and man died in God to be terminated. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
D. The cross, typified by the altar, spreads in every direction and in every corner of God’s building; if we wish to contact God and enjoy His riches in His house, we must pass through the cross. (2009 ITERO-F, msg. 5)
IV. The Lord’s all-inclusive death is eternal—John 3:16; Heb. 9:28: (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
A. The all-inclusive death of Christ was accomplished once for all; there is no need for Him to die again—John 3:16; Heb. 9:28. (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
B. If we see this, we shall praise the Lord that sin, sins, the flesh, the old man, Satan, the world, the old creation, and the ordinances have been dealt with, and the divine riches have been released and imparted to us—Eph. 2:14-16. (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
V. Now through the Lord’s all-inclusive death we are people of the jubilee—Luke 4:19: (Life-Study of Luke, msg. 53)
A. We must treasure this death since it is a great inheritance to us; it is one of the great bequests of the New Testament—Heb. 9:15. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” ch. 3)
B. God the Father has bequeathed to us the treasure of Christ with His unsearchable riches—2 Cor. 4:7; Eph. 3:8. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” ch. 3)
C. May the Lord grant us a proper view and a proper knowledge of this marvelous, all-inclusive, wonderful death, so that we may be able to be brought into the enjoyment of our New Testament inheritance. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” ch. 3)