3213.— Death of Christ
By James White
Was it necessary that Christ should die on the cross of wood in order to save a lost world? J. W. W. No, it was not. The Lord had declared, however, that He would die upon a cross—a wonderful prediction in a way, because it was only for a little time that Rome executed her criminals in that way. Jesus came at the very time that that was done, consequently was hung upon a cross. In God's plan it was not necessary that His people should crucify Him. When He died, it was not simply that His own people condemned Him to death and that Rome executed Him, but He gave His own life; consequently we read that "Pilate marveled if He were already dead." Mark 15:44. And yet had he known the Scriptures this would not have been the case, because the prophet had before said, "He poured out His soul unto death." Isa. 53:12. And Jesus Himself declared, "I lay down My life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from My Father." John 10:17, 18. Jesus died upon the cross not because that was the only death that could save, but because that was the way Rome had of executing criminals. The Lord predicted it because He knew that that would be the case, but it is not of the particular manner of the death that He died, but it is the fact that He gave His life for us. In that death to sin for our sins, we find forgiveness. In that life we find righteousness.