CHAPTER 8

The Day of the Cross
History's Greatest Event!

 

The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world of great darkness bringing hope and salvation, made possible by His death on Calvary's cross.

 

Let us quickly review what we have studied in the previous chapters. Please MATCH the following:

A. Babel

E. Daniel 2 and 7--the four great world kingdoms

B. In the desert wilderness

F. The days of King Saul

C. Adam

G. Egyptian bondage

D. The days before the flood

 

_______  Man disobeyed God and fell into sin (Chapter 1).

_______  Man continued to sin, and sank lower and lower  into the depths of wickedness (Chapter 2).

_______  Man was slowed down and restrained by God lest he should carry out his evil plans (Chapter 3).

_______  Man was in terrible slavery (Chapter 4).

_______  Man failed to enter in to all that God had for him because of unbelief (Chapter 5).

_______  Man rejected the rule of God and chose to be his own king (Chapter 6).

_______  Man was conquered, captured and controlled by kings and kingdoms (Chapter 7).

 

Man sinks into slavery and sin--deeper and deeper he goes. God must do something, or else there is no hope for man. When no one else or nothing else could help, "GOD __________ forth His __________" (Galatians 4:4) to settle the question of sin and its results. The problem started with Adam; the solution is found in Christ:

"For as by one man’s disobedience (Who was this one man? _____________) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (who is this One? ________________________) shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).

The coming of the Saviour into the world was an event that our world has never forgotten. Even today our calendars and dating methods are based upon the first coming of Christ. Right now it is the year 20______ A.D. which means it is (approximately) 20______ years after Christ made His entrance into the world.

B.C. is an abbreviation for "before Christ."

A.D. is an abbreviation for anno Domini, a Latin expression which means "in the year of the Lord." It is now the 20____ year of our Lord (which means it has been about 20____ years since Jesus Christ came into this world.)

This Christ who came into the world was absolutely unique and incomparable! Consider the following:

[More than] 2000 years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life (the virgin birth). This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity (He grew up in the remote village of Nazareth). He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood (when He went into Egypt).

He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous (they were not famous), and had neither training nor formal education.

In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors (doctors of theology; those men who studied the Scriptures); in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the billows as if pavements, and hushed the sea to sleep.

He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.

He never wrote a book, and yet all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him.

He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined.

He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students.

He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired.

He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near.

Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshiping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him. [Though sad to say, today not too many people do this anymore]

The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone; but the name of this Man abounds more and more. Though time has spread approximately two thousand years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives. Herod could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.

(Taken from a tract entitled "The Incomparable Christ" and published by the American Tract Society)

Likewise, an unknown author has written the following:

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that ONE SOLITARY LIFE!

Why did Jesus Christ, God’s unique Son, come into the world? To answer this question, read the following five verses of Scripture:  Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; John 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:15 and 1 John 4:14.  In light of these verses, why did He come into the world?
_______________________________________________________________________________
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To save men from sin He must die, because "The wages of  _______  IS  ______________" (Romans 6:23). The penalty for sin is DEATH. Man deserves to die because he is the guilty one. Christ the innocent One died in our place as our Substitute. He died so that man might believe on Him and live!

The cross (death) of Christ was such an important event that it divides all mankind (see John 12:32-33) into two groups: Every man and woman, boy and girl must answer this question: What am I going to do with Christ crucified?  How you answer this question will determine which side of the cross you will be on:

In one of the spaces above, put your name on the side of the cross where you belong. If you are not on the saved side of the cross, the time to believe on Christ is NOW (2 Corinthians 6:2)!


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