The Cross

            After reading Looking At The Cross I now look at the cross as a symbol that cannot be translated, into words, but of action. The actions of a man who willingly gave up His whole life to die an awful death. The cross resembles love and true compassion many people fail to understand. All to often people take for granted what wonderful things we have been blessed with.
             I would like to take a look a few prepositions concerning Jesus death. First the chapter discusses Jesus" decision as voluntary, and He realized it as being Gods will and the only way to save the people from eternal damnation. It was his choice of whether to go through with the cross. On the other hand, the cross was an utter necessity to save the world. Jesus was not forced to go to the cross. From the time He was born, "Jesus voluntarily and spontaneously thought in terms of the cross." There was no other way than the cross. This was truly an essential act in order to fulfill His father's will. "Jesus was positive that the cross was part of the eternal will and purpose of God." It was all part of His plan. Jesus did not consider himself as a victim of men, but as a servant of God.
             Next we look at the views of atonement, or how Jesus" life was offered in place of man's life. According to Paul, "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures." Our sins and Jesus" death are therefore connected. He was sent down from Heaven to set a living example of a perfect, sinless life that we must strive to achieve. Jesus was self-emptying and had sacrificial obedience, which were examples of mind and heart. Jesus was an example to us, a leader and someone we want to follow and imitate.
             This chapter presents to us the recapitulation of Jesus. He basically re-did, or repeated human history into what it should have been. Jesus recapitulates the "human struggle with temptation and sin. Through Jesus, all things are made right; therefore man is redeemed through Jesus.