The son of God, the glorious marshal in heaven, was moved and pitied by the fallen mankind. When he saw the disaster of the lost world, he couldn't help feeling infinite pity. But God, out of his love, made a plan to save mankind. Violation of God's law should be compensated by the life of the offender. In the whole universe, only one person can replace human beings to meet the requirements of this law. God's law is as sacred as God itself, so only God who is equal to God can atone for human beings who violate the law. No one but Christ can save the fallen from the curse of the law and make them live in harmony with heaven again. Christ is willing to put the guilt and shame of sin on himself-this sin is so abominable in the eyes of holy God that even the father and son must be separated. Christ is willing to go down to the abyss of disaster to save the fallen mankind.
Therefore, Christ intercedes for sinners before the Father. The whole army in the sky is waiting for its result, and deep worries can't be expressed in words. The mysterious conversation between father and son lasted for a long time-"Preparing peace for the fallen world" (Jas. 6: 13). The plan of salvation was made before the creation of heaven and earth; Because Christ is a "lamb killed since the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8). However, after some struggle, the great king of the universe asked his son to give his life for the criminal mankind. But "God loves the world so much that he even gave his only son, so that all who believe in him will not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3: 16). Strange, the mystery of redemption! God loves a world that doesn't love him! Who can understand how long, how wide and how deep the love that "exceeds human measurement" is? In the endless generations to come, when all creatures in heaven and earth seek to understand the mystery of incredible love, they will be greatly surprised and bow before God.
God will appear in Christ and "reconcile the world with himself" (2 Cor. 5: 19). Man has been corrupted by sin, so it is impossible to make peace with the holy and good God by himself. But since Christ saved mankind from the punishment of the law, he can give people the power of God and cooperate with people's power. In this way, Adam's fallen children can become "children of God" by repenting to God and trusting in Christ (1 John 3:2).
The only plan that can save mankind is to include the whole heaven in infinite sacrifice. Angels can't be happy when Christ explains the plan of redemption to them. Because they see that in order to save mankind, they must suffer their beloved handsome and unspeakable disaster. Angels were sad and surprised to hear that Christ told them how he had to leave the purity and peace of heaven, give up the joy, glory and eternal life of heaven, fall into the fallen world and endure sadness, shame and death. He must stand between the sinner and the punishment of sin. However, only a few people are willing to accept him as the son of God. He is willing to leave the lofty position of the king of heaven, humble himself, become a model of the world, and personally experience all the hardships and temptations that human beings have to endure. All this he had to go through in order to "save those who were tempted" (Hebrews 2: 18). When his task as a teacher is completed, he must be handed over to the wicked and be encouraged by Satan to inflict all kinds of insults and pains on him. He must suffer the most cruel death and be promoted as a sinner between heaven and earth. He has to endure the terrible pain for a long time, and even angels can't bear to look at it. When the sin of breaking the law-the burden of sin all over the world-weighs on him, he must endure the spiritual pain that the Father hides his face from him.
Angels fall at their handsome feet and are willing to sacrifice themselves for mankind. But the angel's life is not enough to repay the debt of mankind. Only the creator of mankind can save mankind. However, angels also have a job in the redemption plan. In order to "die", Christ "became a little smaller than an angel". After he took humanity, his strength was not as good as that of an angel. Therefore, angels should serve him, encourage him and comfort him when he suffers. Angels are also serving spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 2: 9; 1: 14)。 They want to protect those who are blessed by God from the power of evil angels and from the darkness that Satan always hangs over them.
When angels see the pain and humiliation of their Lord in public, their hearts will be filled with sadness and indignation, hoping to save him from his killer. However, they cannot interfere or stop what they see. Because the insult and abuse of Christ by the wicked is part of the redemption plan. When he became the savior of mankind, he had agreed to bear all this.
Christ assured the angels that through his death, he would redeem many people and destroy those who had the right to die. He must restore the state power that mankind has lost because of crime. The redeemed will inherit the land with him and live in it forever. Sin and sinners will be eliminated and will never disturb the peace of heaven and earth again. He told all the angels to be consistent with the plan approved by his father, and rejoiced that the fallen man was reconciled with God because of his death.
So there is an indescribable joy that fills heaven. A world is redeemed, and its glory and joy exceed the pain and sacrifice of the king of life. For the first time, the whole heaven is filled with the poems sung by the heavenly army on Mount Bethlehem in the future: "Glory to God in the highest place, and peace on earth to those whom he pleases" (Luke 2: 14). At this time, "the morning stars sing together, and the sons of God shout for joy" (Job 38:7), which is more enthusiastic than when it was first created.
The first announcement of human redemption came from Satan's trial in the Garden of Eden. I will make enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and the seed of the woman. This is what the Lord says. The seed of a woman will hurt your head, and you will hurt his heel "(Gen. 3: 15). This sentence sounds like a promise to our ancestors. Although it predicts the war between the world and Satan, it also shows that the power of this great enemy will eventually be broken. Adam and Eve stood before a just judge, waiting for their trial for breaking the law. However, before they heard that they were doomed to live a hard and anxious life and that they had to return to the dust, they first heard words that could only give them hope. Although they must suffer at the hands of powerful enemies, they can still count on the final victory.
When Satan heard that there must be hatred between him and that woman, and between his descendants and that woman's descendants, he knew that his work of corrupting mankind would be hindered, and mankind would always have a way to resist his power. But when the plan of salvation is more fully expounded, Satan and his messengers will be very happy, because they have corrupted mankind and pulled the son of God down from his lofty position. He claimed that his plan had been successful in the local area so far. Christ took away humanity, and perhaps he could defeat him. Only in this way can we prevent the fallen human beings from being redeemed.
The angels in the sky explained the plan to save our ancestors more fully. Adam and his companions were assured that although they had committed a great crime, they were not abandoned by Satan. The sons of God are willing to give up their lives as atonement sacrifices. God will give them another trial period, and through repentance and trust in Christ, they can become God's children again.
The sacrifices that Christ had to make because of Adam and Eve's sin made them see the sacred nature of God's law. They also saw the evil truth and its serious consequences. This is something they have never seen before. With regret and pain, they begged God not to let this punishment fall on Christ, but on them and their children. Because the love of Christ is the source of all their happiness.
God told them that the law of the Lord is the foundation of his regime in heaven and earth, and even the life of an angel is not enough as a redemption sacrifice for violating this law. Nothing in this law can be abolished or changed to cater to the situation after a fall. But since the son of God created man, he must make atonement for him. Just as Adam's transgression brought disaster and death, so Christ's sacrifice will bring immortal life.
The redemption plan should not only restore mankind, but also restore the whole land lying in the hands of the wicked because of sin. When Adam was created, God made him rule the whole earth. But when he succumbed to temptation, he succumbed to the power of Satan. "For whoever is subdued is his slave" (2 Peter 2: 19). Since man is a slave of Satan, his original management power falls into Satan's hands. So Satan became "the God of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4). He usurped the sovereignty that God gave Adam. But since Christ paid the price of sin through his own sacrifice, he should not only save mankind, but also restore the lost sovereignty of mankind. No matter what the first Adam lost, the second Adam will recover. The prophet once said, "Mount Zion, the rock of your flock, your former authority, the kingdom of Jerusalem, will be yours" (Mic. 4:8). The apostle Paul also predicted the day when "the inheritance of God was redeemed" (Ephesians 1: 14). God created this land to make holy and happy human beings live. God "made a strong land, not to make it desolate, but for people to live in" (Isaiah 45: 18). This will still come true. When the earth is renewed by the power of God and released from sin and anxiety, this land will become the place where the redeemed people will live forever. "The righteous will inherit the earth and live in it forever." "There will be no curse; There are thrones of God and Lamb in the city; All his servants will serve him. 37:29; Rev. 22:3).
Before Adam committed a crime, he had a face-to-face conversation with his maker. But sin separated him from God. Only the salvation of Christ can cross this isolated abyss and give salvation and blessings to the world from heaven. Even so, the world can't get close to God directly, but God wants to communicate with the world through Christ and angels.
In this way, God revealed to Adam the important events in human history, from the time when he announced the judgment in the Garden of Eden, to the flood era, until the day when the son of God first appeared. Adam was also taught that although Christ's sacrifice was enough to save the world, many people would rather live in sin than repent and obey. Sin will increase from generation to generation, so the curse of sin will become heavier and heavier for human beings, livestock and the whole earth. People's life will be shortened because of their own criminal behavior. His figure and physical strength, as well as his mental and moral strength, will also deteriorate until the whole world is full of all kinds of disasters and pains. Because of the indulgence of appetite and lust, human beings can't understand the great truth of redemption plan. However, since Christ is loyal to his purpose of leaving heaven, he should constantly care about the interests of mankind and invite them to hide their weaknesses and shortcomings in him. He will be ready for anyone who comes to him in faith. In every generation, there will always be a few people who keep their knowledge of God and their purity in the torrent of evil.
God made the sacrificial ceremony to remind mankind that he was a sinner at all times, and to make him repent and confess, so as to show his confidence in the promised redeemer. These courtesies are designed to impress fallen human beings and make them never forget the serious fact that death is the result of evil. The first sacrifice is indeed Adam's most painful etiquette. He must raise his hand to kill the life that only God can give. This is the first time he has seen death. He knows that if he obeys God, people or livestock will not die. When he slaughtered the innocent sacrifice, he remembered that his sin would make the innocent lamb of God bleed, and he couldn't help shivering. This scene made him feel more deeply and vividly how much crime he had committed, and even there was no redemption except to let God's beloved son bleed. When he thought that God was willing to pay such a ransom to save the criminals, he was surprised at his infinite kindness. So there is a star of hope to light up the terrible future, so that the repressed air is slightly reduced.
In addition to saving mankind, the redemption plan has a broader and deeper purpose. Christ came to this world not only to save mankind, but also to make the residents of this small world have a correct understanding of God's laws, and also to show God's character in front of the whole universe. Before being crucified, the savior looked forward to the result of his great sacrifice, that is, the impact of this sacrifice on mankind and the residents of other worlds, and said: "Now the world is being judged; The king of this world will be driven out. If I am lifted from the ground, I will attract 10,000 people to find me "(about 12:3 1-32). Christ died to save mankind, which not only brought the world close to heaven, but also proved that God and his son were just in dealing with Satan's betrayal in front of the whole universe, strengthened the eternity of God's law, and revealed the essence and result of sin.
From the beginning, the focus of the dispute between good and evil was on God's law. Satan tries to prove that God is unfair, that his law is flawed, and that it must be changed for the benefit of the whole universe. The purpose of his attack on the law is to overthrow the authority of the creator of the law. In the struggle between good and evil, it can be proved that God's law is either flawed and needs to be changed, or it is complete and has never changed.
After Satan was banished from heaven, he was determined to make this earth his kingdom. When he tempted Adam and Eve and defeated them, he thought he had acquired the ownership of the world. He said, "Because they chose me as their king." He claimed that sinners can't be forgiven, so the fallen human beings are his legitimate people and the world becomes his. But God gave his beloved son, an equal with him, to bear the punishment of human beings for violating the law, thus opening a way for them to regain God's favor and return to their hometown of Eden. Christ undertook the task of saving mankind and decided to save the world from Satan. The great struggle that began in heaven will determine the end of this world, and Satan claims that this world belongs to him.
Christ humbled himself to save fallen mankind, which surprised the whole universe. In the vast universe, it is a mystery that all innocent creatures in the world want to understand that they patrol the planet, travel around the world, manage everything according to their own pleasure, provide all kinds of creatures with the Lord they need, and are willing to give up their glory and take human nature. When Christ came to our world in human form, from the manger to Golgotha, he walked on the bloody road step by step, and they all paid close attention to him. The whole heaven noticed his insults and teasing and knew that all this was Satan's inspiration. They noticed that two opposing forces were fighting. Satan often puts darkness, sadness and pain on people, while Christ reacts on them. They watched the growing struggle between light and darkness. When Christ shouted "finish" on the cross, heaven and the world were filled with cheers of victory. The great war that has lasted for so long in the world has come to an end. Christ is the winner. Whether the Father and the Son have enough love for mankind and the spirit of self-sacrifice for others has been decided by the death of Christ. Satan's true colors of lying and killing people are also exposed. At the same time, it can be seen that if Satan is allowed to manage all beings in the sky, he must also show the same spirit of managing the world under his power. So the whole universe praised God's work in unison.
If the law can really be changed, mankind can be saved without the sacrifice of Christ. But Christ must lay down his life for the fallen mankind; This fact is enough to prove that God can't give up the requirements of his law on human beings, and the wage of sin is death. When Christ died, Satan's destruction was doomed. But if, as many people say, God's law has been abolished on the cross, then the pain and death of God's loving son can only make Satan achieve his goal. In this way, the evil king won, and his accusation against God's regime was established. However, the fact that Christ bears the punishment of human beings for violating the law is a strong evidence for all creatures, proving that the law is unchangeable and that God is just, compassionate and self-sacrificing. It also shows that under his regime, infinite justice and compassion are inseparable.