Treasures New and Old

Cost of the Cross

What did it cost God to redeem us from sin?

I would like to start by looking at Isaiah 53:1-9 which are all clearly regarding the first coming, and specifically, Christ’s calling to the cross. Even the first half of verse 10 is declaring the mission God had outlined for Jesus – that of being smitten on our behalf to pay for our sins.

There is good news beyond the physical abuse listed in those first nine verses, and that is found in the last three verses of Isaiah which go as follows:

Isaiah 53:10-12:

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Where it states in verse 10, “he shall see his seed . . .” God looks forward from the cross throughout the rest of world history into the millennial reign at all the accrued fruit of the cross – all of those who would be saved as a result of the work of the cross, “He shall prolong his days” I think speaks of the eternal reign yet to come. “[A]nd the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” – speaks to me of all the good God intended to fulfill; all of His promises – will be fully fulfilled in the hands (read that completed work) of Jesus Christ. Verse 11 again speaks to those who were saved, are saved, and are yet to be saved because God looks at the work of the cross and is satisfied and therefore justifies those who come to the cross and are saved. Thus, He bore the iniquities of many past, present, and those yet to be saved.

Finally, in verse 12, because of His work on the cross, He shall inherit a portion and a spoil. I suspect that it, again, is also past, present, and future – as all the spoil is not yet amassed until the last person is saved.

However, regarding to cost, I believe it was virtually immeasurable.

First, since God is outside of time, we can only speculate on certain event durations. For example, when God the Father turned His back on Christ on the cross, was it for a moment, or for eternity? Jesus cried that He had been forsaken. They had never been separated in eternity before or since.

Second, Jesus set aside His glory – forever. When He became a man, He chose to stay a man so that He could have fellowship with us – forever.

Third, evidence is that He bore the marks of the cross after resurrection – forever – and we don’t know what agony that includes.

Fourth, bearing our sins on a perfect sinless being – the creator taking on the guilt, shame, horror, debauchery, murders, hate, lust, etc. of His creatures so that He could redeem us – totally immeasurable.

Fifth, I suspect we will never know – because I don’t think the master wants us to know all that He bore. Thus He bears it totally alone – again – with a perfect memory forever. Yet somehow He forgets our sins and removes them as far as the East is from the West (so how does an all-knowing God do that?)

Sixth, He bears, as well, the loss of all those not saved. He loved them as well, and that loss must be so very painful – perhaps immeasurable as well.

Seventh, even after we are saved, we sin – but we do so now against the one who saved us out of rebellion – not out of ignorance. That may be some of the greatest “cost” of all. Our loving Father continuing to bear with us patiently while we continue to choose the flesh over the Spirit.

No price tag can be placed on the Lord’s sacrifice. Truly, He paid a price we could not pay that He did not owe.

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

Privacy Policy