THE PERSONAGE OF THE CROSS. He is the very heart and importance of the cross. It is not the cross, nor the wood which was used in the making of the cross, which deserves our worship and adoration. It is the person, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who makes the word cross of importance to us. Were it not for Him, the cross would be meaningless. It is the Christ of the cross who has purged our sins and brought forgiveness and liberty to us. It was Gods Son who died on that tree. It was the very heir of the Father. Jesus was the instrumentality through whom God created all things. As the Logos, the Word He is the creator of all things whether they are terrestrial or celestial, natural or spiritual. He is the very core of existence. All things in the universe continue to function and remain in a Godly order because of Him. He is the showing forth of the glory of His Father. That marvelous shining forth, the effulgence of light, a brilliancy that is greater than any star in the heavens, is found in Christ, who is the fullness of the glory of His Father. Jesus is the divine unfolding of the glory that is found only in the true God. He bears the exact likeness of His Father. The personality, the nature the subsistence of His Father is also found in Him, and is in equal measure. To be found in Christ are the all the divine attributes of Godly character. The exact being of the Father is shown forth through Him. While Christ Jesus is personally distinct from His Father, nevertheless He is equal to His Father in all things pertaining to the Godhead. As a Son, He is in submission and perfect obedience to His Father. He is found in the scriptures, which speak of His life here on earth as being in constant contact with His Father and consistently doing the perfect will of the Father. In view of His eminence, there has never been a greater man been born into this world. He willingly gave Himself to become a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. The Father gave His best, the Son gave His all, that all men everywhere in every age might be saved and included in the great family of the Lord. Now He is exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on High where He sits enthroned with His Father in His throne. Heb. 1:2-3
CHRIST, THE VERY ESSENCE OF EXISTENCE. The eternal Word participating in the beginning of creation and time. That Word, the Word of creation. He is the very essence of life. He is life itself. Not only was He the creative Word but the very fact that anything is living, is because of Christ. In Him we LIVE, and move, and have our being. Acts 17:28 He is the very basic elements upon which life depends. He is, a SUN and shield. Ps. 84:11 He is, the LIGHT of the world and the LIGHT of LIFE. John 8:12 He is, the only source of LIVING WATER. John 4:10 He is the BREAD of LIFE. John 6:48 Where do we quit? He is the one who meets every essential pertaining to life, both natural and spiritual. He is ALL in All, meeting and satisfying those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Eph. 1:23
HE IS THE PERFECT IMAGE OF HIS FATHER. He bears the likeness of the Father in every aspect. While He is not, at one and the same time, the Father and the Son, He is identical to His Father. Col. 1:15 He, Himself said, that if any man had seen Him, he had seen the Father. John 14:9 That does not make HIm to be both persons. It does reveal the profound harmony and unity that is in existence in the Godhead. Jesus is the physical, bodily likeness of God in whom it pleased God to dwell in His fullness. He is the only physical body that may be called God. He bears the imprint of the Eternal. ALL THE FULNESS, the essential qualities of the Triunity are evidenced in Him. Col. 2:9 Jesus did not take for granted the fact that He possessed the very nature (NIV), the very principle of God. His equality with His Father was not considered when He made Himself to be the Lamb of God, the only acceptable sacrifice. Phil. 2:6 The cross was His destiny. Phil. 2:8