How would you answer this question?

[olger]

This question was addressed to me yesterday.

Quote:

I have a a question and I was curious as to what answers I recieve. If God is all knowing and already has a plan for you and everyone else...why does everyone make such a big deal involving the crucifiction. Now before everyone goes crazy let me explain. Like I said God is all knowing right? So is it really that big of a sacrifice on his part. He knew that his son would die and in three days be risen. Have much of a sacrifice is it to give your son if you know in three days that he will be risen again and that it will create the possiblity to save all of existence.

[Guest charis]

Isn't it all about choices and free will on the part of Jesus? If there was no possibility of other choices and free will on Jesus' part, then why bother with the temptations in the wilderness? Why would Jesus bother to pray to God in the Garden of Gethsemane to ask that the *cup* not be passed to him? Was Jesus just making conversation when He cried out from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?"

[monica]

Olger, besides, although Jesus died and resurrected, He will have human form for ever. Isn't that a huge sacrifice? God gave up His divine form and took the form of a creature.

[olger]

I am in agreement with each of you. God sent His Son here at the risk of eternal loss.

oG

[LifeHiscost]

Olger, besides, although Jesus died and resurrected, He will have human form for ever. Isn't that a huge sacrifice? God gave up His divine form and took the form of a creature.

While it is true that Jesus took upon Himself the form of the creature for the remainder of eternity, I'm satisfied to believe it was another dimension added to His experience and after His resurrection He regained all His previous facets of character and attributes plus the new dimension or facet of humanity. I'm willing to consider different if someone can supply from the Word that this is not so.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 NASB

Blessings!

[skyblue888]

Inspiration agrees.

"He divested Himself of the form of God, and in its stead took the form and fashion of man.... He was God but the glories of the form of God He for a while relinquished." E.G.White, Review and Herald, July 5, 1887.

Notice the difference: The glories of the form of God He for a while relinquished. But the form of God, itself, He to all eternity relinquished. That is the contrast that is in the Scriptures. "He who is one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken. Jesus is 'not ashamed to call them brethren;' our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother, bearing our human form before the Father's throne through eternal ages; one with the race He has redeemed,--the Son of man."

The difference is not in the glory; it is in the form upon which the glory rests, and through which it is manifested, and through which it is reflected.

"Now there is something else in that that comes right along with the thought. He was in the form of God,--He left that, He emptied Himself; and the French version is translated: "He annihilated Himself," and it is none too strong; for as to the form which He bore, He annihilated himself, and in that form He will never again appear. "Our human form" He bears "before the Father's throne, and through eternal ages." And the glory of the form of God which He had when He was in the form of God--that glory He brings to our human form. 'The glory which thou givest Me, I have given them.' He has given the glory of God everlastingly to us, to the human form, to human flesh." 1895 General Conference Bulletin, p.449.

Thus it is written, "It is the privilege of every believer in Christ to possess Christ's nature, a nature far above that which Adam and Eve forfeited by transgression." Upward Look, p.18.

"The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour, which appropriates His merits to ourselves." Then "Jesus places His own merits upon man and thus elevates him in the scales of moral value with God." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, p.121.

[skyblue888]

"Instead of Christ's being lowered, we are exalted. Instead of divinity's being lowered or lessened, humanity is exalted and glorified. Instead of bringing Him down to all eternity to where we are, it lifts us to all eternity to where He is. Instead of robbing Him of His glory, and putting Him where we are, who have none, He laid aside this glory for a season, in order that He in this form, and we in Him, shall be exalted to the glory which He had before the world was...

"Now there is a little more in that yet. In what form was the contest carried on with Satan? In our human form, in my form, in my nature, in your nature. For how much of God's universe was that contest carried on? How much was involved in it?--The whole of it. Then in this world, and in our flesh and form, there was carried the contest, there was fought the battle, and there was gained the victory, that involves the whole universe. In this contest the whole universe was involed, one way or the other, whichever way it should have turned...

"Therefore, to carry out God's purpose, He had to come into this world, and to take our form and nature, because in this world and in our form and nature is where that purpose was contested, and where it all centered. He who was one with God emptied Himself, and took our form and nature, and fought the battle in this form and nature. To what form and nature belongs the victory?--To our form and nature belongs the victory. In the nature of things, it is to our form and nature in Jesus Christ, and joined with Jesus Christ, that the victory belongs. So you see that this contest, this victory, not only carries us in the universe to where the first Adam was, nor only to where he would have been, but to where the second Adam, by divine right is. O, it is wonderful. That is so. And the best of it all is that it is true...

"We too often lose sight of the glory of this in looking only at the misfortune of the entrance of sin. It was a misfortune, it is true, that sin should enter the universe at all. And in that sense it was a misfortune that sin struck this world, so that the battle had to be fought in this world for the universe. But having struck this world, and involved this world, it involved you and me, so that here, in our nature, had to be fought the contest for the universe; and we can thank God that the victory is won, and that we have a share in this victory for the universe. Therefore it is not altogether a misfortune, you see, because God is able to turn our greatest misfortunes into the grandest victories. It would have been the greatest misfortune for us if there were no redemption. But when God puts His hand to a thing, He turns our greatest misfortunes into the grandest victories, and this greatest misfortune to the universe, God turns to the grandest victory for the universe. O, He makes it turn to the absolute and eternal triumph of the universe!" A.T. Jones, 1895 General Conference Bulletin, p.449.

[Raphael]

It seems that knowing and doing have entirely different worlds of reality, probably that is why some may make such a big deal about the doing part ...

... think soo ...

Cheers,

Raphael