suicide

[Robert]

Originally Posted By: Robert

...In order to redeem the human race from under law Christ, as the son of man, had to take upon Himself the curse of the law - the 2nd death.

Yes, Jesus could have taken hold of His Deity and independent of His Father's will He could have saved Himself, but He didn't!

Why?

He would have become a sinner.

How so?

He would have loved Himself instead of the human race He came to save.

Jesus Christ could rightly and justly have decided to let the whole of mankind die eternally.

1] No, agape is not self-seeking. There is no "self" - no selfishness in God's love. The cross proves that God loves sinners - those who hate Him - more than Himself. That's because there's no sin (self-love) in God's agape love.

2] If Christ had come down from the cross He would have been doomed to this earth for eternity! Why? Because Christ, through the incarnation, had assumed our fallen life that stood under the curse [see Gal 4:4].

Paul tells us that our fallen life cannot enter heaven [see 1 Cor 15:50]. Our humanity was "in Christ" and unless it died Christ couldn't be raised with a glorified humanity. Christ had united His Deity to our fallen life and death was the only option.

3] To go against His Father's will would constitute sin. Go to Heb 10:5

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body [our corporate life] you prepared for me [i.e., you have prepared for my Deity a life that is fallen and under the curse]; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.’”

Yes, our humanity (the life Christ assumed at the incarnation) tempted Him to come down and save Himself. In other words it tempted him to say, "To hell with the human race!" It tempted Him with the love of self.

This can be seen in Luke 22:42

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me [the 2nd death]; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

It was our human nature, which is bent towards self, that tried to insert itself against the Father's will. But Jesus said, "Not my will (not what my human nature desires), but your will be done."

[Robert]

"How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way ?"

You kind of missed out here, huh?

Rob