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The Supreme Sacrifice

The Supreme Sacrifice: The Cross, Atonement, and the Law of Redemption

Introduction: The Law of the Broken Curtain

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not the defeat of the Messiah; it was the climactic, intended fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets. It was the moment the Suffering Servant (prophesied by Isaiah) perfectly paid the penalty for humanity’s transgression of the Law Before Sinai and the Law of Moses. The physical sign of this completion was the Temple curtain, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, being torn in two from top to bottom.

The Cross is the definitive Prophetic Hotspot, legally settling the Law of Sin and Death and securing the covenant basis for The Lord’s Return in glory.

The Foundational Event: The Law of Substitution

The entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament was designed to point to this single, perfect act, establishing the principle that without the shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22, KJV).

The KJV Law of Expiation

Christ’s own declaration on the Cross—“It is finished”—signaled the completion of His substitutionary work:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV)

  • The Law of Atonement: Christ became the ultimate, final “Lamb of God” (John 1:29) who perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament Day of Atonement. His blood not only covered sin (expiation) but reconciled man to a holy God (propitiation), satisfying the Law’s demand for death.
  • The Torn Curtain: The curtain in the Temple tearing (Matthew 27:51) symbolically and physically ended the Levitical priesthood and the need for earthly mediators. It revealed the Law of Direct Access—because of Christ’s sacrifice, man now has immediate access to the presence of God. The physical death was the ultimate spiritual life-giver.

Prophetic Hotspot: The Legal Title Deed

The Cross served as the legal cornerstone of Christ’s future Kingdom. His death was the act that purchased the right to rule and redeemed the physical earth from its curse.

  • Payment for the Earth: The earth and all its creatures fell under the curse due to Adam’s sin. Christ’s perfect blood paid the price of redemption not just for people, but for the creation itself. This payment is symbolically represented in Revelation as the Lamb being the only one worthy to open the seals and take the title deed to the earth (Revelation 5:5-7, KJV).
  • The Justification for Return: Christ does not return merely on power; He returns on justice. His perfect fulfillment of the Law and His atoning death provide the legal, unassailable basis for Him to overthrow all human and demonic rulers and establish His eternal, righteous Kingdom. The Cross is the only reason The Lord’s Return is an act of just judgment, not simply raw force.

The Return Question: What is Your Redemption?

The Cross demands a response: either recognition of its necessity and acceptance of the redemption it provides, or continued reliance on one’s own works and eventual condemnation.

If the whole sweep of history hinges on the definitive payment made on the Cross, which satisfied the eternal Law of God and legally secured Christ’s right to return as King, are we living daily under the full authority and transformative power of that redemption, demonstrating the “righteousness of God” that was secured for us, as we await the return of the only One whose sacrifice made the final judgment and the eternal Kingdom possible?