God had an objective. It is the salvation of the world. He, in the past, assigned tasks to prophets Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David and many others. Each task had a subordinate objective that was part of the whole.
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” Hebrews 1:1 (NIV)
Then He sent John.
“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.” John 1:6 (NIV)
John’s assigned objective was to prepare the way for Jesus. John was like a highway engineer with a fleet of powerful, fast, earthmoving machines.
“A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV)
John the Baptist was the voice.
“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'” John 1:23 (NIV)
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3:1, 2 (NIV)
One specific part of his preaching repentance was:
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 (NIV)
Then He sent His son:
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,” Galatians 4:4 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—“ Hebrews 2:14 (NIV)
The war had been going on for thousands of years. Now had come the decisive person, place, action and time. The person was TRANSCENDENT, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
The action was TRANSCENDENT, April, 30 A.D. AND “slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 (NIV)
The place was TRANSCENDENT, outside the city, in the temple on earth and in the temple in Heaven
“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).” Matthew 27:33 (NIV)
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.” Matthew 27:50, 51 (NIV)
“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” Hebrews 9:24-27 (NIV)
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)
This event took place IN time and BEFORE time, ON earth and IN Heaven. This battle was the decisive battle of the war. It was the only means of accomplishing God’s objective, the salvation of the world.
(Taken from Weapons & Tactics in Evangelism, part 2)
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” Hebrews 1:1 (NIV)
Then He sent John.
“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.” John 1:6 (NIV)
John’s assigned objective was to prepare the way for Jesus. John was like a highway engineer with a fleet of powerful, fast, earthmoving machines.
“A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV)
John the Baptist was the voice.
“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'” John 1:23 (NIV)
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3:1, 2 (NIV)
One specific part of his preaching repentance was:
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 (NIV)
Then He sent His son:
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,” Galatians 4:4 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—“ Hebrews 2:14 (NIV)
The war had been going on for thousands of years. Now had come the decisive person, place, action and time. The person was TRANSCENDENT, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
The action was TRANSCENDENT, April, 30 A.D. AND “slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 (NIV)
The place was TRANSCENDENT, outside the city, in the temple on earth and in the temple in Heaven
“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).” Matthew 27:33 (NIV)
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.” Matthew 27:50, 51 (NIV)
“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” Hebrews 9:24-27 (NIV)
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)
This event took place IN time and BEFORE time, ON earth and IN Heaven. This battle was the decisive battle of the war. It was the only means of accomplishing God’s objective, the salvation of the world.
(Taken from Weapons & Tactics in Evangelism, part 2)
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