I have been reading the four gospel accounts of our Lord's crucifixion this morning. There is an incredible amount of prophetic fulfillment and spiritual lessons there, that my pea brain can't begin to comprehend but a small portion of it. But I was captivated by the sponge of vinegar, actually cheap bitter wine, that was placed to our Lord's lips. And I was struck by the fact that the first miracle our Lord performed before the people was the turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana. And it was the best wine that the master of the feast had ever tasted. But here, at the most important Miracle that our Jesus ever performed, His victory over death and hell, He drank cheap bitter wine held up to His lips on a hyssop branch, the same branch used to apply the blood of the sacrifice under the law of the Old testament. The new wine in Christ's blood is the sweetest and best and completely efficacious. The bitter wine that this world can provide, even wrapped in the garb of the Old testament law, is bitter and our Lord drank every ounce of requirement that old bitter cup required. Beloved our faith is in the best wine of the feast. And we will one day drink it fully in celebration at the marriage feast of the Lamb who Was slain from before the foundation of the world.  Amen and Amen

​                                                                 Hebrews 3:1-2
The cross was our Melchizedek's altar of priestly agency, a throne of powerful action, a chariot of victory in triumph.  From “The Atonement” by Hugh Martin 1822-1885 

      "Scripture lays before us that the actual manifestation of Christ's power(Heb 7:16-power of an endless life) and His official obedient(Heb 5:5-6) and positive agency(Heb 2:13-18) in that manifested power, which never were, nor never could be overcome and made ineffective. But on the contrary, His power, obedience and agency prevailed to put forth all His strength and energy  precisely against an inconceivable combination of agencies and instruments naturally fitted, that had it been possible, to subdue and overcome Him. 
      Earth and hell and heaven, all prepared to torment Him:   Earth’s rulers and her rabble; her kings and priest’s and soldiers, and malefactors assailing Him;  her Jews and Gentiles; her dumb creatures even; Earth's forests furnishing wood (for the cross) Earth's stream refusing water (even though He said, “I thirst”); Earth's bitterness mingled and vinegar and gall; Earth's curse embodied in her thorns, in mockery and pain to Crown Him; Earth's “founded” steadfastness refusing to support Him (the earthquake); her firmament to shine on Him (darkness over all the earth).
      Hell's utmost force and fury gathered up against Him; heaven's sword devouring Him and heaven's God forsaking Him. Earth and hell and heaven thus in conspiring actions against Him unto the uttermost of heaven's absolute Justice and Earth and hell's utmost Injustice:-- What is the glory of the Cross if it is not this?  With such action conspiring to conquer and subdue His Priestly and representative action, His Priestly power, obedience, and representative action outlasts and outlives them all.  He did not die subdued and overcome (forced) into dying.  He did not die until He gave Himself in death. Emmanuel a mere sufferer in his death? Oh no!!! The Logos of the Cross is the power of God.  (When He uttered, “It is finished”, He knew His Father’s Will had been completely fulfilled, that bitter cup had been completely drained, and now it was time!!! RF)
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Isaiah 53:12 “He poured out His soul unto death.”
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” (17-18) “Therefore does My Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have Power to lay it down, and I have Power to take it again.  This commandment have I received of My Father.”
Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.”
Ephesians 5:25 “He loved the church and gave Himself for it”.
Hebrews 1:3  “When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High.”
Revelation 1:5b “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His Own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be Glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen

Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ (than bulls and goats), Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?”  The Precious Lamb of God (Rev. 5) is so much more than a higher quality sheep!!!)

Our Glorious Covenant God!!!

Revelation 4:1-3 Note: Two covenant emblems: “One Sat on the Throne.  He that Sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone.”  Ex. 28:15-20 with a twist.  The first and last stones on the priest’s breastplate are reversed.  Pointing to a covenant/High Priest far grander than the Old Testament and only Israel.  Isaiah 66:18-20; Matt. 20:14-16; Lk 13:24-30
“There was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like an emerald.”   Ezekiel 1:26-28 Vs 26:  Upon the throne in this vision is “the likeness as the appearance of a man.”   Vs 28 The brightness that surrounds the Throne has the appearance of the rainbow.  Now notice, “This was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of the Lord.”   Perhaps this union of what appears to be the “Son of Man” on the Throne, and the Glory surrounding the Throne is the envisioning the Union of all the Covenant purposes of the Father in Christ.  Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His Throne.”  Christ is the Glory of the Father!!!  (John 1:14; Eph 1:3-12)

Isaiah 42:6   All of the Covenant assurances to the Family of God and to all of creation are found, sealed, and assured in Christ Jesus.
“I the LORD have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a Covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.”  See also Isaiah 49:8; 60:1-3; Luke 2::30-31

Hebrews 6:13-7:3   God’s immutable oath, in which it is impossible for Him to lie (vs 17-18) our strong consolation, our refuge of hope that is set before us.  Hebrews 7:21 “For those priests, (Levitical) were made without an oath, but this priest with an oath by Him that said to Him, The LORD sware and will not repent, Thou art a Priest after the order of Melchisedec.”  Notice vs 19, “But the bringing in a better hope, by which we draw nigh to God.”
So what are the “two immutable things”?
1.  God’s only Begotten Son is declared our King of Righteousness, our King of Peace. 7:2
2.  The Son of God, by God’s oath of office, “abides a priest continually-eternally. 7:3 & 16-17 “Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”  (See 1 John 1:1-3)

Remember: Abraham’s encounter with Melchisedec (Genesis 14:18-20) was before his dream of “cutting the covenant”(Gen. 15:8-18), killing the animals that were used in the tabernacle shadow worship of the “Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth.”(Rev. 13:8) 
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ (Gen. 15), the law, 430 years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of no effect.”
Hebrews 2:16 “For verily He took not on him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.(The seed of faith)  Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make a reconciliation for the sins of the people.”
Matthew 28:26-28 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, And brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take eat; this is my body.  And the took the cup, and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Is Christ Jesus your covenant with the Father? “No man cometh to the Father, but by me.”
God has given us His Word!!!  He cannot Lie!!!  (John 1:1-2, 14:6; Hebrews 1:1-2)

​2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He has made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him."
"If I were to reduce the whole Gospel of God to one word, I believe that one word would be "transfer". All my salvation lies in that word. My transgression is transferred to Christ; He is charged with it; and His Righteousness, which is the very Righteousness of God, is transferred to me, and I am to put it on and wear it, and go to God in it." Joseph Irons 1785-1852

There is more to Resurrection than resurrection!!!

Romans 5:8-11   Vs 10: ”We shall be saved by His Life.”

Romans 6:3-11   Vs 5: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His  death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection.”  
Vs 10-11:   “In that He Liveth, He Liveth UNTO God.”   Vs 11 “Reckon yourselves....alive UNTO God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Note: Resurrection in Christ Life is an UNTO GOD LIFE.  Flesh “life” is to exist unto self, my will, my needs, my safety, my control, my reputation, my exaltation!

Romans 7:4 “You are dead to the law (it’s guilt, condemnation, punishment) by the Body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him Who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit UNTO GOD!!!”

Romans 8:9-11   Focus here is the Resurrection Spirit of the Father, Vs 11
Vs 9   If we are Christ’s, the Spirit of God dwells in us.  But note: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His”
Vs 10 To have the Spirit to dwell in us is to have Christ dwelling in us!!! Jn 14:16-18.

Galatians 2:20 Vs 19 “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might LIVE UNTO  GOD.”
Vs 20   #1 If I am crucified with Christ, (planted in the likeness of His death), I live.
#2 But something is radically different!!  “It is not I, But Christ Lives in me.”
#3 The life I now live is this “day to day” flesh, this body, I live out of a new  “operating center”, the “Christ in me” center, the “UNTO GOD” center.
#4 The faith by which I live out of the “Christ in me” center is more than just my   fledgling faith.  I live by the faith of the Son of God, my Resurrected Jesus, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Hebrews 5:1-9 All of the above is the work of our Great High Priest, who lived His Life in the days of His Incarnation (as completely human as Divinely possible) in the faith and confidence of His oath of office as our Eternal Priest “after the order of Melchisedek”.
Vs 7  His “strong crying and tears” were perfectly human and sinless.  He possessed the full range of human emotions and proper desire of preservation, without  the controlling lust that grips us.  His control was the Will of His Father!!!
Was He saved from death?  Heb. 2:10-15 Note the statement of His Faith in vs 13: ”I will put my trust in Him.”

Colossians 1:27   This is the glorious mystery of the Gospel, Christ in you, the hope of Glory.”

Philippians 3:3   This UNTO GOD LIFE is the resurrection life our Christ Jesus purchased for us through His Own Blood.  This is our faith mark of that life.  “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, Rejoice in Christ Jesus, AND HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.”  Our flesh contributes nothing to this life!!!