CALVIN – THE INSTITUTES
"In order to remove our condemnation, it was not enough for Christ to endure just any kind of death. To obtain our ransom, it was essential to choose a type of death in which He could deliver us, both by undertaking our expiation and also by giving Himself up to condemnation.”

THE LAW, NOT LAWLESSNESS, HAD JESUS EXECUTED
“If Christ had been cut down by assassins or killed in a rebellion, there could have been no satisfaction. But when He stands as a criminal at the bar of justice and witnesses are brought to give evidence against Him, and the judge condemns Him to death, we see Him taking on the character of an offender. When Christ was led away from the judgment seat to execution and was crucified between two criminals, we have a fulfillment of the prophecy. He was numbered with the transgressors.” (Isa 53:12, Mark 15:27, 28)

WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY
“Why did it have to be this way? So that He might bear the character of a sinner, not a just or innocent person who was cut down by an assassin. The trial demonstrates the guilt that was heaped on Him. On the other hand, Pilate, who condemned Him, was forced to bear public testimony to His innocence. The same judge who condemned also declared Him innocent. So we see Christ taking on the character of a sinner and a criminal, while at the same time His innocence shines out. It becomes obvious that He is suffering for another’s crime and not His own. It is really important to remember that Christ has taken our place, so that we may not spend all our lives in trepidation and anxiety, as if the punishment we deserve, but which the Son of God took to Himself, was still hanging over us.”

TRUTH

Prior to knowledge, truth is what really happened; the way it is; who did it; was the universe created, or was it just always here;what is the truth? Knowledge is finding the truth, without truth there can be no knowledge. If truth does not exist, the only knowledge you need is how you feel about what is right or wrong for you. "truth" can be heart breaking, or the greatest news you have ever heard. "truth" the way it is, this implies "absolute" - what is true for one is true for all. This is known as absolute truth, unconditional, never changes, not dependant on whether it is believed or not. Truth is the source of knowledge. The source of truth is the Bible. The source of the bible is God, we can go back no further than Genesis 1:1.

Jesus before Pilate
When Pilate said, "I find no fault in this man," Pilate was telling it like it is. (John 18:38). He was telling the truth. We can't make something true because we believe it to be so (Proverbs 3:5, 19:21,). Contrary beliefs are possible but contrary truths are not possible. An unexamined faith is not worth believing. Christians believe Christ rose from the dead, while Muslims believe He never even died. Muslims believe Christ was the Son of Heaven and taken up bodily to Heaven by God; thus rejecting His atoning death.
If you were on a jury to determine the guilt or innocence of a man, even though you did not see the crime of which he is accused, after listening to the evidence could you come to a verdict as to his guilt or innocence? Truth is found by looking at the evidence. John 14:8-11 - Jesus said to a sceptical Phillip, look at the evidence and you will believe.

Absolute Truth Implies At Least Two Things

1. That whatever is true at one time and in one place is true at all times and in all places.

2. That whatever is true for one person is true for all persons.

Absolute truth never changes, relativists say what is true for me may not be true for you.

The Bible was written to people of the time which they lived, absolute truth means if it was true for them, it is also true for us; it is never outdated. (Isaiah 40:8)

Truth is Discovered

truth is not invented or voted on, but is discovered. It exists independent of anyone's knowledge of it.

We cannot make something true because we wish it that way or believe it so.

contrary Beliefs
Contrary beliefs are possible, but contrary truths are not possible.

Jesus Said
"I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME" (John 14:6). When Jesus says no one comes to the Father except through me, He is defining the word "truth." It has one meaning, truth cannot mean one thing today and something else in the future. His statement is international and just as true to future generations as when He said it. (See Psalm 119:89,90 and I Timothy 1:15.)

HOW DO YOU SAY GOOD-BYE?

Ecc 3: 11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

Your doctor has just told you that your illness is fatal; you have but a short time to live. You had hoped that when you died it would be sudden, but for some this is not to be. The doctor tells you that you have enough time to take care of important matters. If you have relationships that need mending, you must do it now. The time has come to say your good-byes to friends and loved ones. This must be done quickly; you know you do not have a lot of time to left.

This story played out  when my wife was visiting her cousin at the hospital. While she was there, the doctor came in and stood at the foot of her bed and said, “You have fought this cancer as hard as you could, and we have done all that we could for you; but now it’s time to say your good-byes. You only have a short time left! If you have relationships that need mending and want to say good- bye to family and friends, you must do it now.” The doctor then turned and left the room. My wife said, “It was the coldest thing I ever heard.” Nevertheless just a few hours later, she died with my wife at her side. It was obvious that this was not the first time the doctor stood at the foot of the bed of a dying person and made this speech.

Hebrews 9: 27 “And as it is appointed unto men to die once, but after this the judgment.” The Bible tells us we are all going to die, but does not tell us how or when we will keep this appointment.
For the Christian, dying is not a problem, but the last hours before we depart this world could be quite a different story. How do we say good-bye? What are the important things we need to take care of in the short time we have left?

I’ve given a lot of thought to this. How would I say good-bye? I must first determine what really is important! So what would be important to me as I lay on my deathbed waiting for the end?
Here is the scenario; I look down the road and try to picture myself between 85 and 90 years old lying in a hospital bed. The doctor has just left my room on his way to tell my family I have only a short time to live and this will be their last visit with me. I know they will be in here in just a few minutes. I have to think fast; what should I say? I think to myself that my last conversation with them should be meaningful and humble. Perhaps an apology for something would be a good idea. No, this sounds too much like a condemned man asking his victims for forgiveness right before his execution. I should have been taking notes in preparation for this day. I thought for sure I would die much younger of a sudden heart attack. However, it did not happen, so here I am waiting to deal with a final good-bye and wondering if I should tell them the truth. Will they be able to handle the truth? Now as I lie here looking back, I can say that I loved every minute of my life - even the things I did wrong, even the things they did wrong. My love for the life God gave me and the gift of my family was a love that never considered abandonment, no matter the circumstances.

How do I tell them that I die without remorse? Certainly there have been failures, and things I could have done better. Somehow, some way, God appropriates even the wrongs and the failures, along with the good I have done throughout my life, to make something that is beautiful to Him. Understanding the work that God does in us from beginning to end is an undiscoverable mystery. Thank God that we cannot go back and change anything, or we would all go back to do things differently. To go back in time and try to right the wrongs would only serve to soil the perfect work of God’s grace. Going back is not allowed; the importance of the past is to learn from it. God has designed us to move only toward the future.

I sit here at my keyboard and try to visualize my last few moments alone and ask myself what would be important. My time is getting shorter. My family will be coming through the door any minute, and I am still not prepared for my final good-bye. Certainly, I will say I love them, but will that be enough? Would they be shocked if I told them I learned more from my failures and the bad choices I made than from what I did right? That I now see how the things I wished I could change were important to my future growth and development in God’s plan for my life. How honest should I be? This is my last shot and I want to get it right, but then again this is their last shot too. How will those who knew me best remember me? Will I lie there in my final moments and think about this?

I hope I will be remembered as a man who loved and cherished his wife and children with an unwavering love. I hope my brothers and sisters will remember me as a brother who never abandoned them in spite of sibling squabbles. I hope those who knew me best will not remember me as a man who only chose for my friends people who pleased me.

No, I am not on my deathbed, just trying to get a head start on the final details before I depart on that great and wondrous day when I go home to be with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I would like to close out this article with these final words.

Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.” (NKJ)

Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (NKJ)