Of the cross - צ
All of the parables and riddles (and hidden pictures in literal history) speak of Christ and the cross where he exchanged his righteousness for our sin. [1]
To interpret them, the keys to understanding the teaching (to the kingdom of heaven) are the pictures of the cross. When Jesus told Peter that he would be given the keys to the kingdom, Jesus immediately started teaching him where the scriptures said that he must die. [2]
The cross is central to history and to God's revelation of himself through the Son. Through the cross we see the proper balance between holiness and love in the character of God.
Like the ayin ע the tsadi צ mixes holiness and grace. The ayin excluded the cross with the long stroke from the right focusing on grace. The tsadi צ has the long stroke from the left focusing on holiness and it hits the lower right corner representing the cross; where heaven meets man.
The word tsadi צד means 'provision', where the word ayin means 'depravity'. Tsadi is the righteousness of Christ which made a provision for us; the depraved ones. [3]
Notice how the ayin and tsadi are used when added to the word son 'bar' בר. 'Barats' ברצ becomes 'in approval' or by way of formation 'son bar of righteousness צ' , where berah ברע is 'in evil' or 'son of evil'. Here evil is excluding the cross from teaching.
We also see the two letters work together in the Hebrew word for tree, which is metaphorically the cross. 'Ets' עצ is the tree. Evil and righteousness together. Christ bore our sin on the tree.
The teaching of the cross is so important that when the Greek church only wanted to know the minimum to be Christian, Paul chose to preach nothing but the cross. [4] He didn't preach church growth and tithing. He didn't teach self-improvement. When he taught how to have a stronger marriage, he wasn't even talking about marriage; he was talking about Christ and the church. [5] He saw marriage as a living sermon about Christ and the church.
When he preached the cross, his sermons came from the Old Testament. He had no other scripture. The Bereans checked his teaching against the scriptures they had. [6] Jesus prophesied about Paul being the scribe taught in the ways of the kingdom. He knew the Old Testament, and now knew how to read them because he had seen Christ. [7]
Jesus spoke in parables and riddles of the cross. [8]
References
- ↑ Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
- ↑ Mt 16:21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
- ↑ 2Co 5:21 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.
- ↑ 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
- ↑ Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
- ↑ Ac 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
- ↑ Mt 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.
- ↑ Ps 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
