"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:8
Death on a Roman cross was the lowest form of humiliation. Physically, Jesus could go no lower to demonstrate his interest in saving sinners. The death of our Lord Jesus, however, included more than the pain of cruel cuts, brazen bruises, troubling thorns and series of suffocation. It also involved drinking the cup of God's wrath.
During the three hours of darkness, when men were shut out from Calvary, Jesus underwent hell for His people. Satan was there and all the forces of hell battled against the Son of God. Devils seethed at the One who came to set sinners free from the kingdom of darkness. God the Father was there too, as the judge of all the earth. He meted out inflexible justice in its demand for full payment for man's sin.
Once Jesus became loaded with the sins of His people - for God made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us - He became the object of God's wrath and indignation. In the mysterious merge between God's love and His righteous indignation, it pleased the Father to bruise Him. God took the sword of justice and ran it through His Son. Because the wages of sin is death nothing less than the ignominious death of God's Son on that cross would satisfy God's justice.
Praise God, divine justice was paid out in full. Jesus, we are told in this text, "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Christ came into the world to do His father's will, and that divine will was to fulfil all the obligations of a Saviour of sinners. He said it Himself, "The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
It was the work which the Father had given Him. There were no options and no alternatives. Jesus, therefore, set his face as a flint to go to Jerusalem knowing full well all that would befall him there.
Now, through the obedience of one man, many are made righteous. When Jesus was on that cross He suffered as our second Adam. He was our representative man. It was appointed by God that one should die for untold millions of souls. As the appointed servant of the Father and the perfect Saviour of sinners, Jesus was obedient unto death even the death of the cross.
Dying for me, Dying for me
There on the Cross, He was dying for me.
Christ on the Cross was obedient for me
He suffered the loss of His life on the tree
Payment he made for sin not His own
Now God's wrath for me is all gone.