Yes — Christ willingly chose to die on the cross, though He was under no obligation to do so.
Les Feldick is emphatic that Christ was not forced to the cross — He had a choice, and He chose it out of love for us (Clip 1). God could have let the human race go or removed it from the earth entirely, but Christ willingly permitted Roman soldiers to crucify Him (Clips 1, 4). On the cross, God poured out His wrath for sin so that He could purchase mankind back to Himself (Clips 6, 7).
Philippians 2:8 — Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross — the clearest scriptural statement of His voluntary choice.
Romans 8:32 — God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us, showing the cross as God's deliberate provision.
Scripture presents Christ's crucifixion as an act of deliberate humility and obedience. Philippians 2:8 says that Christ, "being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." The passage Les cites emphasizes that the Creator God condescended to become a man and then to die the most humiliating death possible — the cross. In Romans 8:32, Scripture further says that God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." These verses show the cross as the place where the Son's humble obedience and the Father's deliberate giving came together.
Les Feldick teaches that Christ's death on the cross was completely voluntary and motivated by love. Jesus was willing to suffer crucifixion for only one reason — because He loved us — and He was not forced into it (Clip 1). God didn't have to redeem the human race; He could have let it go or simply removed it from the earth, but He chose the cross instead (Clip 1). The Creator of the universe permitted Roman soldiers to nail Him to the cross. Les stresses that Christ could have destroyed the entire Roman Empire with one word, but of His own volition He subjected Himself to suffering and death so that He could pour out salvation to the whole human race (Clips 2, 4). That, Les says, is grace. He also points out that Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to the most awful death ever contrived — the death of the cross (Clip 5). Les explains what made the cross unique: it was the Creator God on the cross, and there God poured out all of His wrath for sin. Every sin from Adam to the last person who will ever live was laid on Christ and judged (Clip 6). God did not spare His Son in order to purchase mankind back to Himself, for God never goes against His own holy and righteous principles (Clip 7). And the work was deeply personal — if you had been the only person on earth, Christ would still have gone through it (Clip 2).
Les Feldick makes it clear that Christ was not forced to die. As he puts it, "did He have to? No, He didn't have to." God didn't have to redeem the human race at all — He could have simply let mankind go, or removed the human race from the earth's experience altogether. But Christ willingly went through the death of the cross for one reason: because He loved us. The choice was His.
God is holy, righteous, and full of all knowledge, and He never goes against His own principles. Les teaches that because God is who He is, He knows what has to be done to reconcile fallen man back to Himself. On the cross, God poured out all of His wrath for sin — every sin from Adam to the last person who will ever live was laid on Christ and God judged it. That finished work, Les insists, is the basis for everything God does on our behalf.
According to Les, the cross was God's means of purchasing mankind back to Himself and making salvation available to the whole human race. Christ didn't merely put the human race under an umbrella — He died for every individual. Les drives this home with the thought that if you had been the only person on earth, Christ would still have gone through the work of the cross for you. That is what he calls personal salvation.
The same willingness to set aside personal interests marks the believer's walk. Les applies this in the context of Christian liberty: if a believer sees nothing wrong with eating meat, but a weaker believer would be caused to stumble by it, then for that brother's sake the believer should give it up. The principle — putting the other person's good ahead of your own liberty — mirrors the self-giving love that sent Christ to the cross.
Believer's Liberty Set Aside for Others
Les applies the principle of setting aside personal liberty for the sake of a weak believer — the same self-giving attitude that took Christ to the cross is to govern how believers treat one another.
Death Chosen Out of Love
Les teaches that Jesus was willing to suffer crucifixion for one reason — because He loved us — and that He didn't have to do it; God could have let the human race go.
The Creator Permits the Cross
Les teaches that the Creator of the universe permitted Roman soldiers to nail Him to the cross, and that if you were the only person on earth, Christ would still have died for you.
Because He Loved Mankind
Les teaches that the God of creation became flesh, suffered, and died on a Roman cross for one reason — because He loved mankind.
Of His Own Volition
Les teaches that Christ could have destroyed the Roman Empire with one word, but of His own volition He permitted the crucifixion in order to pour out salvation on the human race.
Obedient to the Death of the Cross
Les cites Philippians 2:8 — Christ humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the most awful death ever contrived, the death of the cross.
God's Wrath for Sin Poured Out
Les teaches that on the cross God poured out all His wrath for sin — every sin from Adam to the last person was laid on Christ and judged.
Purchasing Mankind Back to God
Les teaches that God did not spare His Son so He could purchase mankind back to Himself, reconciling fallen man without violating His holy and righteous principles.
Philippians 2:8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Les cites this verse to show that Christ's death on the cross was an act of humble, voluntary obedience.
Romans 8:32: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Les refers to God not sparing His Son as the basis for purchasing mankind back to Himself.
Yes. Les teaches that Christ could have destroyed the entire Roman Empire with one word if He had wanted to, but of His own volition He let them nail Him to the cross. He permitted it because He was ready to pour out salvation to the whole human race.
Les says Christ did not just put the human race under an umbrella — He died for every individual. If you had been the only person on earth, Christ would still have gone through the work of the cross for you.
Crucifixion was the most awful death ever contrived, Les says, and Christ became obedient to it. On that cross God poured out all His wrath for sin — all sin from Adam to the last person was laid on Christ and judged.
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