Some see the crucifixion as a tragedy, instead of a triumph. They see with human eyes a bloodied man and injustice; they miss the spiritual significance of someone who went there willingly, it was not a mistake.

Jesus in John 10:14-15 explains "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.' V.17-18 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. "No one 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 command I have received from My Father."

His instructions came from God, the Father, and he obeyed Him perfectly.

Heb 10:5-7 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- in the volume of the book it is written of Me-- to do Your will, O God.' "

The father did not desire the sacrificial system to continue, He sent the Son as a final and ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Rev. 13:8 tells us there is coming a time (called the Tribulation) where all, except believers in Jesus will worship another man. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

The “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” was God’s plan when He began to create the earth, God had a provision in his mind. God who sees the end with the beginning saw man sin and had a solution, but it would be millennia until it came to fruition.

Before God created anything He had the knowledge of all things and knew what the future would be. He did not intend the fall but was able to work through it by a plan that would extend through the ages. God had the conclusion from the beginning.

Isaiah expressing a type of Christ, prophesies of one who will come to earth and take away sin for God. in Isa. 6:7-10 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged." Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed." The last part Jesus quotes in his ministry (Jn.12:39).

Isa. 42:18-21 "Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant? Seeing many things, but you do not observe; opening the ears, but he does not hear." The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; he will exalt the law and make it honorable."

Heb.1:8-12 But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail."

Only one who is eternal can plan the course for mankind and accomplish as planned. The eternal one whom the Father calls the Son.

Isa. 48:16-17 "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me." Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

Here we have Jesus explaining whom He was with from the beginning (the Father and the Spirit), and who He is. He was the one sent to become the redeemer, the savior (Isa. 63:7-8).

Mt. 13:34-35 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Psalms 78:1 by Asaph).

Who can know such wonderful things except the eternal one himself?

Matt 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

God look down the corridor of time from the beginning of creation and had a kingdom in mind.

Eph 1:4 just as He has “chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”

Who is the him we were chosen in? The Son, who existed before the world was.

2 Tim 1:9-10 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”

There is a time coming where deception will grip all but a few in the world as the follow a false Messiah who will convince all but those chosen that he is Christ.

Rev. 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Its not that the lamb was actually slain before the world began because he had to become human (which only happened once). Its something that was worked out in the God’s mind as God knows the end before he starts the beginning. There is the plan and the execution of the plan in reality.

Just as we were predestined to have good works in Christ but had to be saved first to do them (Eph.2:10)

So too, Jesus was slain from the beginning of the world in god’s plan but was not actually slain until he was put on the Roman cross.

For this reason we read Phil. 2:8-11 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

1 Pet 1:19-21 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

As God sacrificed the first animal to cover Adam and Eve he gave His only Son for the final sacrifice for the sin of all.