Everything about the cross event was bent to the task of pressuring Jesus toward self-preservation. The core essence of God’s character was under siege. The pivotal question of the ages hung before men and angels, Who is the Ruler of the universe? What is He really made of at heart? Will His love prove itself a sham under pressure, or will He plunge to the deepest depths of total self-sacrifice for others? He could have saved Himself and abandoned us to our selfishness and hate. But He simply, profoundly, chose not to.