“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–19 NIV)
The Cross of Christ is a powerful symbol of Christianity for good reason.
It represents the sacrifice Jesus paid to bring us forgiveness. It reminds us of Christ’s provision of eternal salvation to all who believe in Him. The Cross is where Jesus died for our sins.
The Cross is also a paradox.
When Jesus was crucified by the Romans in 33 A.D., crucifixion was known as one of the cruelest forms of capital punishment, putting torture and death on display for all to see. Suffering and dying on a cross was meant to be the ultimate deterrent that all Roman subjects would find repulsive. It was a shameful and incredibly painful way to die.
As the righteous, sinless Son of God, Jesus did not deserve to be treated as a criminal.
So, who was really on trial?
We were.
Jesus took our place, and our sins were imputed to Him on the Cross.
The Cross is beautiful to us because it’s where an incredible spiritual transaction took place between God and humanity. God’s Son took on our sins so He could make us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The Cross is beautiful to us because it’s where an incredible spiritual transaction took place between God and humanity.
What an exchange! Thank God for the Cross.
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6 NIV)
“’He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV)
Jesus knew the Cross was God’s plan to save us, and He willingly faced His arduous trial and crucifixion. Love motivated Him. He could have easily called His own angels to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53), but He wanted to rescue you and me, not Himself. Jesus loved you so much that He literally stretched out His arms and died for you. God proved His love for us on the Cross.
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT)
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8 NIV)
All of humanity has a sin problem that we cannot solve on our own. No one needs to teach us how to sin, be selfish, or hurt others…it just comes naturally. So does the guilt that follows sin.
A lifetime of sin and guilt will cause a lot of damage, but Jesus died to set us free from this terrible cycle. He shed His blood on the Cross to cancel our sin and guilt. Without the Cross, there would be no forgiveness, no salvation, no new spiritual birth. Because of the Cross, we have true redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV)
God put our sin on Jesus. Christ took our place and paid for our redemption through His own death. He didn’t deserve to be punished and die. We did. But He took our place so we could be forgiven and free from guilt and condemnation.
Paul proclaimed this message boldly when He preached the Gospel. “In Christ,” we are no longer condemned or guilty. All because of Christ and His complete work on the Cross.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 NIV)
The Cross is beautiful because of the perfect work Jesus did for us there. Jesus died for imperfect people, and we all qualify.
The Cross is where God offered this great grace exchange to all who put their faith in Christ: His righteousness for our sin. His forgiveness for our guilt. His peace for our unrest. His wholeness for our brokenness.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 NIV)
Thank God for what Jesus did for us on the Cross.
The Cross reminds us that it was God’s idea to help us, to save us, and ultimately to be punished for our sins. He did this without us earning it, working for it, or deserving it. Jesus wanted our salvation to rest on His finished work, not our best efforts.
The Cross has made this possible!
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