One of the most misunderstood bible doctrines today is the cross. Here are 4 things everyone should know about the cross...
The bible and the cross
You will see many crosses wherever you travel in the world. Wooden crosses on buildings, gold crosses around people’s necks and even crosses used to mark religious buildings on a map. But there is only one cross that God places any value on and it is found in the bible,
‘the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ God clearly forbids us NOT to boast in anything else except,
‘the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ Galatians 6:14.
Astoundingly God announced the way His Son would die in the bible 1000 years before crucifixion was invented when David wrote prophetically of the cross,
‘They pierced my hands and my feet.’Psalm 22:16,
It was a real Roman cross on which Jesus died. Luke records,
‘When they were come to the place which is called Calvary there they crucified Him,’ Luke 23:33
BUT
It was the person nailed to that cross that is of eternal value.
John records He ‘must be lifted up.’ John 3:14 Jesus Christ came into the world to die on the cross.
The blood of His cross
The Romans crucified thousands of the worst criminals by this slow and cruel torture. Crucifixion meant certain death and bloodshed. It rendered the victim powerless and humiliated them publically. With Jesus Christ, Pilate the Roman governor made two great mistakes that people still make today. First, he rejected the Saviour of the world a man who by his own admission had done ‘nothing worthy of death,’ and secondly he assumed he had ultimate power over the Son of God. He was wrong; Jesus said, ‘thou coulds’t have no power over me except it were given thee from above.’ John 19:11. WHY then did Jesus Christ allow Himself to be subject to such a death,
‘even the death of the cross?’ Peter tells us,
‘Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18
Our sin separated us from God and incurred the penalty of eternal death. Your sin may provide pleasure and fun but you must still face God. He is Holy and cannot ignore your sin despite how good you think you are. We are ALL sinners, but on THE CROSS Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins by His death and if we repent and trust Him He will save us from our sins for the bible says,
‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' 1 John 1:7
The beauty of His cross
The cross displayed the hatred of the human heart as the secular and religious world were both guilty in their treatment of Jesus Christ. However it was a beautful display of God’s love for you and I as guilty sinners. You might say “the cross doesn’t matter because I wasn’t there when Christ died,” but what matters is that CHRIST was there - dying for your sins. Others may ask, “how could one person die for the sins of the whole world?” The bible tells us it’s because of who Christ is,
‘THE SON OF GOD, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20.
The beauty of this cross is that it was a victorious cross, for Christ defeated death and the third day rose from the dead. No one had ever seen a crucified man alive again, but death had no power over this sinless man. Christ is no longer hanging on a cross but seated in Heaven ready to save all who believe on Him.
Believing in the cross
The sacrifice offered on the cross was enough to satisfy God and save you. On the cross Christ said, “it is finished.” His death does not need to be added to or repeated. If the death of Christ is a payment enough for God why is it not enough for you?
‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Acts 16:31
“It is enough that Jesus died and rose again for me.”
The bible and the cross
You will see many crosses wherever you travel in the world. Wooden crosses on buildings, gold crosses around people’s necks and even crosses used to mark religious buildings on a map. But there is only one cross that God places any value on and it is found in the bible,
‘the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ God clearly forbids us NOT to boast in anything else except,
‘the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ Galatians 6:14.
Astoundingly God announced the way His Son would die in the bible 1000 years before crucifixion was invented when David wrote prophetically of the cross,
‘They pierced my hands and my feet.’Psalm 22:16,
It was a real Roman cross on which Jesus died. Luke records,
‘When they were come to the place which is called Calvary there they crucified Him,’ Luke 23:33
BUT
It was the person nailed to that cross that is of eternal value.
John records He ‘must be lifted up.’ John 3:14 Jesus Christ came into the world to die on the cross.
The blood of His cross
The Romans crucified thousands of the worst criminals by this slow and cruel torture. Crucifixion meant certain death and bloodshed. It rendered the victim powerless and humiliated them publically. With Jesus Christ, Pilate the Roman governor made two great mistakes that people still make today. First, he rejected the Saviour of the world a man who by his own admission had done ‘nothing worthy of death,’ and secondly he assumed he had ultimate power over the Son of God. He was wrong; Jesus said, ‘thou coulds’t have no power over me except it were given thee from above.’ John 19:11. WHY then did Jesus Christ allow Himself to be subject to such a death,
‘even the death of the cross?’ Peter tells us,
‘Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18
Our sin separated us from God and incurred the penalty of eternal death. Your sin may provide pleasure and fun but you must still face God. He is Holy and cannot ignore your sin despite how good you think you are. We are ALL sinners, but on THE CROSS Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins by His death and if we repent and trust Him He will save us from our sins for the bible says,
‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.' 1 John 1:7
The beauty of His cross
The cross displayed the hatred of the human heart as the secular and religious world were both guilty in their treatment of Jesus Christ. However it was a beautful display of God’s love for you and I as guilty sinners. You might say “the cross doesn’t matter because I wasn’t there when Christ died,” but what matters is that CHRIST was there - dying for your sins. Others may ask, “how could one person die for the sins of the whole world?” The bible tells us it’s because of who Christ is,
‘THE SON OF GOD, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20.
The beauty of this cross is that it was a victorious cross, for Christ defeated death and the third day rose from the dead. No one had ever seen a crucified man alive again, but death had no power over this sinless man. Christ is no longer hanging on a cross but seated in Heaven ready to save all who believe on Him.
Believing in the cross
The sacrifice offered on the cross was enough to satisfy God and save you. On the cross Christ said, “it is finished.” His death does not need to be added to or repeated. If the death of Christ is a payment enough for God why is it not enough for you?
‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Acts 16:31
“It is enough that Jesus died and rose again for me.”
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