THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS
“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 NKJV)
The gospel of Christ is essentially the message of the Cross. The Cross occupies a preeminent and central place in the Christian faith.
Christianity without the Cross is void of power and it is just another vain religion or man’s futile effort to approach God and to earn God’s salvation on his own terms.
For the believers, the Cross is much more than a wooden vertical stake on which Jesus Christ died. It is neither a physical ornament for decoration nor a symbol for ceremonial purposes.
What are the spiritual significances of the Cross of Christ?
First, the Cross of Christ is God’s ultimate revelation and demonstration of His love to the fallen and sinful mankind.
The Cross of Christ bares God’s heart to us. It perfectly portrays and conveys God’s agape love – selfless, sacrificial and unconditional love – to the sons of men.
Christ’s death on the Cross is the highest expression of God’s love to us. The Cross reveals, manifests, magnifies and declares God’s love to us.
We would not have known and understood how much God loved us if not that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die a shameful and painful death on the Cross for our sins.
Therefore, the message of the Cross is the message of God’s unconditional love towards undeserving sinners.
The Scripture clearly affirms this truth.
1 John 3:16 – NKJV
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 4:10 – NKJV
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 5:8 – NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Second, the Cross is the place of atonement for our sins.
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain and offered on the Cross as the propitiation or atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
The Cross of Christ speaks of forgiveness of our sins!
The Scripture states that Christ “Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 NKJV).
It was at the Cross of Jesus that divine judgement and mercy kissed. On the Cross, Jesus received the full wages of our sins and rebellion to God which is death and then offered us full forgiveness and everlasting life in exchange.
Romans 6:23 – NKJV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The wrath of God against all our ungodliness and unrighteousness was perfectly and permanently appeased or satisfied by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.
The Cross speaks of God’s mercy towards us!
On the Cross, Jesus took and bore all the shame, condemnation, curses, sicknesses, and evil consequences of our sins.
The cross speaks of our full redemption!
The Scripture amply testifies to this truth.
Matthew 8:17 – NKJV
17 He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.
Isaiah 53:5 – NKJV
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
No man could earn God’s love, acceptance, favour, or salvation by his performance, self-righteousness, or good works. Why?
Because “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isa. 64:6 NKJV).
The Cross of Jesus Christ bridged the wide gulf between the Holy God and sinful man. We are reconciled to God through Jesus’ death on the Cross.
The Cross of Christ speaks of our reconciliation with God; it stands for peace with God!
Paul clearly states this truth.
2 Corinthians 5:18 – NKJV
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
Therefore, the message of the Cross is the message of forgiveness, mercy, reconciliation and peace.
Third, the Cross of Christ is God’s means of giving mankind complete victory over Satan.
The Cross is God’s instrument for defeating Satan and for destroying all his works in our lives.
Through His death on the Cross, Jesus had nullified all the grounds on which the devil could attack us; “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:14-15 NKJV).
The Cross of Christ speaks of our victory over Satan and all his demons and works!
Through Jesus’ death on the Cross the dominion of the devil over us has been destroyed. All those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are now free from the fear and bondage of the devil and death. Hallelujah!
The Scripture clearly states this truth.
Hebrews 2:14 – NKJV
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
The Cross of Christ reveals God’s power over Sin and Satan!
Paul testifies to this truth.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – NKJV
18 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.
The Cross of Christ is God’s instrument for releasing mankind from the bondage of Sin and Satan. Therefore, the message of the Cross is the message of the defeat of Satan and our triumph over Sin and Satan through Christ.
Lastly, the Cross of Christ is the spiritual gateway to God’s blessings.
The curse of the law was terminated at the Cross. The power of sin over us was broken at the Cross of Christ.
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The life of the old man (your old sinful self) was snuffed out at the Cross (Rom. 6:6).
The Cross of Christ releases God’s supernatural life to man. The Cross is the birthplace of the New Creation in Christ. Hallelujah!
Therefore, the message of the Cross is the message of God’s blessings made available to all mankind at the expense of Christ.
Beloved, all the blessings of the Cross of Christ are still available to you today. You can receive and experience God’s mercy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, or redemption today if you believe in and confess Jesus Christ today as your personal Saviour and Lord.
If you embrace the Cross of Christ and let it work daily in you by reckoning yourself to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus you will continuously and increasingly manifest Christ-life.
God wants you to embrace, demonstrate and proclaim the message of the Cross with all your strength and your lifestyle.
Don’t shun the message of the Cross, for it is the power of God unto salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – NKJV
18 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.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of the Cross of Christ which are still available to me today in Christ Jesus. I receive, possess and walk in all the blessings of the Cross of Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.