Significance of the Cross
When Jesus was put to death on the cross, the devil thought as usual another man is swallowed up in the grave. As for the wicked men, it was as if they just executed a troublemaker disturbing their religious beliefs and threatening some political positions.
What they never knew was that, the cross was God’s plan for redemption from the very beginning. It was an alter for the sharing of the blood of the lamb.
GOD DEALS WITH ALL SIN THROUGH THE CROSS
The first significance of the cross at the blindside of the Satan and his cohorts was that, God was dealing with all the sin of man, sorrows and sufferings which were being carried by the descendants of Adam. These dealings of God is seen in these manners.
God Reveals His Power through the Cross
18 FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT PERISH FOOLISHNESS; BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD. 1 COR 1:18 – KJV
It is obvious that man need power to dominate over creation, after all, he was created to subdue everything in heaven, on earth and in the sea. He threw this to the dogs when he sinned. The power to subdue is restored by the cross.
Paul wrote;
FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK. ROM 1:16 – KJV
2. God demonstrated His love for us on the Cross
How many fathers continuously show love towards their wayward children. God did not wait for us to return back to him, rather in the midst of our sins he loved us by sending his only begotten son.
BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. ROM 5:8 – KJV
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. JOHN 3:16 – KJV
3. God Removed our Sorrows on the Cross
The cross symbolizes how God has dealt with our pains and sorrows. Our infirmities and diseases of all kinds which so easily break us into pits of sorrows were canceled on the cross.
SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS, AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS: YET WE DID ESTEEM HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN OF GOD, AND AFFLICTED. ISA 53:4 – KJV
4. Jesus took away the Punishment for our Sins on the Cross
Isaiah in his prophecy about the Messiah says Jesus took away the punishment for our peace. Every trouble, affliction, disease meant to stand in our way of peace is dealt with in the journey to the cross.
BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES: THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM; AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
6 ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL. ISA 53:5-6 – KJV
NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THE CROSS
The Bible demonstrates further the importance of the cross in talking about the relationship between the creator and mankind. The righteous and the holy God could not share fellowship with the sinful man.
The heart of a sinful man cannot habour the Spirit of God neither can man live in the presence of God. So Jesus did not only suffer for our sin by the cross but he also made it possible for us to know God personally and to experience his love, peace and joy in fellowship with Him.
We become Acceptable to God through the Cross
Jesus took our place of sin and separation, He exchanged this with His righteousness. So that we can have a right standing with God. You are going to be intentional here. God want to see you boldly enter into his presence because of what took place on the cross.
FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. 2 COR 5:21 – KJV
2. We have receive forgiveness through the cross
13 WHO HATH DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS, AND HATH TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON: 14 IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, EVEN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS: COL 1:13-14 – KJV
3. We have become Members of God’s Family through the Cross
Amazingly, we are made a family of God, Jesus called us brothers. From being the enemies of God to new life in Christ Jesus, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Jesus is not ashamed of us, neither is God. We are His and He is ours.
11 FOR BOTH HE THAT SANCTIFIETH AND THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED ARE ALL OF ONE: FOR WHICH CAUSE HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO CALL THEM BRETHREN,
12 SAYING, I WILL DECLARE THY NAME UNTO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH WILL I SING PRAISE UNTO THEE. HEB 2:11-12 – KJV
4. Racial Barriers are Broken Through the Cross
Let’s read how Paul put this in his epistle to the church of Ephesians.
13 BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR AWAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
14 FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, WHO HAS MADE THE TWO ONE AND HAS DESTROYED THE BARRIER, THE DIVIDING WALL OF HOSTILITY, 15 BY ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE LAW WITH ITS COMMANDMENTS AND REGULATIONS. HIS PURPOSE WAS TO CREATE IN HIMSELF ONE NEW MAN OUT OF THE TWO, THUS MAKING PEACE, 16 AND IN THIS ONE BODY TO RECONCILE BOTH OF THEM TO GOD THROUGH THE CROSS, BY WHICH HE PUT TO DEATH THEIR HOSTILITY. EPH 2:11-17 – NIV
FREEDOM THROUGH THE CROSS
Jesus’ death on the cross was a great victory for us. Because God dealt with our sin on the cross, it means also that all the misery and the suffering which is a result of the sin was also dealt with.
In the following seven scriptures we consider how the cross has won us freedom.
1 Freedom from Satan
AND HAVING SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, HE MADE A SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT. COL 2:15 – KJV
2. Freedom from Past Sins
36 IF THE SON THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YE SHALL BE FREE INDEED. JOHN 8:36 – KJV
3. Freedom from Present Sins
FOR SIN SHALL NOT BE YOUR MASTER, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE. ROM 6:14 – NIV
4. Freedom from Sickness
If you are reading this article with a kind of tumor, cancer, or any form of disorder, I announce to you that your healing was part of the package. Jesus took the cross through the street of Jerusalem and ended up on Golgotha that what is humanly not curable could be healed.
All things are possible for him who believe.
THIS WAS TO FULFILL WHAT WAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH:
“HE TOOK UP OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED OUR DISEASES.” MATT 8:17 – NIV
5. Freedom from the Curse
In disobedience, man inherited curses from the fall and the law. The cross is a solution, He was made a curse for us to receive blessings.
13 CHRIST HATH REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, CURSED IS EVERY ONE THAT HANGETH ON A TREE: GAL 3:13 – KJV
6. Freedom from the Judgment
THEN CHRIST WOULD HAVE HAD TO SUFFER MANY TIMES SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. BUT NOW HE HAS APPEARED ONCE FOR ALL AT THE END OF THE AGES TO DO AWAY WITH SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. 27 JUST AS MAN IS DESTINED TO DIE ONCE, AND AFTER THAT TO FACE JUDGMENT, HEB 9:26-27 – NIV
7. Freedom from Everlasting Death
16 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. JOHN 3:16 KJV
LOVE AND JUSTICE MEET AT THE CROSS
The cross provides a place where the love of God and his righteous justice meet. His judgement demand death for our sin, a wage which was duly paid by Christ, through the shedding of his blood, His love met this standard. Both His demand for Justice and provision of love solved our plague.
BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.
9 MUCH MORE THEN, BEING NOW JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM.
10 FOR IF, WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES, WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON, MUCH MORE, BEING RECONCILED, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE.
11 AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED THE ATONEMENT. – ROM 5:8-11 – KJV
THE CROSS IS THE CENTRE OF THE HISTORY
Closing my article, I end on this note that, the bible emphatically portrays the Cross as the centre of the history. Tracing back from the fall to the resurrection of Jesus, every verse audibly speaks that this was pre-planned by God.
Even in the face of man’s accounts outside the bible, Jesus Christ is known of what He did on the Cross and its effect than his 33 years of life. We are only required to received everything done by the Lord by Faith.
Join me in this confession;
I FULLY TRUST IN WHAT GOD INTENDED FOR ME WHEN HE PUT HIS ONLY SON ON THE CROSS FOR ME. I BELIEVE, I AM SAVED, HEALED, BLESSED AND EMPOWERED FOR EVERY GOOD WORKS. THEREFORE, I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, FOR IT IS THE POWER FOR THE SALVATION OF MY SPIRIT, THE RENEWING OF MY MIND AND THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S GLORY IN MY BODY. HALLELUJAH.
For Testimonies, questions and contributions, don’t hesitate in giving me some comments. For Reviews contact me on sampson@pentbooks.com
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