The Cross

Reading Time: 6 minutes

There is no greater expression of love than for a person to give their own life to save another. Jesus, God’s Son, left Heaven and came to earth to die on the cross for us! He paid the ultimate price so we could be free from eternal punishment and live a new life through the Holy Spirit.

Savior

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But— When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:3-7 NLT

The name, Jesus, means “The Lord is Salvation.” The Word says that Jesus was made the sacrifice for our sins when the earth was created. That’s how much God loved us. From the beginning He had a plan to rescue us! When God makes a promise He keeps His Word. So, at the right time, Jesus came to save us.

The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NIV

For hundreds of years the Jewish priest obeyed God and made many lamb sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. Now we now know that they only represented the true Lamb of God, the Messiah. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price– once for everyone! He was the sinless Lamb of God!

Redeemer

But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings… Galatians 3:13a GNT

To redeem means to make an exchange for something valuable. We were cursed and doomed to hell, but God considered us so valuable that He gave His only Son to die in our place! The Father wanted us forgiven, free and close to His heart. That curse can only be broken when we believe that Jesus is our Redeemer!

Reconciler

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. Romans 5:8-11 NET

To reconcile means to restore a relationship from a bad one to a good and loving one. Sin separated us from God, but when Jesus died on the cross He made it possible for us to be one with God. Our faith in Jesus as the Reconciler brings us into right relationship with God.

Healer

 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:5. NLT

Jesus was beaten and crucified to take our sins and diseases in His body. God loves us and wants us to be whole in every way. So we can believe God for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing because of the cross!

High Priest

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17 NIV

Once a year, God required the Jewish High Priest to make the atonement sacrifice for the sins of all the people. They made many other sacrifices for sin as well. But when Jesus came, He was the High Priest who laid down His own life as the atoning blood sacrifice– once for all people. That means Jesus Himself paid the price of reparations for all the sin anyone ever did or would ever do. And because He came alive again three days later, we can go straight to Jesus, our High Priest, in prayer and ask Him to forgive our sin!

Advocate

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2 NIV

An advocate is someone who pleads a case for another person like a lawyer would do in court. So, because we have a relationship with our Advocate, Jesus Christ, He will defend us on Judgment Day. We can be confident that if we have accepted the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and have repented of our sins, He knows our hearts and will joyfully defend us. If we choose to follow Jesus for the rest of our lives, our Lawyer will never leave our side! We’re safe now and for eternity with Jesus as our Advocate!

King

And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27:37 NKJV

Those who crucified Jesus placed a plaque at the top of the cross stating that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews. He was the King but they didn’t recognize Him because pride got in their way. Perhaps that is one reason Jesus came to earth at that time. He had to die for the sin of the world. If the hearts of the Jewish religious leaders had been tender they would have recognized Jesus as God’s Son and wouldn’t have crucified Him. What the devil meant for evil, God turned around for good! Because they crucified Jesus, anyone in the world who believes can know Him as Savior and King!

We praise You, Jesus, for the cross and for your amazing grace! Thank You for Your amazing love and for the promise that You will never leave us. We look forward to the day when we see you face to face in all of Your majesty! Until then, empower us to live and love like You for Your Kingdom and Your glory!

As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1-2 GNT