The Cross

What Do You See?

You’ve seen a thousand in your life but do you know what they mean?  Do you see a piece of jewelry?  Perhaps, a religious icon: the identifying symbol of Christianity?  What do you see when you look at a cross? Do you remember that it was an ancient form of torture? I believe the answer to this simple question is key to living life the way God destined.  Your answer determines everything!

We must not let the Cross of Christ become yesterday’s news!  It is always today’s headline! It would be difficult to read the Bible and miss the centrality of the Cross. The Old Testament points toward it, and the New Testament celebrates it. Just read the Book of Revelation. It is a display of Heaven’s obsession with Jesus’ work on the Cross.

We cannot afford to let the Cross of Christ become yesterday’s news! It must remain today’s headline! Click To Tweet

Paul expresses the New Testament’s conviction that any boast of victory can only legitimately be “..in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Galatians 6:14] Moved by this truth, Dottie Rambo penned these powerful words: “I boast not of works or tell of good deeds, For naught have I done to merit His grace, All glory and praise shall rest upon Him, So willing to die in my place.” Allow me to take a few moments of your time and boast of what I see when I see a Cross.

God Hates Sin! 

First, I see how much God hates sin! Anyone who takes a good look at the death of Christ can never believe that God takes a casual approach to sin! He hates it! It grieves Him deeply. Dean Harvey made this observation, “The cross is a one-time visual representation of God’s grief over sin.” Jesus came to earth to take our sin as His own and pay the penalty of sin on our behalf.

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” Notice the phrase, “did not spare.” We find this phrase concerning the judgment of God toward the sin of Egypt [Psalm 78:50], the sin of Israel [Romans 11:21], judgment toward Angels who sinned [2 Peter 2:4], judgment on Noah’s generation [2 Peter 2:5] and then of Jesus. Why does Jesus make the list of those who suffered the wrath of God? Simply answered, sin. Not His own but yours and mine.

Dean Harvey said it this way, “The cross is a one-time visual representation of God’s grief over sin.” Click To Tweet

God Loves Sinners!

When I see the cross, I see how much God hates sin, but I also see how much He loves sinners! The Sinless Savior took our sin, and in mercy paid the awful price of justice! [See 2 Corinthians 5:21] He didn’t do this because we were noble and good but simply because He loves us! “Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”[Romans 5:7-8]

When Jesus says, “I love you!” He means it! And we know this is true because of the cross. Billy Graham expressed it beautifully, “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, “I love you.”  Never doubt His love for you! Every time you see the cross – see His love for the whole world and for you as an individual!

Billy Graham expressed it beautifully, “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, “I love you.” Click To Tweet

There’s Just One Way! 

Thirdly, when I see a cross, I see the only way to get to God and the future He has for me! In the era of modern plurality, the truth the Apostles first proclaimed still stands! “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”[Acts 4:12 NLT] Jesus’ words still ring out, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”[John 14:6] It is no secret that all have sinned and Scripture teaches plainly that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Gospel is transformational! The Holy Spirit says, “Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God.”  [See I Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 3:23] Hallelujah!  We are not who we were because of the Cross! Jesus saves!

Real Life!

Remember these words? “The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”[John 10:10] When I see the Cross, I see forgiveness, freedom, victory, and life for all who embrace Jesus! The Cross is the signpost pointing to the life available to all who call on the name of Jesus!  Experience life beyond humanity. Here the impossible is made possible. It is God’s life in quantity and quality; both eternal and abundant! It is for the age to come and for the days we live in right now! In Jesus, I find my healing and restoration! In Christ, I discover real victory over self, sin, and satan. Wholeness is mine spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, relationally, financially and any other area you can name.  Praise God!  He forgives my sin. He breaks the curse. The enemy is defeated, and we are children of God through the work of Jesus!

What do you see when you see the Cross? The Cross says it all. Jesus won! He finished it. Christ overcame sin and self. He whipped the devil, disease, and death. He rose, ascended to the Father and sent back His very Spirit to dwell in us, teach us and empower us. The Cross isn’t yesterday’s news for the believer – it is today’s headline!

When I see the Cross, I see forgiveness, freedom, victory, and life for all who embrace Jesus! Click To Tweet