The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
—1 Corinthians 1:18
Scripture:
I heard a story about a couple who visited a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various crosses, the woman commented, “I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?”
That’s what many people want today: a cross without Jesus. They want a cross without any offense—one that will look cool with their outfits. But the hard truth is that if we could travel back in time and see the cross in its original context, we would realize that it was a bloody and vile symbol. It would have been the worst picture imaginable to see someone hanging on a cross.
The Romans chose crucifixion because it was meant to be a slow, torturous way to die. It was designed to humiliate a person. The crucifixions outside Roman cities served as warnings to anyone who would dare oppose the rule of Rome.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). In other words, salvation and eternal life can be found only through Him. Many people today object to His words. They see John 14:6 as a statement of exclusivity and narrow-mindedness. But Jesus was simply explaining God’s plan of salvation.
Humankind’s decision to disobey God and pursue sin created an existential crisis with only one solution. To satisfy God’s perfect justice and wrath, a perfect sacrifice had to be offered in our place. Someone who had never sinned had to die in the place of everyone else who had. Only Jesus lived a sinless life. Only He had the power to conquer death. So, only He could save us.
If there had been any other way, do you think that God would have allowed His Son to suffer like that? If there had been any other way that we could have been forgiven, then God surely would have found it.
Jesus Himself prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39 NLT). He was talking about the cross and the unimaginable suffering that lay ahead. But God did not take it away from Him because there was no other way.
If living a good, moral life could get us to Heaven, then Jesus never would have died for us. But He did die. He had to pay the price for our sin. At the cross, Jesus purchased the salvation of the world.
If you ever were tempted to doubt God’s love for you, even for a moment, then take a long, hard look at the cross. Nails did not hold Jesus to that cross; His love did.
Reflection Question: How would you explain Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and God’s plan of salvation to an unbeliever? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!
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