In our christian faith, the cross and what happened at the cross is viewed as an act of redemption by god. there are many emotions that are had when we discuss the cross, but one that stands out the most is the emotion of extreme gratefulness. jesus christ, who came preaching salvation and working all kinds of miracles, was nailed to the cross in what appeared to be a final act according to his enemies and uncertainty and sadness for his followers in that day. but because we know today how the story went on the third day after his crucifixion, we understand that what happened at the cross was an act of LOVE – a literal miracle. see the whole purpose of jesus coming to the earth was for this very moment – to reconcile mankind to god. the cross is a point of intersection for all who believe. it is where our sins are exchanged with the great love of god. jesus took our place as sinners because the price was too high for us to bear our own sins. it was the sins of the whole world that he took upon himself and which were put to death through his sacrifice. The opportunity for eternal life was made available to all who would believe.
As a result of jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, death was ultimately defeated once and for all. For some outside of the faith, this may be a hard truth to accept, but for believers, we understand that if it had not been for the sacrifice of jesus and him being nailed to the cross, we would still be subject to defeat by death and spend an eternity without god.
When we look at how a crucifixion was carried out, we get a clearer picture of god’s LOVE for us. See crucifixion actually involved more than being nailed to a wooden beam. To start one was severely beaten and whipped almost to the point of death. then, he was made to carry his own cross, or his own instrument of death, to the location where the crucifixion was set to take place. once there he was stretched out onto the beam and then nailed to it. Yes, nails were actually hammered into the wrist of the person. the beam was raised into the air and the person was left to die a slow and painful death. Now this is a quick overview of a crucifixion because the details are really really gruesome. but jesus endured this gruesome and very public death so that those who would one day believe on him would receive eternal salvation and become a conqueror of death with him. this was literally LOVE in action.
the symbolism of the cross and what happened on the cross is so significant for all of mankind and for all of time. there are times that we, even as believers, take for granted what great sacrifice was made for our sins to be exchanged, or in legal terms, pardoned and for us to become members of god’s family. how we live daily reflects our awareness of the work completed at the cross. Sounds elementary maybe for someone who has been in the faith a while, but sometimes it’s good to revisit foundational truths as we continue to live and experience this life.
From a cruel and gruesome instrument of death, the cross became a symbol of eternal salvation for all who believe. this is the miracle of the cross!
Scripture references: john 1:29; john 19:17-30; galatians 2:20; Romans 5:6-11; john 14:6; hebrews 10:10; colossians 1:21,22; ephesians 2:8,9
Reflective Journal Prompts
take this time to reflect and journal using the following prompt questions. use this time for introspection and communion with god. feel free to leave a comment on the post but use your own journal to go deeper and to capture you thoughts on what was shared in the post.
Q: What does the story of the cross mean to you?
Q: how do you share the story of the cross with others?
Take time to write out a prayer of gratitude for what the cross means to you. make it personal as you think about your own sins – past, present, and even future.
