The Message of the Cross

What's the Big Deal about THE CROSS?

Have you ever asked that question before? You see it on jewelry, t-shirts, and certainly on church signage. It seems to be such a divisive emblem. Some embrace the cross while others despise it. So what is the big deal about the cross? The Bible asserts, "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 Corinthians 1:18). While the cross is the primary emblem of the church, it is what happened on the cross that makes it so special. The cross is where Jesus suffered the most excruciating death imaginable. Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross where he hung for hours until he gave up his life for you. It is the message of what happened on that cross that has the power to save. So what exactly is the message of the cross? And how can its message impact your life today?

The Message of the Cross is LOVE

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

True love is putting the needs of others ahead of our own. Because of our sin, our greatest need is to be spared from eternal judgment in a place Jesus called "Hell." Because of God's love for us, He set aside the glory of heaven to become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ. He came to this earth, lived a perfect life, loved His enemies, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and forgave the chiefest of sinners. For all this, Jesus was rejected of those whom He loved and came to redeem. He willingly sacrificed His life on the cross because His perfect blood was the price that had to be paid for man's redemption. One might ask why He would do such a thing. The simple answer is LOVE.


In John 15:13, Jesus Himself said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."


Jesus laid down His own life for you. He wore a crown of thorns for you. He bore the excruciating pain of the whips for you. He took every blow of the hammer as He was nailed to the cross for you. The only answer as to why He did so is that He LOVES you. His love for you is unconditional. He proved it when He gave His life for you.


The Message of the Cross is FORGIVENESS

"Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Luke 23:34

Forgiveness is the act of pardoning the offense of another. According to God's Word, our sin is an offense to God. He is perfect, holy, and righteous. Thus any act of sin is offensive to Him, and it is an offense that is worthy of eternal judgment. However, in the verse given above, Jesus is hanging on the cross being mocked, spit upon, and blasphemed, yet the only words that came from His mouth were, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  


Jesus gave his life on the cross whether we realize we needed Him to or not. The purpose of the cross was to offer man the forgiveness of sins. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus through the cross rather than us who were deserving of His wrath. 


In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission [forgiveness] of sins."

If Jesus did not shed His blood on the cross, forgiveness would have been impossible, but because He did, your sin can be pardoned—you can be FORGIVEN.


The Message of the Cross is ETERNAL LIFE

"And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

John 10:28

Three days after Jesus was buried, He rose back to life, showed Himself to His disciples, and appeared before 500 eye-witnesses at one time. In His resurrection, He proved His ability to conquer death and, thus, give eternal life to all who will believe in Him. You might ask, "What exactly is eternal life?" Once this life is over, you spend eternity in heaven, the dwelling place of God, enjoying the presence of your Creator and your Savior face to face. It was the cross that secures our eternal hope and spares you from eternity in Hell.

What's Next?

God's forgiveness and eternal life are His gifts to you that are bought and paid for by Jesus' death on the cross. Like any gift from a friend, there is nothing you can do to earn or deserve it. So the question is, "How do you receive them?" It's as simple as ABC.

Admit that you have sinned before God.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23


Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Romans 10:9


Call upon Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sin.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Romans 10:13

If you would like to know more about how to receive God's gift of love, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ, please contact us! We would love the opportunity to tell you about Jesus.

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