Midweek Message from the Archive
The Cross
When we talk about the cross of Jesus Christ it brings many images into our mind. The agony, the torment, or the injustice is actually pictured there on that execution stake. However, before we look ahead to the cross let’s look behind, at the beginning of time which eventually leads us there.
In Gen. 3:15, after Adam and Eve sinned for the first time they recognized their guilt and shame and covered themselves with fig leaves. God was then ready to deal with their enemy, Satan. He told Satan that One is coming Who (referring to Christ, the Messiah) will crush his head yet he, Satan, will bruise His heel. Did you catch that? What on earth is God talking about?
In a nutshell, God is saying that He has taken care of everything, sin and Satan, and it will be dealt with in the future when the One will appear. Our fall into sin did not surprise God; He had a plan from the beginning of time and it would unfold throughout history until that divine moment when He sent His Son to the execution cross in our place. Blood, declared by God, would be the payment for sin. That blood that God first shed when He killed animals to cover Adam and Eve (vs. 21) would be a foreshadow or picture beforehand of the final blood that His Son would shed on the cross on our behalf. He was our substitute: we belonged there.
The Cross.
Scripture says that the cross is the ‘power of God’, that peace or wholeness comes to us through the cross, that we are reunited to God at the cross, and our sins are forgiven at the cross. What promises! The best part for me is in Col. 3:13-15 where we are reassured that Jesus took the charges against us and nailed them to the tree indicating the cross. By that one act of love He transferred spiritual power from Satan to us. Satan is now disarmed, neutralized, paralyzed, and defenseless against us. That’s not figurative, that’s reality.
Doesn’t that knowledge of who you are in Him make you want to throw your shoulders back and stand a little straighter knowing that the cross has given you all the power you need to defeat the devil in your life? The cross has given you the opportunity to become a brand new person with a brand new life in Him. The Cross has restored fellowship between you and God. This week, let the cross be on your mind. Remember these few promises that I’ve listed. Be thankful that He has chosen you to receive His rescue, His deliverance, and His restoration. Let’s live like we believe it!
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)
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