The cross of Christ is an embarrassment
to religion – Jewish religion and others. Who would want to follow a Messiah
who was defeated and disgraced by crucifixion! It seems illogical to honour one who was condemned by Jewish and
Roman courts. The shame of crucifixion was extreme.
But when we see the situation from
God’s perspective, everything changes. Listening to the words of Jesus before
He died , and the teaching of His messengers after He rose from death, they all
point to God doing something special by the cross.
For example, Jesus is presented as
the ‘Lamb of God’ to take away the sins of the world. He spoke of Himself as
fulfilling the purpose of the Passover lamb – to protect people from judgement.
Paul clearly states that “Christ died for our sins”. This means that the cross
of shame really became an alter of sacrifice.
By this means, God chooses to forgive.
More than forgiveness, God sees Jesus
Christ dying the death that we should have died. Now God can welcome us back as
children in His family. More than that, through the purging of sin, believers
are clothed with the righteousness of God and will be presented in heaven
without fault, all because “the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2)
By this work of God, true Christianity
is based on what God has done through Christ, not on what we might do for God.
johnmckee@internode.on.net
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