the cross
The centre of Christianity is the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus, the God-Man, became our substitute, taking our place to bear the penalty and suffer God’s judgment for our sin. Man’s debt of sin was so great that while Man alone owed it only God could pay it. It is through the cross that we are dead to sin and alive to God. It is through the cross that we are forgiven. The cross is the heart of the gospel – the message that we are sinners, that we have absolutely nothing to contribute or offer to God in hope of being saved – that to be saved we have to trust completely in Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross – and his resurrection. There is no salvation apart from what he’s done for us.
All of the love of God towards us was packed into the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Jesus not only bore our sins on the cross, but having a lived a perfect, sinless life, he completely fulfilled the requirements of God’s moral law, so that all who believe in him are not only forgiven, but given the gift of righteousness. That means that the forgiven sinner – the sinner who trusts completely in the sacrifice of God on the cross and turns from living life for themselves to follow Jesus completely – this forgiven sinner is completely forgiven, pure, and righteous in the sight of God. That’s good news. That’s the gospel.
Our Calling: Jesus bore our sins on the cross – and he calls his followers to die to themselves and follow Him. The cross is a picture of what the followers of Jesus do – they die to themselves and live to God. Look at what he told his disciples:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:23-24).
Our Message: The Cross is also the message that we preach. We place the cross at the centre of our triangle to remind of all that Jesus did for us. And to remind us of our message. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said this:
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Corinthians 2:1).
Our Mission: The cross was at the very centre of the mission of Jesus. He came to earth from heaven knowing His purpose. Jesus summarized his purpose like this: I came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus not only seeks the lost – he calls us to do the same. In Luke 15, Jesus told 3 stories about finding lost things – a sheep, a coin, and a son. Jesus was clear in tell his followers to reach outside the family of God and tell his story to people who didn’t know it. He invites us to join him on his mission – reaching those outside his family, and bringing them home to the Father.
To summarize: It is through the cross that God saves us. It is by embracing the cross that we follow Jesus every day. The cross is our message. And it is the reminder of our mission – to reach lost people with the gospel – just like Jesus.