The power of the Cross

04 Apr, 2021 - 00:04 0 Views
The power of the Cross The Bible

The Sunday News

Bishop Dr Colin Nyathi

1 Peter 2 vs 24-25, (24), “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed. (25), For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

The cross of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. The cross reveals to us the character of God. His love for lost sinners. His perfect justice at the cross. If we want to grow in godliness we must grow in understanding the significance of the cross.

What is the meaning of the cross?
Simply put, the meaning of the cross is death. From about the 6th century BC until the 4th century AD, the cross was an instrument of execution that resulted in death by the most torturous and painful ways. In crucifixion, a person was either tied or nailed to a wooden cross and left to hang until dead. Death would be slow and excruciatingly painful, in fact, the word excruciating literally means “out of crucifying.”

However, because of Christ and His death on the cross, the meaning of the cross today is completely different. In Christianity, the cross is the intersection of God’s love and His justice. Jesus Christ is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1 vs 29), The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The Reference to Jesus as the lamb of God points back to the institution of the Jewish Passover in Exodus 12.

The Israelites were commanded to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and smear the blood of that lamb on the doorposts of their home.

The blood would be the sign for the angel of death to “Passover” the house, leaving those covered by blood in safety. When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John recognized Him and cried, (John 1 vs 29),” The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Therefore identifying Him and God’s plan for Him to be sacrificed for sin. Because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross, those who place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation are guaranteed eternal life.

John 3 vs 16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” However, Jesus called His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. Matthew 16 vs 24,

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The concept of “cross-bearing” today has lost much of its original meaning. Typically, we use “cross-bearing” to denote an inconvenient or bothersome circumstances (e.g…). “My troubled congregant is my cross to bear.”

however, we must keep in mind that Jesus is calling His disciples to engage in radical self-denial. The cross meant only one thing to a 1st century person – death.

How long was Jesus on the cross?
Jesus was on the cross for about six hours. The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Him. Crucifixion was designed not only to kill but to dissuade others from criminal actions. Victims of crucifixion were to be humiliated, often left to completely naked. The cross carried a stigma, and Jewish law said it brought a curse.

Galatians 3 vs 13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)… Galatians 5 vs 11, “And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.”

The term excruciating literally means “out of crucifying.” Crucifixion was an “excruciating” way to die because it was very slow and painful means to death.” Depending on the circumstance, some people could live for days after being nailed to a cross.

Answering the question of how long Jesus was on the cross is complicated by the fact that two systems of marking time are used in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke use the Jewish system of marking time. John uses the Roman system.

Using the Jewish system, Mark says, Mark 15 vs 24-25, “24, And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. 25, Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” According to this, Christ’s crucifixion began at 9:00am. Also using the Jewish system of marking time, Matthew says that: Matthew 27 vs 45, “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.” That is, the darkness lasted from 12:00 noon to 3pm. This was Jesus’ final three hours on the cross.

At the end of that time Jesus cried out. Matthew 27 vs 50, “and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.”

After that a Roman soldier made sure of His death. John 19 vs 34, “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” And Jesus body was taken down. Jesus had been on the cross from approximately 9:00am until 3:00am, a total of six hours. John adds the detail that Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate was taking place, according to Roman time, “about the sixth hour.” John 19 vs 14, “Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

Since the Romans started counting their hours at midnight, the “sixth hour” would start at 6:00am. Then, using the Jewish system: “The third hour” = 9:00am. The crucifixion begins. The sixth hour” = 12:00pm (noon). Darkness begins. The nineth hour” = 3:00pm. Jesus dies. Putting it all together, Jesus trial ended about 6:00am. His crucifixion began about three hours later, and He died about six hours after that.

Truths about the death of Jesus
Grace is at the heart of the Christian faith. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than at the cross of Christ. It is the grace that the son of God took on flesh. It is grace that He taught us how to live. But it is especially grace that He died on the cross in our place. The death of Jesus was for His enemies. God’s love is different that natural human love. God loves us when we are utterly unlovable.

Paul gets at how contrary this is to human nature when he writes. The death of Jesus purchased a people. The death of Christ was effective in its purpose. And its goal was not just to purchase the possibility of salvation, but a people for His own possession.

The death of Jesus is on our behalf. Jesus death was substitutionary. That is, He died in our place. He died the death that we deserved. He bore the punishment that was justly ours. Peter writes, 1 Peter 2 vs 24, “… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.”

The death of Jesus defines love. Jesus’ death wasn’t just an act of love, it defines love. His substitutionary death is the ultimate example of what love means. The death of Jesus reconciles us to God. Justification, propitiation, and redemption – all benefits of Christ’s death – have one great purpose: reconciliation.

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