The Message of the Cross is the best message that a person can ever listen to. It is God’s power to conquer sin, death, and all evil principalities of the heavenly places. In addition, we can as well say that the message of the cross is God’s power to bring his children to everlasting life. Confirm the saying that the message of the Cross is God’s power to save by reading 1 Corinthians 1:18. The cross in itself represents a Trinitarian event encompassing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You must not mistake this saying to be a talk of three gods. In Christianity, we have three persons in one God. None operates without the knowledge and contentment of the others. Note that we cannot talk of the Bible without the cross. He/she who welcomes the key teachings of Christ is given eternal life.
The Bible which is God’s Holy Word revolves around the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ to re-establish the relationship with God which was lost through sin in the Garden of Eden. A Bible without a cross is one without a solution. Truth be told, the whole Biblical message is one with the message of the cross which was revealed by Jesus Christ. This message was revealed as a sign that God’s kingdom was at hand and the lost relationship in the garden of Eden was restored through Repentance and Faith. The Cross gives shape to Christianity while conquering the devil and all his agents. It redefines power in God’s kingdom and marks the begging of the New Covenant of Grace with God Almighty. Just as Apostle Paul taught, we can say without a doubt that the cross is the marching order for Christians.
The Message of the Cross
By reading through the Bible, you’ll realize that the cross is mentioned on several occasions. It is greatly significant in the Letters of Apostle Paul to the Church. It is not only in the New Testament that we hear God’s servants mentioning the cross. A look at the writings of the Old Testament Prophets reveals that God’s son would be hanged on the cross. God’s initial plans were for man to enjoy and maintain a close relationship with Him in the garden of Eden. But because of man’s sinful ambitions of wanting to become like God, he was sent out of the garden to live far from God in his sinful nature. However, God’s love for man did not cease as He promised to send His son who will become the lamb that takes away the sins of the world through crucifixion on the cross.
Hence, we can affirm that the cross was planned since the beginning of the World. It is the blood of God’s son which was shed on this cross that washes our sins and prepares us for eternal life as we keep to God’s teachings. By message of the cross, we mean the words which Jesus Christ came down from heaven with. These words were not his but the Father’s. For he himself said nothing or did nothing that he did not learn from his father. Being one with his father, he revealed Key Teachings on what pleases God and leads to everlasting life. Long before Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross at Calvary, he regularly called on his Apostles and followers to take up and embrace their daily cross (Luke 9:23). Jesus Christ being a teacher through words and actions personally took up his own cross on a daily basis.
Understanding the Cross and its significance in the physical and spiritual world
Although Jesus Christ was nailed on a wooden cross, we can’t say that he meant such in Luke 9:23. By requesting his followers to forget self and carry their crosses to follow him on a daily basis, he meant more than a wooden piece of wood. Apart from the piece of wood that can act as a cross, we can also have persecution, suffering, and hardship in the name of the Gospel. By the cross, Jesus Cross meant the daily obstacles which his followers must overcome for the Gospel’s sake. He himself took the cross of obeying and doing his Father’s work on Earth till the day he was arrested and Crucified. It is in this light that Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20 that he was already crucified with Christ on the cross and his old body died. And that he was no longer living but Christ was in him.
In simple words, Apostle Paul was pointed to the fact that he had embraced the message of the cross and denied himself in order to keep the full teachings of Jesus Christ. In other words, the cross is the crucial key or very means that followers of Jesus Christ can partake in a new life through the unmerited favor of God. Though the mighty power of the cross, God transfers us into the image of Christ as we can read from 2 Corinthians 4:10-11. It is only through the righteous nature of Christ that we can obtain everlasting life in heaven. Being the Holy Son of God who was without sin, he was handed to evil men who suffered and crucified him on the cross for our sake. We simply need to welcome and keep his teachings. This is the only way to partake in the heavenly feast.
Definition of the cross
By dying on the wooden cross at Calvary, Jesus Christ offered the chance for every human being to have their sins forgiven. But what do we really mean when we say that he died on the cross at Calvary? By death on the cross, we are referring to the manifestation of all the inner services in the name of the Gospel which Jesus Christ carried all through his stay on Earth as his daily cross. We can as well refer to it as an inner or metaphorical cross that encompassed all the suffering, hardship, rejection, and persecutions that Jesus Christ received for the Gospel’s sake on Earth. This is the type of cross that Jesus Christ is calling on us to endure for a servant is not greater than his master. Jesus Christ was persecuted and being his followers, we can be sure to drink from the same cup.
That’s why as Christians, we should not find it strange to be persecuted and left to suffer on Earth. Let’s always remember that our place is in Heaven. We are simply passing on Earth, our place is not here. It is with our heavenly Father in Heaven. By being faithful to the message of the cross till the end, we can be sure that Jesus Christ will welcome us in his King-place. Although the cross of Calvary marked the end of Jesus’ physical life on Earth, it is the beginning journey for anyone who wishes to serve and keep his teachings. His Resurrection was an assurance that he has conquered death and will take with him all those who keep his teachings. There are practically three different types of crosses. These crosses can’t be separated either viewed as separate by Christians. They are all connected and necessary for spiritual growth.
The First Cross (The Cross of Calvary) – Luke 23:33-43
The first cross is the physical cross that Jesus Christ suffered and was crucified on. This cross which is made out of wood is what Jesus Christ died on thereby pouring blood to wash our sins. It is through faith in the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the physical cross that we obtain peace with God. His death on the cross is what restored the close relationship with God which was once lost. When we pray and repent, our sins are forgiven because Christ has become our atoning sacrifice to God. Note that this sacrifice and forgiveness are not rewards but unmerited favors from God. In other words, we’ve done nothing to merit God’s favor or mercy. That is, it is not through our works or accomplishments that our sins are forgiven but by God’s grace alone.
The Second Cross (Crucifying the Old Man and the Flesh with its desires and passions) – Romans 6:6 & Galatians 5:24
The crucifixion of the old man and the flesh with its desires and passions is the metaphoric cross that Apostle Paul makes mention of in Romans 6:6 and Galatians 5:24. By old man here, he meant our state of mind which agreed to do what we knew to be sin. It is on this cross that this sinful nature is crucified to death. On this very cross, our flesh which is animated by evil desires and passions loses power over us. It is through this cross that we are born again of water and the Holy Spirit. We are given new natures and new heart desires in Christ. We can as well say that through this cross, we die with Christ and are given new natures that know what is pleasing to God.
It is through this second cross that we are given the right to become the children of God and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Through this second cross, our hearts are renewed with hearts that are after God’s will. This second cross empowers us with the necessary spiritual strength needed to overcome the flesh and its evil desires (Galatians 5:19-21). It is thanks to the second cross that we are no longer slaves of sin. In other words, we are empowered to live above sin and all its branches (Romans 6:15-23). By receiving Jesus Christ through this second cross, we are made alive through his mighty Resurrection power. This is not strange because God has given all power to Jesus Christ in Heaven, on Earth, under the Earth, and in the world to come. This includes power and authority over death.
The Third Cross (Denying ourselves and taking up our cross to follow Jesus Christ on a daily basis) – Luke 9:23
The third cross is what actually justifies or qualifies us as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Many are willing and ready to shout at the top of their voices that they are followers of Christ but at the first trial, they give up. The Third Cross is all about showing yourself worthy of following Jesus Christ. In other words, it is perceived from your ability to welcome the message of the cross and put it into action. It is also considered as the degree at which you are able to stand for the sake of the Holy Gospel as well as Heavenly things. The third cross can’t be judged by simple words alone. It goes together with actions. You cannot talk of the third cross when your life is not a reflection of the Key Teachings which were handed to spiritual men by God.
The third cross is the metaphorical cross which Jesus Christ took up every single day of his life on Earth. He denied himself and chose to go after God’s heart. Jesus Christ chose God’s will instead of his. It is in this light that Jesus Christ said that no one can be considered a true disciple of his without taking up this very cross he took. By taking up your daily cross to follow Christ, you’ll be putting to death the root of sin. The best way to kill the roots of sin in your life is to go after God’s will. Instead of dwelling on complaints because of the hardship, persecution, and suffering that we are receiving for Christ, let’s rejoice and be happy for a great reward awaits us. This was the case of Paul and Silas who found reasons to praise God even in suffering.
What does the message of the cross represent?
As we can read from 1 Corinthians 1:18, the message of the cross represents life for those who have welcomed Christ. On the other hand, it represents the standards of judgment for those who reject and despise Christ and the message which God sent through him. By message from God, we mean the heavenly truth which was revealed by Jesus Christ on how to please God and receive eternal life.
