The Cross

What does the cross mean to you? To many Christians and some non-Christians, the cross represents God's ultimate love for humanity that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of mankind by hanging on that rugged cross.

To many non-Christians, it is a symbol of Christianity, a group of religious people. To some, it means a place to worship, repent, or a place to talk to God.

You see most crosses that are empty with no one hanging on them, and then you see some crosses where they still have Jesus hanging on it. Some worship the cross as though it is a God.

But what does the cross mean?

During the Roman Empire, the Romans used the cross as capital punishment. It instilled fear into the people not to go against the Roman government and its laws.
It is said that the Romans executed somewhere between 10,000 to 100,000 people on the cross before Constantine abandoned the use of the cross as capital punishment around 400 A.D.

Today, many of us say that they took Jesus, and beat him, placed a crown of thorns upon his head, and nailed Him to the cross where he died. That description pretty well sums it up in most people's minds.

The cross was a disgraceful and excruciating way to die. Only those convicted of wrongful doing against Roman law or the leaders were crucified.

Under the law, during the days of Christ, they would take the condemned man and whip him on the back because this added more pain to the person on the cross.

Jesus was innocent of all charges; he has done absolutely no wrong while he was alive on this earth, and he was perfect in every way. Even under Roman law, he was guilty of nothing. But the Jewish leader of that time was afraid that Jesus would become king, and that would mean their positions were in jeopardy. Jesus had huge followers, and because of this, they thought they must remove him before he was made king.

Jesus, by all rights, did not have to die or allow anyone to lay a hand upon him, and he indeed did not have to shed his blood and go through great pain on the cross for no one. He could have said, I will not become man, but I will wipe mankind off the face of the earth. That was his right as a creator in our way of thinking.

But Jesus had to be beaten, and die upon the cross, there was no getting out of it for the simple reason God said in Isaiah 55:11 KJV "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

If Jesus decided not to go through with this, he and his Father would be a liar, which is impossible as you just read. God can't lie because his word goes forth and accomplishes what he has said; no matter what he speaks, it is done.

God wanted fellowship with you, me, and all of mankind, so he had to send His Son Jesus to come and make atonement for our sins by shedding his blood.

Isaiah 53:5 KJV "But he was wounded four our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

When we think of this verse and the one in I Peter 2:24, we think of it mainly when we are sick with a virus or a disease, but it is more than that. Every stripe, every bruise, every wound represent not only our health but also our iniquities and our transgressions, our sin, our rebellion against God, our injustice, wickedness, our being morally perverted, our warp and twisted way of thinking, and the lust of our imaginations.

Under the Jewish law during the period that Jesus was on this earth; If Jesus was tried in the Jewish courts, he could only receive 39 stripes; this is why they wanted Jesus tried in Roman courts because there would be no limit on the stripes that Jesus could receive. Jesus's whole body was beaten and whipped. He was covered with our sins. Then they took him and nailed him to the cross.

God loved us so much, and he longed for the type of relationship with us that he had with Adam before Adam fell, and the only way to do this was by Jesus taking on our sins and the sins of the world and being the perfect sacrifice.

By His stripes, we were healed. Everything you can imagine, every sin, sickness, immorality, whether you are a person who only tells white lies, or a mass murderer, Jesus bore those stripes to heal you. And then remove and seal them away by shedding his blood and dying upon the cross.

He will make you into a new creature if only you ask him to. If you accept Jesus as being the true Son of the living God and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins upon the cross, and on the third day, God raised him from the dead, and you repented of your sins. Then you will be saved.

Romans 10:9, 10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." V.10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Repenting and confessing your sins to Christ is the only way you will be forgiven. All of mankind is lost, and this was the only way a person can be saved by Jesus shedding his blood upon the cross.

Jesus bore the stripes for the healing of nations, and the healing from the damage of sin, for the healing of sickness and diseases in our bodies so we can be whole and complete in God our Father.

The cross is not to be worshiped, but the cross is to be a remembrance of what Jesus went through just for you personally. Your name came to mind when he bore those stripes. Your name came to mind when they spat upon him, and they placed a crown of thorns upon his head. Your name came to mind when they beat him and made him carry his own cross.
When they drove the nails into his hands and feet, your name came to mind. Your name came to mind when he took the keys of death, hell, and the grave away from Satan. Your name came to mind when he rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

Jesus died on that cross so you can be saved. Because of Jesus dying on that cross, He will soon return for his bride, and he is hoping that his death was not in vain on your part and that you will repent now and let him come into your heart.

No matter what you have done or what hideous crime you have committed or how bad you genuinely think you are or how good and perfect you think you are, Jesus died for you, and he died with you in mind.

If you are not saved, I want you to listen.

Rev. 3:20 KJV "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and will open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

He is knocking at your heart's door right now, but only you can open it. You still have the right of choice; he did not remove the freedom of choice when he died on the cross.

Please take this opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. It is easy, and you can do it right where you are at, by praying and just asking Jesus to forgive you and asking him into your heart.

If you have repented of your sins and have asked Jesus to come into your heart, I want to hear from you. Send me an email to ltm@ltm4christ.com or send me a letter to:
LTM
PO Box 87083
Vancouver, WA 98687

Find you a bible believing Spirit-filled church and learn more about God's incredible love and healing power.

The cross is so full of meaning.

Written by: Ronald L. Alfredson

Email: ltm@ltm4christ.com

Website: http://www.ltm4christ.com

The Cross

The Cross

The Cross

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