Part I

Christ died on the cross so that we would have eternal life. He, a man, took on the weight of sin from the past, the present, and the future on that cross and died. Jesus endured the cross for the joy on the other side (Hebrews 12:2). His love encompassed all… every person in the past, present, and future. This love remains unconditional, regardless of any circumstance, reason, place, position, or status.

The cross was where blood was spilled out. What would it have looked like? The cross… stained with the blood. The ground underneath… trodden down and soaked with blood and water poured from Christ’s body. Christ Himself… nailed to the cross, bleeding, barely recognizable as a human, and probably in agony, all the while looking down on the crowd with tender love and compassion. It was a holy spot. Christ had His life flow—His blood—washed out of Him, and the weight of all human sin, iniquity, and burden on His shoulders.

Only death could release and provide the gateway into the new. Only through the cross was it possible for the temple curtain to be torn in two. The gateway to free, unlimited access to God became opened at last. God’s presence was now unleashed to all who came to the Savior. By choosing to step through the gate that Christ has opened we possess a wonderful inheritance, including:

~a relationship with Christ
~the Holy Spirit of God Himself
~an inheritance in heaven
~ life in abundance and to the full, here and now!
~ victory over sin, death, and strongholds
~the wonder and glory of God’s presence

All of this has already been made possible and accessible by the work completed on the cross! We don’t need to strive to earn it or keep it. Christ has already completed the work and fulfilled the righteous requirements of God’s holy law that was given through Moses. Christ has already suffered the punishments of our sin. He has taken on the punishment that we so deserve. All we need to do is receive and believe in Him.

Part II

The cross on which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hung on means most of all, rest. Gazing upon the cross of Christ, I see a work that was completed over 2,000 years ago. The work took on my own humanity, my own sinful nature, my sin, my pain, and all my sickness. From this I can rest easy, knowing that Christ has already paid the dear cost of all my sin. I know that He has already done it and aim to simply take hold of that which He died to give.

The cross also means love. Yes, Christ died for all of humanity. Everyone. However, there is a deep, very personal side to this. He died for you. He died for me. A giving of life that we might truly live. For God created life, and in Him is where real, true, actual life resides.

End Notes

Not too long ago we celebrated Easter. Was this Easter any different for you? Or was it basically the same holiday as usual? I hope and pray for each one of you reading this that God would bless you and open up your eyes to the wonder of the finished work of Christ on the cross. I hope that you may come to know that Christ has totally fulfilled the requirements of the Law. Christ is the only person Who has ever and will ever walk on the face of the earth Who has not broken God’s perfect and holy Law. By saying this I mean that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have all broken it but the One.

By receiving Jesus’ perfect fulfillment of the Law we become clothed in His righteousness and covered in His blood. God sees us as He sees Jesus—righteous, holy, on and on. We are loved just as Christ was loved. We are seen by how God saw Jesus. Reading through the gospels it is easy to take note of how Christ was so beloved. We are too… Our eyes just need to be opened to it.

Open our eyes, Lord!

Amen.

I want to challenge us all to have hearts of giving, filled with thanks, as we constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead. 2 Timothy 2:8, AMP Great power lies in this. If only we would tap into it!

I particularly like the way the Amplified translation puts this verse because it sends our thoughts in a particular place. For one thing, to constantly keep Christ in mind. We are called to always remember, to tap into that which He died for. And we are not just broadly keeping Christ in mind, but we are holding onto the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead! We need a more in-depth look at what His triumph over death entailed.

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound.
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
4 And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4, AMP

4-8 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
7-9 He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn’t say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he’d never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn’t true.
10 Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
11 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many “righteous ones,”
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Isaiah 53:4-11, The Message

I encourage you to take a close look at, examine, read over and over, and read aloud these verses. When we keep in mind Christ as risen from the dead, not only are we remembering the awesomeness of His sacrifice and the tremendous power of His coming back to life, we are also keeping in mind everything that He died to give us in this life of salvation. Jesus wants us to have our life!!! His heart is that we enjoy it too! (John 10:10) By the sacrifice which He made, it is possible to live our lives to the full!

When we think on Jesus as risen from the dead, we are remembering that HE has promised to set us free, to deliver us, to recreate us in this life. What HE has promised, HE will fulfill! These promises are yours to keep, to hold on to, to know that God is faithful to you and never let you down! (see Hebrews 13:5)

So let us rejoice in this fact: that God has promised to give you life! No matter what you are going through right now, know that there is hope. Know that there are promises for you to stand on. Through these the Lord will keep you, firm and steady, immovable in steadfastness and patience, trusting Him and knowing with all your heart that God will bring you through.

Thank You, Lord, for these great and wonderful promises of Yours! Thank You for the bounty of this relationship with You. Thank You for Your heart that yearns for us to be totally and utterly free in You! Give us Your grace, that we may constantly rejoice and give thanks to YOU!!!

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].
Colossians 2:15