Crosses rise from the tops of our churches. We wear gold crosses around our necks. White crosses decorate the graves of our fallen heroes. What does this symbol of death mean to those who hold it in honor?

Christ died on the cross to bring us to God.

A great gulf separates people from God; it is sin. In the Old Testament people bridged the gap by bringing an animal sacrifice to atone for their sin. They sinned frequently so the sacrifice had to be repeated. On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.” The gulf was spanned. No further sacrifices were required. The cross brought sinful man into the presence of the holy God. “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Christ died on the cross so the blessing of Abraham would come to us.

Abraham is called the “father of faith.” He believed God would give him a son when it was humanly impossible. He believed God would lead him to a land when he didn’t know where he was going. Abraham believed God would make of his family a great nation when the family numbered only three. We have the potential to be led by God’s Holy Spirit in the same way so that we may calmly walk through life, believing God will help us at every turn of the road. “He [Jesus] redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14).

Christ died on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law.

The law demanded obedience to God with no room for erring. Adam and Eve couldn’t attain this standard of perfection and neither can we. Our disobedience places us under the law’s curse. Jesus, knowing we couldn’t meet the law’s requirements, became the curse for us. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).

Christ died on the cross so we may be clothed with his righteousness.

Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, never sinned. We don’t want to sin, but even our best efforts are filled with pride and arrogance—filthy rags to God. Jesus’ death made it possible for sinners to change their clothes. We trade our rags of sin for his purity so when God looks at our hearts, he sees us clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
(2 Corinthians 5:21).

Christ died on the cross to rescue us from this present evil world.

Our world is ruled by deception, cruelty, temptation, and perversion. While evil is all around, God’s people need not be its victims. We may see the effects of evil, but it does not rule over us. Christ “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4).

Christ died on the cross to give us the power to live for him.

When we accept Jesus’ victory over death, we no longer live to please ourselves. Now we want to honor God. And the good news is that Jesus’ victory over death on the cross gives us the power to live a life pleasing to God. We can glorify God by the way we talk. Our every action can be a reflection of him. “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

At the time of Christ, the cross represented a shameful death reserved for the worst criminals. Decent people didn’t talk about crucifixion. All that changed with Jesus’ death and resurrection. The apostle Paul declared, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). |L

Jewell Johnson is a freelance writer in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

OUTLOOK is a forum for responsible Christian writers. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Standard Publishing or The Lookout.

OTHER COLUMNS:
November 15, 2009 - Bringing Christ to French Guiana
November 1, 2009 - Walking the edge
October 18, 2009 - Watch what you say
October 4, 2009 - Proposing a new proverb
September 20, 2009 - Fear and trembling
September 6, 2009 - Elwyn
August 23, 2009 - Where did the Bible go?
August 9, 2009 - The public school: a local mission field
July 26, 2009 - Astonishing the judges
July 12, 2009 - Letting the past go
June 28, 2009 - Line up
June 14, 2009 - The path to spiritual growth
May 31, 2009 - A tribute to one of my heroes
May 17, 2009 - Silent soldier
April 19, 2009 - Operation Resensitization
April 5, 2009 - The temptations of ministers
March 8, 2009 - Conversation over shoes
February 22, 2009 - By their plurals you shall know them
February 8, 2009 - What is missing from your retirement plans?
January 25, 2009 - Turn the page
December 28, 2008 - Abba, Father
December 14, 2008 - Elementary truths
November 30, 2008 - The illusion
October 19, 2008 - Acting like a toddler
October 5, 2008 - Don’t miss this
September 21, 2008 - Foolish schemes
September 7, 2008 - God’s hand is everywhere
August 24, 2008 - The dance
August 10, 2008 - Strange land
July 27, 2008 - God’s amazing grace
July 13, 2008 - A best seller
June 29, 2008 - My grandfather’s clock and worship
June 1, 2008 - Reclaiming the name
May 4, 2008 - God is not our fairy godmother
April 6, 2008 - Success: what is it and who can measure up?
March 9, 2008 - Need to know
February 10, 2008 - The top three myths of singleness
January 13, 2008 - By invitation only
December 5, 2007 - Yes, Abbie, there is a Jesus
November 18, 2007 - 10 Ways to be a good Christmas customer
October 21, 2007 - The dividing line
September 23, 2007 - What do you fear?
September 9, 2007 - A life well lived
August 26, 2007 - To murmur, or not to murmur
July 15, 2007 - Turning the other cheek: still a valuable biblical principle
July 1, 2007 - Why the tie?
June 3, 2007 - The death of a son
May 6, 2007 - A prayer for the dying
April 8, 2007 - The omnipresent God
March 11, 2007 - Do the Amish have superheroes?
February 11, 2007 - What’s your black history?
January 14, 2007 - The split branch
December 31, 2006 - The house of regret
December 10, 2006 - The redemption of the innkeeper
November 26, 2006 - Too many choices
November 12, 2006 - Break the bashing habit: Learning to love the unsaved like Christ does: November 12, 2006
October 15, 2006 - Be ‘salt and light’ this Christmas!: October 15, 2006
September 17, 2006 - Who is a legalist?: September 17, 2006 Issue 38
July 23, 2006 - God speaks through our brokenness: July 23, 2006 Issue 38
June 25, 2006 - 'What I am looking for in my church leaders'