THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Through the death of Jesus, God's Son, God has revealed his love for us. He raised his Son from death to proclaim forgiveness to us. Until this occurred, there was a shadow over the human race which nothing could erase.

From the beginning we have attempted to excuse ourselves for our sinning. But from the beginning, the penalty for our sins has been death.

Jesus said it was necessary that he be killed and on the third day rise again-as prophesied in the Scripture. Paul said that only the Cross could bring us to God.

Sacrifices for sin have been part of our history from earliest times. For Israel, God prescribed offerings as a witness to something greater to come. In these ceremonies the sins of the offender were transferred to the victim so that the animal died in the place of the offender. This was called the making of atonement.

The true people of God always knew that this forgiveness was given, not because they offered the offering but because of the grace and mercy of God to them in that offering which he prescribed and provided.

John the Baptist introduced Christ by saying that he was the Son of God and that he was the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. His words probably recall the prophecy that a servant of God would come and bear the sins of many. He would suffer patiently-like a lamb being killed.

Jesus knew (what we wish to be ignorant of) God's holy love-which goes out to destroy all that destroys his creation. This holiness had been illustrated throughout Israel's history. But now, Jesus made himself an offering for sin. He did this in obedience to his Father who had appointed him, in love for us, to bear our sins in his own body.

The healing needed for us to live before God could only come through what the Bible calls a propitiation or an atoning sacrifice. This means that the wrath directed against us fell on him in our place. Jesus has born our sins or been made sin. Our vileness passed to him, God's curse fell on him, the taunts and bitterness of hell were directed against him, the accusations of God's law stood against him, he was abandoned by the Father. His humanity was fully expended in this giving up of himself on our behalf. In other words, Jesus laid down his life for his sheep.

Christ could not be held by death-as prophesied in the Scripture. His offering for us was accepted by God and we are assured of this by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He has been vindicated or justified; and, because he died for us, God has justified us in raising Christ from the dead.

This 'weakness' of God is stronger than our strength and his 'foolishness' is wiser than our wisdom. It brings us to God.

Christ has offered up a true humanity to God, fully pleasing to him in every respect. No sin of ours has been passed over, and therefore, no accusation of God remains against us and no taunt made by our Accuser is valid. No requirement of God's law remains unfulfilled; no powers of darkness retain any hold over our fallenness.

Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father and taken up to sit at his right hand. Christ has already reached humanity's goal on our behalf. We are reckoned to be raised with him and ascended with him. We must reckon ourselves in the same way.

God calls us to trust in Jesus Christ for our life and not to trust in ourselves and our own works. God also calls us to live in hope of the final day in which we will hear the word that we are acquitted of all our sins. Death has lost it's sting. Therefore, we live in the freedom of those who have been justified by God.