We are entering Easter week when the Christian Church around the world celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus. Whether people realize it or not, these two events are linked together and are central to what we believe and our salvation. Without the death of Christ of Christ on the Cross, there would not have been a resurrection. Without the resurrection of Christ, there would not be Christianity. Instead, Jesus would have been a lost figure of history.
APOSTLE PAUL: CHRIST’S THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Paul, who wrote more than half of the New Testament, was very clear about the importance of the Cross and the Resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 2:2, he writes, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Later, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, he goes on to state, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Paul linked the two events together – the Cross and the resurrection. Indeed, you have to have both!
CHRIST’S UNIQUENESS
Jesus died on the Cross to take away our sins and the sins of the world. But in those days, many men died on a cross, as required by Roman capital punishment. Crucifixion was used by the Romans to dissuade others from criminal activity; it was a warning for all to see as it was done outside. Roman crosses that took various forms. Sometimes, they took the shape of a ‘T,’ and other times, the shape of the Christian Cross. The time it took the person being crucified to die could range from hours to days, depending on their health, etc. In many cases, the typical course of death was asphyxiation coupled with exhaustion.
All four gospels tell the story of Christ’s death on the Cross. But without the resurrection, Jesus’ crucifixion would not have been unique; it would simply have been one among thousands. It was unique, however, because Jesus was the Son of God and the Son of Man.
THE GOSPEL
God created the world and everything in it. He created man in His own image (Genesis 1:1, 26). Adam and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God, bringing sin and spiritual death upon all mankind. Because mankind sinned, the end result is to suffer eternal damnation in hell, which involves separation from God. But God loves us, and He sent His Son to lay down His life for us on Calvary’s Cross. Jesus’ blood was shed as a substitution for our sins (Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
If we repent for our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross, then God forgives our sins, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become part of the family of God (John 1:12, John 3:5, Romans 10:9-10).
Years ago, a friend of mine, pastor and evangelist Tom Shanklin shared with me a message he gave entitled ‘Preachers: Don’t Forget to Preach the Cross.” Here some of what he had to say:
BILLY GRAHAM
Billy Graham tells the story about one rare occasion when one of his crusade services had a very small impact. He had preached his heart out, but very few responded to the altar call. Afterward, he asked a friend why he had so little power in his preaching that night. Billy asked, “John, what was wrong tonight?” His friend said, “Billy, you didn’t preach the Cross. If you don’t preach the Cross and the resurrection, you’ve got no Gospel.”
If you want to see people come to Christ, you must preach the Gospel message. You must tell the people that Jesus died for their sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Many times, preachers fail to remember to proclaim the central facts of the Gospel. They use wonderful scriptures and illustrations and make a strong appeal for people to come to Christ, but the problem is, the Holy Spirit has nothing to work with because the Gospel message has not been presented.
SALVATION STORY
“In the American Civil War, Dwight L Moody served as a Union chaplain. After the Battle of Murfreesboro, he visited a wounded soldier who asked him to help him die. Moody tried to share Christ, but the man replied, ‘He can’t save me. I have sinned all my life.’
Moody began reading from John 3 and came to the words ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.’ The soldier interrupted, saying, ‘I never knew that was in the Bible. Read it again’. Moody read it again as the wounded soldier leaned forward on his elbow, his troubled expression giving way to a peaceful calm. Lying back on his cot, he began repeating the words over and over, dying with those words on his lips” (Morgan).
Moody had preached the cross to the dying man, the Christ who had been lifted up on Calvary’s Cross. The one who promises eternal life to those who believe.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you have never received Christ as your Lord and Savior, why not do so this? Simply repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. Ask Him to be your Savior and Lord, now and forever. That is the beginning, but it is not the end. Jesus promises you eternal life with Him in heaven.
To grow as a Christian, you will need to read your Bible, learn how to pray, be ready to share Jesus with others, and become a part of a Bible-believing church.
Remember the words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
RESOURCES
https://kairosmin.org/2020/04/09/dont-forget-the-cross/
Morgan, R. J. (2019). 100 Bible Verses That Made America: defining moments that shaped our enduring foundation of faith. Nashville, TN: W. Publishing Group.
Kairos Ministries 