JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD. SIN IS DEFEATED AND DEATH IS CONQUERED. JESUS’ WORK ON EARTH CAN NOW BE SUMMARIZED INTO ONE WORD – VICTORY!
WHEN JESUS BREATHED HIS LAST AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT, IT WAS NOT THE END, NOR A VICTORY FOR EVIL. WHAT TRANSPIRED WAS A LOVING, COURAGEOUS, DEATH-DEFYING RESCUE MISSION.
WE CAN FIND BEAUTY IN THE GROTESQUE MANGLING OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION. WHAT SEEMED UGLY WAS A PRECIOUS MASTERPIECE OF DISARMING OUR ENEMY AND HUMILIATING HIM BEFORE A WATCHING WORLD.
THE DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS WAS, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, A VICTORIOUS TRIUMPH THAT MADE A PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THE EVIL AUTHORITIES AND PRINCIPALITIES
COLOSSIANS 2:13-15, “YOU WERE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS AND BECAUSE YOUR SINFUL NATURE WAS NOT YET CUT AWAY. THEN GOD MADE YOU ALIVE WITH CHRIST, FOR HE FORGAVE ALL OUR SINS. HE CANCELED THE RECORD OF THE CHARGES AGAINST US AND TOOK IT AWAY BY NAILING IT TO THE CROSS. IN THIS WAY, HE DISARMED THE SPIRITUAL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES. HE SHAMED THEM PUBLICLY BY HIS VICTORY OVER THEM ON THE CROSS.”
OUR ENEMIES WERE HUMILIATED AND SOUNDLY DEFEATED. OUR LIVES WERE CHANGED IN AN INSTANT. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OPENED AND BECAME NEW.
HOW GOD WILL DEAL WITH OUR SIN IS NOW BATHED IN HIS INFINITE MERCY AND GRACE. OUR FUTURE CHANGED, BOTH FOR THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME.
THE DEATH OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS WAS A SACRIFICE. THE WORLD MAY HAVE SEEN IT AS THE “EXECUTION OF A CRIMINAL,” BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR SALVATION BECAME A REALITY.
JESUS CHRIST OFFERED ONCE AND FOR ALL THE ONE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. NO OTHER SATISFACTION FOR SIN IS NECESSARY; NONE OTHER CAN ATONE.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-19, “AND ALL OF THIS IS A GIFT FROM GOD, WHO BROUGHT US BACK TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST. AND GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS TASK OF RECONCILING PEOPLE TO HIM. FOR GOD WAS IN CHRIST, RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF, NO LONGER COUNTING PEOPLE’S SINS AGAINST THEM. AND HE GAVE US THIS WONDERFUL MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION.”
1 JOHN 2:1B-2, “HE IS JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE WHO IS TRULY RIGHTEOUS. 2 HE HIMSELF IS THE SACRIFICE THAT ATONES FOR OUR SINS—AND NOT ONLY OUR SINS BUT THE SINS OF ALL THE WORLD.”
THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IS THAT JESUS CHRIST WON THE VICTORY OVER SATAN BY PAYING SIN’S PENALTY ON THE CROSS. HE PROVED HE HAD THE VICTORY THROUGH THE RESURRECTION. THIS IS WHY WE CELEBRATE TODAY. THIS IS WHY WE FIND JOY TODAY.
DEATH COULD NOT KEEP HIM IN THE GRAVE! ACTS 2:23-24, “BUT GOD KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, AND HIS PREARRANGED PLAN WAS CARRIED OUT WHEN JESUS WAS BETRAYED. WITH THE HELP OF LAWLESS GENTILES, YOU NAILED HIM TO A CROSS AND KILLED HIM. BUT GOD RELEASED HIM FROM THE HORRORS OF DEATH AND RAISED HIM BACK TO LIFE, FOR DEATH COULD NOT KEEP HIM IN ITS GRIP.”
DEATH COULD NOT HOLD HIM BACK AND HAD NO AUTHORITY OVER JESUS. DEATH, THEREFORE, LOST ITS “STING.” ISAIAH FORETOLD THIS IN 25:7-8, ‘THERE HE WILL REMOVE THE CLOUD OF GLOOM, THE SHADOW OF DEATH THAT HANGS OVER THE EARTH. HE WILL SWALLOW UP DEATH FOREVER!”
THEN WE HAVE THIS PROMISE RE-AFFIRMED TO US IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15:53-55, “FOR OUR DYING BODIES MUST BE TRANSFORMED INTO BODIES THAT WILL NEVER DIE; OUR MORTAL BODIES MUST BE TRANSFORMED INTO IMMORTAL BODIES. THEN, WHEN OUR DYING BODIES HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO BODIES THAT WILL NEVER DIE, THIS SCRIPTURE WILL BE FULFILLED: ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’”
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH. WE HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY BECAUSE OF ALL THAT CHRIST HAS ENDURED AND SACRIFICED. THE CROSS OF CHRIST OFFERS US RECONCILIATION, JUSTIFICATION, REDEMPTION, AND PROPITIATION.
THE RESULTS OF WHAT JESUS DID FOR US ON THE CROSS OFFERS RECONCILIATION. WHEN JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, HE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE RECONCILED WITH GOD AND RESTORED TO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM BY FAITH IN CHRIST.
COLOSSIANS 1:22, “YET NOW HE HAS RECONCILED YOU TO HIMSELF THROUGH THE DEATH OF CHRIST IN HIS PHYSICAL BODY. AS A RESULT, HE HAS BROUGHT YOU INTO HIS OWN PRESENCE, AND YOU ARE HOLY AND BLAMELESS AS YOU STAND BEFORE HIM WITHOUT A SINGLE FAULT.” WE ARE NOW WELCOMED INTO A LOVING, PERSONAL, AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS OUR FATHER.
A “GREAT EXCHANGE” HAS TAKEN PLACE IN US: ENMITY IS TURNED TO FRIENDSHIP, ALIENATION INTO ADOPTION, AND HOSTILITY AND HATE ARE NOW LOVE ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT RESULTED ON THE CROSS WHEN CHRIST DIED FOR US.
NOT ONLY ARE WE RECONCILED, BUT FIND JUSTIFICATION. BY CHRIST’S DEATH, YOU HAVE BEEN DECLARED RIGHT BEFORE GOD. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN CHRIST DIED, HE TOOK AND ABSORBED OUR PUNISHMENT.
THE BEAUTY OF BEING JUSTIFIED IS THAT WHEN WE BELIEVE IN CHRIST, BY FAITH, OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND NO LONGER HELD AGAINST US. YOUR PAST IS PASSED!
ROMANS 3:22-25, “WE ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD BY PLACING OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. AND THIS IS TRUE FOR EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES, NO MATTER WHO WE ARE. FOR EVERYONE HAS SINNED; WE ALL FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GLORIOUS STANDARD. YET GOD, WITH UNDESERVED KINDNESS, DECLARES THAT WE ARE RIGHTEOUS. HE DID THIS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHEN HE FREED US FROM THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS. FOR GOD PRESENTED JESUS AS THE SACRIFICE FOR SIN. PEOPLE ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD WHEN THEY BELIEVE THAT JESUS SACRIFICED HIS LIFE, SHEDDING HIS BLOOD.” BECAUSE OF JESUS, WE ARE FREE FROM BOTH THE GUILT AND THE PENALTY OF OUR SINS.
THE RESULTS OF THE CROSS ALLOW US TO BE RECONCILED, JUSTIFIED, AND REDEEMED. THE DEATH OF CHRIST ALSO MEANS WE HAVE BEEN “BOUGHT OUT” FROM BONDAGE TO SIN AND TO SATAN.
WE CAN NOW CALL GOD “OUR FATHER” BECAUSE WE ARE NOW HIS ADOPTED CHILDREN BY THE PRICE HE PAID FOR US THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST SHED ON THE CROSS. THE RANSOM PRICE FOR BEING HELD CAPTIVE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL!
GALATIANS 4:4-7, “BUT WHEN THE RIGHT TIME CAME, GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, SUBJECT TO THE LAW. GOD SENT HIM TO BUY FREEDOM FOR US WHO WERE SLAVES TO THE LAW, SO THAT HE COULD ADOPT US AS HIS VERY OWN CHILDREN. AND BECAUSE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, GOD HAS SENT THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO OUR HEARTS, PROMPTING US TO CALL OUT, “ABBA, FATHER.” NOW YOU ARE NO LONGER A SLAVE BUT GOD’S OWN CHILD. AND SINCE YOU ARE HIS CHILD, GOD HAS MADE YOU HIS HEIR.”
WE HAVE BEEN RECONCILED, JUSTIFIED, REDEEMED AS A RESULT OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US. WE HAVE GAINED AN ETERNAL INHERITANCE AND HAVE FOUND OUR PROPITIATION. A BIG WORD, BUT WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM GOD’S WRATH.
HEBREWS 2:17, “THEREFORE, IN ALL THINGS HE HAD TO BE MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN, THAT HE MIGHT BE A MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST IN THINGS PERTAINING TO GOD, TO MAKE PROPITIATION FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE.
PROPITIATION SIMPLY MEANS “TO REMOVE WRATH BY THE OFFERING OF A GIFT.” IT CAN ALSO MEANS “TO AVERT ANGER.” THE ACT OF PROPITIATION IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING HAS BEEN MADE ON OUR SINFUL BEHALF.
THAT OFFERING, WE ALL KNOW BY NOW, IS JESUS CHRIST. JESUS IS OUR PROPITIATION – OUR OFFERING MADE TO APPEASE GOD TO TURN HIS WRATH FROM US. WHAT A PRECIOUS GIFT!
“THE RESULTS OF THE CROSS” FOR US, THROUGH CHRIST, IS
OUR RECONCILIATION, JUSTIFICATION, REDEMPTION, AND PROPITIATION. THE RESULTS OF THE CROSS ARE PRECIOUS GIFTS OF FORGIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE BY A HOLY AND LOVING GOD. GIFTS THAT CAN BE FOUND ONLY AT THE CROSS!
