The Promise Of The Cross Series

The first Easter morning 2000 years ago must have begun with sadness. I can imagine the followers of Jesus waking up and remembering what had happened, recalling the horror of Friday, remembering that their friend was dead and thinking their dreams were shattered. But then a shout, He’s alive, the tomb is empty.

Then it happened, in the blink of an eye, they weren’t mourning Jesus' death they were celebrating Jesus being alive. It was not defeat it was victory. Because Jesus wasn’t dead He was alive and the tomb was empty.

For us to fully grasp the Events of that first Easter Sunday, we need to take a moment to consider the Event that took place on the first Good Friday - the crucifixion of Jesus. The Crucifixion of Jesus is at the centre of the Message of the Gospel.

The prophecies and predictions recorded in the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus hung on the cross. The events leading up to Christ’s death are filled with emotion, but it is when Jesus, the Spotless Lamb of God, becomes our substitute when He takes the punishment for Sin that we deserve when He bears the full penalty of our Sin, that is when we really marvel at the amazing infinite grace and love of God.

None of us will ever completely understand what Christ accomplished on the cross. It is beyond our human comprehension, but we can thank God this morning that the promise of redemption for all who trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour was made a reality at the cross.

We look to the Cross in faith and say “I am a sinner, and the mercy of God is revealed to me in the death of Jesus,” then a miracle occurs in our lives. The Apostle Paul called it being “saved,” and Jesus spoke of it as being “born again.” We are transformed when we know we are accepted by God when we know we have been forgiven because of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Christianity is a supernatural faith, but it has its basis firmly rooted in historical facts. Our faith depends on us believing the actual historical facts that Jesus was crucified and that He rose from the grave.

Either Jesus Christ rose from the dead or He did not. The Bible says He rose, the history of Christianity proves He arose. The personal experience of every born-again believer agrees with the biblical record.

Jesus Christ is alive today.