Meditating on The Cross of Christ

What comes to your mind when you hear the words, “The Cross of Christ?”

– Love poured out?  Christ risen?  Death defeated?  Sins forgiven?  Evil overcome?  Sinners reconciled?  No consequences?

The Cross of Christ is an absolutely amazing truth, yet it is one that often gets crowded out of my mind in the hustle and bustle of life.

Today is the first day of the Paschal Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday).  And, for me, these special days leading up to Easter Sunday seem a wonderful time to pull away and refocus on The Cross of Christ.

Won’t you join me?  Below are various scriptures and quotes about The Cross.

Scriptures that Focus on the Cross:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:3-6)

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.  (Isaiah 53:10)

 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31-34)

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  (1 Corinthians 2:2)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

 

 

 

 

 

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.  (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

 Quotes that Focus on the Cross:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The God on whom we rely knows what suffering is all about – not merely in the way that God knows everything, but by experience.”     D.A. Carson

“Nothing in my hand I bring.  Simply to your cross I cling.”  Augustus Toplady

“All the love and the acceptance which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to you – because Christ was perfectly obedient on your behalf.”  Charles Spurgeon

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Tragically, we buy the lie that the gospel is only for the unconverted.”  D.A. Carson

“If we want proof of God’s love for us, then we must look first at the Cross where God offered up His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Calvary is the one objective, absolute, irrefutable proof of God’s love for us.”  Jerry Bridges

“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”    David Prior

Use the Scriptures and quotes above to help you focus on The Cross of Christ.  Read them, meditate on them, journal them, pray them.  The method doesn’t matter.  The message does.

This Holy Week carve out some time to center your life on the Cross of Christ.  Let its reality feed your soul.  Think on it, reflect on it, share it, rejoice in it.