Message of the Cross has power – what it means to you
The message of the Cross has power. The Power of the Cross is tied to an empty tomb! Jesus died on the cross, He was buried, but on the third day He arose from the dead. Jesus is alive! This is the Message of the Cross. The Message of the Cross has power because of the resurrection of Jesus. If there had been no resurrection there would be no power in the cross.
The Resurrection Validates the Cross
This is why Easter – Resurrection Sunday is so important. It is a celebration and reminder that the tomb is empty, that God used His great power to raise Jesus from the grave. (Ephesians 19-20) It becomes the proof that Jesus is exactly who He said He was. The Resurrection validates the work of Jesus on the cross. It becomes the basis of the New Covenant and all the promises it provides for you and me. The Message of the Cross has power!
The Cross is Foolishness or Powerful – You Choose
The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18 explains how, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” When someone looks at the cross they either think – that it’s pathetic and foolish – or they look at it and think – that it’s powerful. For us who are saved we should see the cross as the “power of God”.
The Cross is Being Removed
The cross is being removed from most all public display, government buildings, school houses, and city squares. Unfortunately the message of the cross is vanishing from the Church as well. As are a result many believers don’t know or have forgotten the meaning and power of the cross. The cross for many has become just a trinket for jewelry and art work for the wall, as a result we often miss the power that cross truly represents and offers.
Time to Renew Our Awareness of the Cross
I want to help remind us of the power of the Cross and what it means for our life. The cross of Jesus Christ is central to our faith. The cross reveals the character of God and demonstrates His love for all of humanity. Through His death on the Cross Christ conquered death, hell, and sin. I believe the Lord wants to renew within us an awareness and understanding of the reality of what Jesus accomplished at the cross, so we can embrace the richness of what is ours in Christ.
What the Cross Means to You
The message of the cross has power to turn losers into winners. It has the power to redeem us and give us victory over sin, sickness, poverty, and defeat. The message of the cross has the power to radically change people’s lives. It changed Paul’s life, and it can change any one’s life who will believe. It can change your life and much more. For the unsaved, the cross provides the way of salvation. Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) Whoever believes and calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13) For the saved the cross provides many more benefits.
7 Powerful Benefits that Are Yours in Christ
As a believer the message of the cross has power to impact your life every day. Through the work of Jesus on the cross God has made available many wonderful promises to you. Here are 7 powerful things that you have as a result of Christ’s death on the Cross and the power of His resurrection. These are yours in Christ and available to you every day:
1) You have a personal relationship with God.
You are now in God’s family. You are a child of God, a joint heir with Jesus. (Gal. 4:7)
2) You have direct access to the Father.
You can boldly come into the presence of God the Father. (Hebrews 4:16)
3) You have God’s direction.
You can be led by the Spirit. You can hear and know the voice of God. (Romans 8:14)
4) You have peace that passes understanding.
No God no peace. Know God know Peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)
5) You have God’s power working in you.
The same power that raised Christ from the dead is working in and through you. (Romans 8:11)
6) You have forgiveness.
God is faithful to forgive us. Forgiveness is a gift from God through Christ. (Ephesians 1:7)
7) You have victory.
Through Jesus God has given us the victory. We have victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave. Jesus always causes you to triumph through every situation in life. (2Corinthians 2:14) In Him you are an overcomer, more than a conqueror. (1Corinthians 15:57)
Today, let God know how grateful you are that Jesus died for you. Always, remember that the Cross symbolizes the victory Jesus won for you and embrace the power of the message of the cross in your life every day. It is the power of God in your life and all that Jesus did is now yours in Him.