The cross of Jesus Christ has been called “the central fact of human history.” To the entire world the cross is the primary symbol of Christianity; it crowns church spires, highlights church auditoriums, and even dangles on jewelry counters.
This spotlight on the cross declares God’s planned purpose for the coming of Jesus Christ into human history. For both God and our world, the cross carries monumental significance, “the weight of glory,” as Paul expressed it (2 Cor. 4:17) and C.S. Lewis echoed in his book of the same name. It was the climatic fulfillment of God’s covenant, His design to close the gap between Himself and humanity.
Jesus Himself said the cross was His intentional, redemptive goal. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
The death of Christ on the cross also singles out the “uniqueness” of Christianity. Here God has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He has provided the way for each one of us, prone to sin and distant from our Maker, to be forgiven and brought into vital relationship with Him. All this is based not on something we must do, but on something God Himself in His Son has already done.
Every other religious system in the world is essentially a “do-it yourself” proposition. Only in Christianity is salvation a free gift, not because we deserve it, but prompted by the incomprehensible goodness of God’s love. It is true, the cross of Christ is the central fact of human history. When we grasp the full meaning Christ’s death has for us, we can enthusiastically join all creation and declare He is worthy to receive our worship (Rev. 5:9,12,13).
Taken from Know What You Believe by Paul E. Little chapter 4, pages 51-52
Picture taken from FreeFoto.com
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