What Will You Do With The Cross Of Jesus?

With Easter Sunday coming up mankind is confronted again with the cross of Christ our Lord.  We all have decisions to make in life, some more important than others. That Jesus was born is a fact. That he ministered to many is a fact. His miracles are supported not only in the Bible but by other bystanders. In fact, a Jewish historian, a Roman historian and others say it was reported he did things no other man did. Jesus, himself, gave us his word that He was the only way to the Father. In a world filled with religions what do you do with that? Are there many paths to God making Jesus a liar or did he tell the truth? He spoke the truth when confronted by the religious leaders of the day and stood with those accused of sin...actually he was accused of not being religious enough! In fact, the Bible says He was sinless...God's Son! The bible says he was the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world? It's a fact that Jesus was crucified on a hill called Golgotha. The Roman guards didn't even have to break his legs as he had already given up his spirit fulfilling a prophecy in Psalms. Yes, he died and was laid in a sealed tomb surrounded by an elite Roman guard. That isn't the end of the story...HE ROSE AGAIN and was seen by over 500 for 40 days according to I Cor 15:1-11. So here is my question to you. What are you going to do with the cross of Jesus Christ this year?

Following is a list of Scriptures that tell us what Jesus did on the cross.

1. He laid his life down for us, John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
2. Demonstrated the greatest act of love, John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
3. Reconciled to God, Rom. 5:10, "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
4. Justified us, Rom. 5:18,  "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men."
5. He died to sin, Rom. 6:10, "For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God."
6. Died for our sins, 1 Cor. 15:3, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."
7. He became sin, 2 Cor. 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
8. He finished the atonement, John 19:30, "When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit."
9. Reconciled Jew and Gentile, Eph. 2:16, "and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity."
10. Humbled himself, Phil. 2:8, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
11. Reconciled all things, Col. 1:20, "and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven."
12. Cancelled out our sin debt, Col. 2:14, "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
13. Rendered the Devil Powerless, Heb. 2:14, "Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil."
14. Brought in the New Covenant, Heb. 9:15-16, "And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it."
15. He redeemed us, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, " knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."
16. Bore our sin, 1 Pet. 2:24, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
17. Died for sins, 1 Pet. 3:18, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."
18. Propitiated our sins, 1 John 2:2, "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
19. He fulfilled prophecy, Psalm 22:14-18, "14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws. And you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
20. He fulfilled prophecy, Isaiah 53:4-7, "Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried. Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth."
21. He fulfilled prophecy, Zech. 12:10, "“And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born."

(list from Matt Slick, CEO at C.A.R.M https://www.facebook.com/Carm.org )

So how important is the decision to be a true follower of Jesus Christ in a world that looks down on such? What are you going to do with cross of Christ? Ignore it? Deny It? Embrace it? Your decision will change your whole way of life...

See you next blog,
Teddy