Stuck On The Cross

When you visualize Jesus, where do you most often see Him? If you are a Christian, whether newly converted or have been a Christian the majority of your life, your daily walk should include some thinking about Jesus. When you pray, when you sing hymns at worship, when you ask, “What would Jesus have me do?” where is He and what is He doing? This may not seem an important topic in Christian living, but how we visualize Jesus and where we believe He is can determine our whole outlook on life and our motivation to live holy lives for God.

Jesus on the Cross

So very often in churches and in our own spiritual lives, we emphasize the death of Christ. Certainly it should be emphasized because without Jesus' blood we couldn’t have the forgiveness of our sins. This single sacrifice is also the greatest expression of love the world has ever seen or will ever see. Jesus recognized the power of His sacrifice in Matthew 26:28 when establishing the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “For this (cup) is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” No way could we ever be forgiven without Jesus' blood. His death was absolutely necessary. Periodically, it is not wrong to think of Jesus on the cross. In fact, our thoughts should definitely reflect on His sacrifice. The Lord’s Supper is there to remind us of this sacrifice. But what happens if we leave Him on the cross? What outlook do we have on our Christian walk if Jesus is just hanging on the tree, dying for our sins?

But In Fact Christ Has Been Raised

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul spoke to some of the brethren who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. Probably passed down from the doctrines of the Sadducees, I am sure there were many who didn’t believe or found it hard to believe in resurrection. But in 1 Cor 15:12-20, Paul sets the record straight.

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he has raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitted. BUT IN FACT CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (emphasis added)

I have yet to meet a Christian today who does not believe Jesus rose from the dead. I have, however, met many Christians (myself included) who have lived their lives forgetting this fact. If Christ has not been raised, our faith is meaningless, our sins are not forgiven, and when we die we perish. If this is true, Paul says that Christians are the most pitiful people in the world and we should just give up now.

But Christ has arisen and He lives today.

Because Jesus is alive, our hope in Him is to be alive in heaven. Because Christ arose, we will rise. Because Christ lives and rejoices at our faith, we will live forever and can “rejoice with a joy inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9). Christ did in fact rise from the dead and now reigns with His Father in heaven. Just as He died on the cross for our sins, He was raised for them as well.

Praise God that life does not end in death. Praise God for our risen Savior! Yours in Christ,

Zack