The Balance of the Cross

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Isaiah 11:1-2

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
² And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

(ESV)

In the time of Christ the cross was not something one would display at the front of the church or wear around their neck.  Instead, the cross equated with the electric chair or gas chamber today as a means of execution.  However, were it not for the death burial and resurrection of Jesus over Good Friday and Easter, humanity would live a hopeless existence in sin with no hope of deliverance. 

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard for righteousness.  Isaiah compares our righteousness to a polluted garment reminding us that our sins will make us fade and be blown away like the wind (Isaiah 64:6).  In God’s court of law, the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23) which is why humanity needs a savior to provide forgiveness of sin.  Genesis 3:15 provides the first mention of a savior to provide reconciliation between fallen humanity and man.  What is interesting about Genesis 3:15 is its differentiation between the offspring of Adam and the offspring of Eve.  Normally the offspring of a man and woman are the same person, but this passage refers to a special birth such as occurred with Jesus who born of a virgin would be the offspring of a woman without also being the offspring of a man but instead the offspring of God Himself. 

The events of Good Friday and Easter, or as I like to call it, Resurrection Sunday, are the climax of the ministry of Jesus.  Just five days before His execution on Good Friday the people were proclaiming Jesus as King (John 12:12-19).  Now some of these same people are calling for Jesus’ execution (Mark 15:6-15).  This leads to the question of what occurred during these five days that led to this mass change of mind.  Perhaps passages of Scripture like Isaiah 14:1-2 led to the belief that Jesus would march in and divinely eliminate their Roman oppressors.  While this would have been miraculous the timing was not right for first the sin problem in the hearts of each person had to be dealt with.  Therefore the events of Good Friday occurred in order to reconcile the hearts of humanity back to intimacy with God.

The death of the Son of God, God Himself, paid the legal requirement of death for the sins of humanity.  The death of the Son of God means that the offspring of God went to battle with the offspring of sinful men through the woman in fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.  His resurrection three days later indicates victory over death and the opportunity for everyone to have eternal life.  The song Golgotha Hill by Crowder illustrates the magnitude and immense price God paid for our salvation.  Please take a moment to watch the video for this song. 

However, just as a defendant in court must accept a plea deal offered by the prosecution, sinful men and women must accept the plea bargain offered by God through the death of His son on Calvary.  As the diagram of the cross at the beginning of this post shows, Jesus as the son of God had a perfect relationship with God free from sin.  During His ministry he demonstrated the power of God within Him through miracles and His teaching establishing a relationship with humanity by becoming one of them, but without sin.  His death and resurrection provide reconciliation with God but only if we choose to accept it.  If you have not done so, I urge you to pray with me now to accept God’s forgiveness of your sins,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You now have complete forgiveness of your sins by the sinless savior who conquered death (Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21) giving you eternal life (John 3:16).  The response to this immense gift of love from God should be obedience and a desire to learn more about this loving God.  This comes through worship of God, study of the Bible, and regular association with others who have accepted God’s gift of salvation by regular church attendance.  May God bless everyone tomorrow as we celebrate the risen Lord.