The greatest exchange ever made

This is the time of year when many see the cross as more than an accessory to be worn or an image to adorn walls.

Throughout history, the cross has captivated people's attention, sparking their innate sense of curiosity. Regardless of their moral inclinations, whether virtuous, malevolent, or apathetic, individuals from all walks of life have been drawn to this symbol in some way.

Many individuals, including myself, have followed the Son of God to the cross. Yet, we stopped short. We became the spectators, while He became the sacrifice.

Both the crowd and Christ were eyewitnesses on the day of the crucifixion, but what each bore witness to was starkly different.

Believers witnessed what many still struggle to understand: our sin put Jesus on the cross, but it was His love for us that kept him there.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.

Whilst we saw Christ, bruised and broken upon the cross, Christ saw us, bruised and broken, from His view upon the cross.

Jesus had the ability to see the true nature of humanity, including our deepest desires, fears, and motivations. As such, our darkest hours were met with Christ’s darkest hours upon the cross:

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land…. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit,” Matthew 27:45, 50.

Darkness did not yield the final view.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,’” John 8:12.

We have been called to the cross by the washing of our sins through the blood of Christ.

“I have been put up on the cross to die with Christ. I no longer live. Christ lives in me. The life I now live in this body, I live by putting my trust in the Son of God. He was the One Who loved me and gave Himself for me,” Galatians 2:20.

Jesus paid for our salvation in full for those who intentionally decide to take up their cross and follow Him, recognizing Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me,’” Matthew 16:24.

To take up our cross is to look at Jesus’ example upon the cross. What Jesus did for us required complete surrender to God.

Christ’s transaction of His life for ours was only needed once for the whole of humanity, as Christ is the only perfect sacrifice ever to live among us in the flesh. As Believers, we are still imperfect beings.

We recognize that our salvation is a gift bestowed upon us through Christ. However, we understand that our journey as Christians does not end at the cross, just as Christ's life did not cease upon the cross. Christ was resurrected, and, in many ways, so are we.

It is our responsibility to put into practice the discipline required for daily sanctification, which involves striving to live a life that brings honor and glory to God, seeking to love others as Christ loved us, and to serve Him in all that we do. Through this ongoing process of sanctification, we can grow in our faith and become better equipped to fulfill God's purpose for our lives.

“Jesus said this prayer for His disciples: ‘My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth,’” John 17:15-17.

God's Word is the ultimate truth, and those who follow it with obedience are blessed with the strength to endure, an attitude of gratitude, a persevering and discerning spirit, joy, contentment, and hope.

And God’s Word tells us that only through Christ can we receive God’s redeeming grace and mercy.

This is the greatest exchange ever made: the perfect sacrifice of Christ to restore God’s imperfect children to Himself for eternity.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16.