What is the Significance of the Cross of Christ?

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NKJV)

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The death of Christ on the Cross could be considered as the worst miscarriage of justice known to man. How an innocent man could be wrongly trialled, found guilty of crimes He did not commit and then sentenced to the most brutal and humiliating death of the time – crucifixion on a cross. As much as this may be true, the death of Christ on the Cross was part of God's plan, even from the foundations of the earth.

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These are six factors surrounding the death of Christ on the Cross that make His death on the Cross so significant:

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1.???? Justice

As Christ hung on the Cross, there was darkness over the whole earth. This darkness can be synonymised with the judgment of God. God emptied His wrath on Christ on account of the sin of the world. In John 19:28, Christ expresses a thirst for water during this time of darkness. As with the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16, after finding Himself in Hades, the rich man begged Lazarus for water even from the tip of his finger due to the heat and torment he found himself in. Christ on the Cross descended into hell, a place of torment, dryness, and darkness. Although He did not remain there, it was necessary as part of God's plan that sin – the breaking of God's law – must be judged and punished accordingly.

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“Now, when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.” Mark 15:33 (NKJV)

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2.???? Holiness

?God turned His face and separated Himself from Christ because of His holiness. Our sin was also nailed on the Cross with Christ. As such, God couldn't remain in that place of unholiness.

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“having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.” Colossians 2:14 (NKJV)

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“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthews 27:46 (NKJV)

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3.???? Sacrifice

The Cross was not an act of martyrdom but instead a sacrifice to God – a requirement for the propitiation or easing of the wrath of God that we deserved. Christ put away sin and its consequences by sacrificing Himself on the Cross. He chose to lay down His life as an eternal sacrifice in that by observing Christ's suffering on the Cross, God's judgment would be eternally satisfied.

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“And?He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but?also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 (NKJV)

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4.???? Substitution?

A double substitution took place on the Cross. Christ died the death we deserved in our place, and He also gave us His righteousness in place of our sinfulness. The Cross demonstrates the ultimate act of love in that, compelled by love, Christ laid down His life for us – His church. We now live in His place because He died in our place.

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“For?He made Him who knew no sin?to be?sin for us, that we might become?the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

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5.???? Salvation?

Without the Cross, there is no salvation because there is no redemption. Through His death, Christ paid the ultimate price. He purchased us with His blood, redeeming us from punishment and impending death and instead giving us His abundant life.

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“looking for the blessed?hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,?who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed?and purify for Himself?His?own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-14 (NKJV)

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6.???? Reconciliation

The Cross brings us back to God. As Christ lay dying, God was working through Him to restore the broken relationship between us and Him resulting from our sins. He was reconciling us to Himself, allowing us to be in perfect unity with Him once more. He was granting us the opportunity to come to His throne of grace as a now holy people clothed not with our holiness but with the pure holiness of Christ.

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“Now all things?are?of God,?who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that?God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV)

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There is no other way to come into Christ and His church without coming through the Cross of Christ. Through the Cross, we see God's justice and mercy coming together. His death on the Cross was no accident – it was based on God's plan to bring God and man together. ?

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten?Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.?For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 (NKJV)