5 Promises From the Cross

You wear it on your necklace. It can be seen on the top of several church steeples. You or your parents may have one in the form of a bumper sticker.

But it’s more than just decoration, and it’s more than just a label that announces that you’re a Christian.

It’s the cross that our Savior died on.

 

What does the cross represent?

Yet sometimes we forget this. We become so accustomed to seeing this symbol that over time it may begin to lose its meaning. When this happens, we need to remind ourselves of the five promises that the cross represents:

1) God is with you and will strengthen you.

Before He was crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42 NLT)

A season of suffering does not mean that God has turned His back on you. We need to have the obedience that Jesus had and say, “Lord, I want your will to be done. Not mine.” You may not understand, but He does. And when we lean on God during these times, He will give us the strength to persevere.

After Jesus prayed the above prayer, Luke 22:43 (NLT) says that, “an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. No, sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. Yet despite how things may appear, God has not—nor will He ever—forsake you (see Romans 8:35-37).

2) You are loved.

Jesus could have sent angels down to rescue Him from being tortured. But He didn’t. Instead, as He was nailed to the cross, He was thinking of you.

Because of the cross, God no longer holds us accountable for our sins. Despite the fact that it was our sin that held us there, and despite the fact that we deserve the punishment, Jesus took it on himself instead.

“But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.”

~Isaiah 53:3-5 MSG

Why did Jesus do this? Not just because it was God’s Will, but because He loves you that much. He didn’t want you to have to go through the punishment of your own sins.

That is how much you are worth.

3) Rain must take place before resurrection.

No, Jesus’ story did not end at the cross. In fact, that was only the beginning. And no, His pain and suffering didn’t last forever. In fact, He rose from the grave just three days later! One night of rain turned into an eternity of blossom.

 4) Jesus is aware of the pain that is caused from rejection.

He’s been there. He was accused of a crime that he did not commit. He was humiliated, made fun of, and treated in a way that He did not deserve. Yet soon after Jesus’ rejected that lead to His death, He rose from the grave.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”

~John 15:18 NLT

5) You have been made new.

Galatians 2:20 (NCV) says,  “I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me.” Your old life is dead (Colossians 3:3), and it died the moment you accepted Christ as your Savior.

[Tweet “You have been set free from the chains of your sin. Not only that, but Jesus has risen!”]

That means that your new life has risen with him as well.

“…All the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross…

At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.”
~Colossians 1:20-22 (MSG)

There is hope in the cross.  We pray you will find it for yourself as you think upon what Jesus did for each of us out of love for His Father.