A Relationship restored through Christ’s Death
God became man in Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered a brutal death on the cross, was raised from the dead after three days, and ascended into heaven to sit on the throne at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty. The work that Christ did on the cross allowed for the reconciliation with God for all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike. But, with Christ's physical presence in heaven, the Good News of
salvation had to be communicated by a different means than direct exhortation by Jesus.
The followers of Christ were unlikely candidates to convey the implications and opportunities that the crucifixion provided. Except for a few, most of the early disciples were uneducated,
common people. They were not the type of individuals that anyone would expect the Creator of the universe to select to spread His most important message to mankind. Their task was more complicated and
difficult because they had no prior teaching to follow. In their own unique manner, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these men used various methods to communicate what the shed blood of Jesus
accomplished. Their explanations varied as much as their individual personalities did.
The written record of the interpretations of the cross are found scattered in the New Testament. The different authors used a variety of approaches. Paul used legal, military, and
commercial terminology. The author of the letter to the Hebrews steeped his writing in the traditions of the Jews. He compared Christ to the High Priest and tied His death into the sacrificial
system. James, Peter, and John, in each of their letters, interpreted salvation in several other ways. On its own, however, none of these descriptions of Christ's work communicates fully what was
accomplished at Calvary or exactly how God could be in harmony with sinful man. But, together, they present a better understanding of the completeness of Jesus' death.
No man is worthy of a relationship with a holy God because of Adam's sin (Romans 5:18, 1 Corinthians 15:22). The result of man's sinfulness and God's holiness is
alienation. God is perfectly just, making it impossible that He not judge sin. In Paul's words, man was sentenced to death (Romans 6:23) because he was enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17,
7:14). However, God is not only righteous and just. He is all-loving and has provided a means to be at one with sinful man while maintaining His integrity. God's reconciling love was
demonstrated on the cross through the death of His sinless Son. God initiated the reconciliation. The crucifixion of Jesus was God's predetermined plan (Acts 2:23) in which every detail of His sacrificial
death was precisely planned. Thus, prophecies made in prior centuries were accurately fulfilled.
The cross was an act undertaken by God. The Father was not a passive spectator, but an active participant in the plan of redemption. Christ died on the cross because it was
God's will to reconcile mankind to Himself. God was in Christ, and therefore, involved Himself in man's redemption. God made Christ sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21) and then victoriously
raised Jesus from the dead in the resurrection (Acts 2:32, 3:15, 3:26, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40, 13:30, 13:33-34). It was God's initiative, God's plan, that saved mankind from the clutches of death.
By faith we can acknowledge and accept Christ’s death as payment for our sins. Although it is by faith alone that we enter into a relationship with God, the results of true faith in
God are seen in a deepening relationship with Him, an increased desire to follow His commands for our lives, and an increasing likeness to the life that Christ lived.
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