For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
– 1 Corinthians 2:2
The movie The Passion of the Christ caused quite a stir when it was first released for public viewing. Millions went to see the film. Many were deeply moved by its depiction of the passion, or the suffering of Jesus connected to His crucifixion. A movie that looks at the cross of Christ is going to be controversial. People who indulge in sin and self don’t want their comfortable feathery lifestyles ruffled or rebuked by the thought of the pain, the price Christ paid and yes, the passion of the cross. It’s too uncomfortable.
The cross is offensive to those trying to hide from its convicting shadow (Matthew 11:6; John 6:58-63; Romans 9:31-33; 1 Corinthians 1:23). You can’t look at the sacrifice of Jesus and all it entails and feel comfortable about living in sin. That irks some people. It’s very interesting how film critics excuse violence as artistic expression in films with a secular theme, but when it comes to Jesus Christ and Him crucified, they act appalled. Satan has been working on the desensitizing of humanity through depicting violence for years now. Violence, gore, and blood are more vividly portrayed than ever before. That is for the most part okay with the secular world. But when violence is used to show the depth of humanities’ sinfulness, then the critics cry, “its just too much.” The truth is, the cross was a terror, it was gory, it was violent, not because God is sadistic, but because sin is so vicious. The cross was the only way to expose the nature of humanity’s sin in truth and defeat it effectively.
Still others pointed out accurately that the film was from the Roman Catholic perspective of its director Mel Gibson and as such, was more propaganda than passion of Jesus. While this is true to some extent, the film still brought the cross into the public square for consideration and that is a good thing. Once in the public eye, the opportunity presented itself for disciples of Jesus to point out the true Biblical details and truth about the cross.
The truth of the matter is, the cross was not optional, it was and is essential to salvation and defeating sin (See Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42). If you object to the The Passion of the Christ maybe you will at least agree that it can be a segue to looking at the cross of Jesus with greater Biblical accuracy. Maybe the Lord can use the movie to move us to separate what is based on conjecture and human tradition from the more accurate solid truth in the inspired revelation of God found in His word.
The cross of Christ is magnificent. Yes, it is bloody, hard to look at or contemplate, but that is the price of its magnificence. The word “magnificent” is an adjective to describe something that is beautiful, awe inspiring, worthy of admiration, and glory. Why would I choose to use such a word to describe the cross of Jesus? Read on to find out.
First, the Cross of Christ is indispensable to the Gospel. The New Testament states:
1 Corinthians 2:2 – “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
These words of Paul to the Corinthians demonstrate to us just how central and indispensable the Cross of Christ is to the gospel. Paul made the Cross of Christ his central focus and he explained why as we look at the verses that precede the above verse:
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
You see, in the Cross of Christ we have the embodiment of God’s wisdom and power. Wisdom is the ability to solve a problem. God solved the problem of sin powerfully in the Cross of Christ. How did He do this?
Second, the Cross of Christ is the means God uses to deliver us from sin. Paul was inspired to write:
Galatians 1:3-5 – “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
The Cross of Christ is how God delivers sinners from their sin. Apart from God, sinful humanity is caught in the clutches of sin. We are born in bondage to sin. Sin is that tar we can’t shake from our shoes. Sin is a deep tattoo embedded in our skin. Sin is a narcotic that addicts. And this sin is addictive. Although we know it will kill us in the end, we can’t stop indulging it. How does God deliver sinful humanity from their sin? The answer is the cross of Christ.
Third, the Cross of Christ is where Jesus became a curse for us. Later in Galatians Paul writes:
Galatians 3:10-14 – “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Sin has been defined as a willful transgression of a known law of God. In our own strength, apart from God’s help, we are under His righteous law of God. Under this standard, one offense, one misstep in regard to keeping God’s law is enough to put us under the curse or penalty of the law. That penalty is death.
“That’s not fair!” we might respond. “That’s too strict!” we might say in our defense. What we fail to factor into our equation of understanding is that God is HOLY. God’s standards are way higher than any standard we have ever known. His standard is PERFECTION. Therefore, trying to reach heaven by keeping the Law of God is as though we hang on a chain. Break one link, break one law, and we plummet. Trying to live by the law puts us in a precarious position. It is an impossible way for us to get to heaven.
God is totally just and as a just Judge. He penalizes sin and administers a just penalty for it. He administers His HOLY HIGH STANDARD OF JUSTICE. His penalty for sin, is death (Romans 6:23). Not just physical death, but an eternal everlasting death, a death where we are still conscious and able to feel pain. God has created a suitable abode for those who choose to persist in their sin. It is called, “the lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:15). We aren’t annihilated at death, we pass from a temporal to an eternal state. What state of eternity you experience depends on how you respond to the cross of Christ.
Sin is serious. What we do with our sin determines our eternal destiny. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Therefore, to the one who persists in sin, God sentences them to eternal separation from Him. “So what?” you may say. To be separated from your Creator, Sustainer, Lover, and Savior, is a punishment no one should be satisfied to suffer. Only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit can truly understand this. That is one reason salvation is a gracious gift of God. If it weren’t for Him, we wouldn’t even be aware of the gravity of our sin problem (cf. John 16:8-11).
God’s wrath is on sin (Romans 1:18). Wrath is God’s holy just anger. God is angry, and righteously so, about the hurt sin has caused to His creation, to us. Sin is so terrible that God pours His wrath on it. Sin separates us not only from God, but from others. Sin is cruel, heartless, proud, and self-centered. Sin is the cause of every evil in this world. Sin put Jesus on the cross. We deserve to be put on a cross because of our sins. Sin, when we truly begin to think about it, is overwhelming to us mere humans. Sin puts us under a curse. Sin makes us deserving of crucifixion.
What is the solution for our sinful predicament? We need a Savior to save us from our sin. At the Cross of Christ, Jesus took our place on the cross and became a curse for us. Here we see the substitutionary nature of the Cross. What is the significance and meaning of Christ’s substitutionary cross-work?
Fourth, the Cross of Christ is where Jesus satisfied God’s Holy Justice. In another epistle of the Apostle Paul he is inspired to write:
Romans 3:20-26 – “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
The law of God was given not to make one righteous, but to expose utterly the sinfulness of humanity (Romans 3:20). The law of God removes all excuses from sinful humanity because it shows that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:1-18,23). The law shuts every mouth and stops every attempt at self-defense (Romans 3:19).
But God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the Cross to be a propitiation, or an atoning sacrifice that satisfies God’s holy justice. We cannot do anything that will satisfy God’s just standard. Therefore, God sent His Son and in Him satisfied His own standard of holy justice. On the Cross of Christ Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself. On the cross Jesus paid God’s holy just wrathful penalty for sins by offering Himself as payment for the price for all sin. That is why the cross of Christ is so magnificent.
God did this to demonstrate beyond doubt His righteousness. A Holy God does not simply dismiss sin without dealing with it. A Holy God justly makes a way to deal with sin and remove it’s penalty. That is what God did on the cross of Christ. At the cross of Christ all sin is forgiven, past, present and future. All is forgiven on the basis of Jesus’ propitiation on the Cross. And what is even more incredible is that GOD HIMSELF IS the “just and justifier.” This is BECAUSE GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF ON THE CROSS. As Paul was inspired to write:
2 Corinthians 5:19,21 – “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. . . 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Do you see why the cross of Christ is magnificent. The cross of Christ is beyond magnificent.
We have seen God’s justice, but what about God’s love?
Fifth, the Cross of Christ is God’s greatest and clearest demonstration of His Holy Love. Also in that epistle Paul says:
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The Cross of Christ is God’s greatest demonstration of “His own love.” God’s love held nothing back, not even His only Son Jesus, not even Himself. Greater love has no one than this (John 15:13). There is no greater love in all eternity than God Himself laying down His life for sinful humanity.
But what about after we have been forgiven through faith in Christ, is the Cross of Christ useful in living life?
Sixth, the Cross of Christ is the means to live a life of death to sinful self. In the letter to the Galatians Paul writes:
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 5:24 – “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
When we accept Jesus as our Savior and exercise God’s gift of saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) it’s as though our old sinful self is crucified with Him. From that point we are in a righteous position before God, sins forgiven, slate of recorded sins wiped clean forever. But where do we go from there? The above verses tell us that by faith now in Jesus we put fleshly desires in the wastebasket of the cross. The apostle Paul was inspired to explain this in the following way:
Romans 6:4-14 – “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Practically speaking, after we have experienced the new birth (John 3:3,5; Titus 3:5) we will experience fleshly lusts from within us to sin which are connected with the “old man,” or old sinful way of living. This is because we have yet to receive glorified bodies (Romans 8:23), and there remains a struggle with the “old man” who still rears his head to seek control of us. But in the Cross of Christ there is a means of victory. When the old man attacks with his lusts, then by faith we need to “reckon” or put to the account of, lay, place, those lusts and temptations in the casket of the cross, close the lid, and stand in your right position by faith before God in Christ by the Spirit. This is the sanctifying process of the Spirit in the believer (Ephesians 5:18).
But what about the temptations from the world outside of us?
Seventh, the Cross of Christ is the means to gain victory over a sinful world. Read what the New Testament states in this regard:
Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Here we see that the same process is used when temptations come from the world. By faith we maintain our position before God and cast the temptations in the casket of the Cross and close the lid.
But how do those who are unsaved react to the Cross of Christ? Will they joyfully respect the Cross of Christ?
Eight, the Cross of Christ is a foolish concept to the unsaved, but the power of God to the saved. That the cross is folly to the world is testified to in the following verse:
1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
The world views the Cross of Christ as foolish, a barbaric notion of an imaginary religious belief system. But to those who have experienced the power of the gospel in the Cross of Christ, there is no need to explain, but only receive by faith.
Ninth, the Cross of Christ will bring persecution from the religious and worldly (i.e. fleshly; self-centered; self-absorbed; self-serving). The cross is the enemy of self and those who prefer to live for self battle against the cross and those who follow it as we see in the following verses:
Galatians 5:11 – “And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.”
Galatians 6:12 – “As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”
Philippians 3:17-19 – “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”
Those who depend on religious works (i.e. “circumcision” – Galatians 5:11), fleshly pursuits (Galatians 6:12), and “whose god is their belly” will all persecute those who live by faith in the Cross of Christ.
Tenth, the Cross of Christ eliminates prejudices and brings peace in the Spirit. Our world is wracked with division, even in the church. But the cross has an answer to such divisions. Read what the inspired words of the letter to the Ephesians states:
Ephesians 2:14-18 – “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one [i.e. Jews and Gentiles], and has broken down the middle wall of separation,15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”
The Cross of Christ is the answer to the divisions in the world caused by the sinfulness of humanity. Sin divides and destroys; but the Cross of Christ unites and brings us into the presence of the Father by the Spirit. THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS THE BRIDGE THAT ALLOWS THE SINNER TO CROSS OVER THE CHASM OF SEPARATION FROM GOD CAUSED BY SIN (Isaiah 59:2), AND STEP INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE PERSONALLY FOR ETERNITY.
The Cross of Christ is an incredible provision by God and is offered by His grace to us. The crux of the Cross is that we can be forgiven for our sins (Colossians 2:13), indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-14), and given eternal life (John 3:16) through faith in Jesus and His cross-work (Romans 10:8-10). We come into the presence of God through the Cross of Christ.
I recently watched again the film The Passion of the Christ. It’s been twenty plus years since I watched the movie. Honestly, the graphic depiction of the cross-work of my Savior moved me deeply. I recognize much of the movie is based more on church traditions than sound Biblical exegesis. But enough of the redemptive sacrificial torture of Jesus is true to fact to make the movie worth watching. It moved me. It shocked me. It woke me in the truest and deepest of ways. It refocused me in the best way.
What did the movie cause me to remember? Our salvation is offered freely to us by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. Sometimes we reduce that truth to mere intellectual assent. That is unfortunate. We need to go deeper, to the heart, our heart. The cross must pierce our heart. Our salvation is freely offered but it wasn’t cheaply purchased by Jesus. He paid a debt He didn’t owe for those who owed a debt they couldn’t pay. That debt was a death penalty for our sins. That debt was paid by Jesus with the cruelest words of false accusation, with spewed spit, with false witnesses, pushes, lashes, and brutally sinful strikes of the executioner’s tools. Jesus did that, He endured the cross for you and for me. He did it for us. He did in love.
The Passion movie reminded me of the cost of my redemption. But then I pondered further, “Jesus, You did that for me? Jesus, You did that for me! Jesus, oh Jesus, You did that for me.” It put sin in perspective. I’ll remember the cross work of Jesus a bit more vividly, a bit more usefully the next time I’m tempted to sin with a snarky remark, a carnal reaction, an unloving action, a sinful choice. I’ll remember. I’ll remember that incredible, magnificent, gracious, mercy-producing, loving cross of my Savior Jesus.
Critics dismiss the film. They walk away unfazed with little to no noticeable change in their heart or lives. Some try to make excuses and minimize the work of Christ. They say, “It’s over the top too bloody and graphic.” But a study of history and Roman crucifixion supports the depiction. Some woke churches, their pastors and leadership, avoid the cross and the blood of atonement of Jesus. When they do that, they may make filling seats more hospitable, but they only gain theater goers not true Christians. Christianity was never meant to be a comfortable experience, you only have to look to the cross to see that. Jesus invites to pick up our cross not to come sit down on a couch in our comfy cozies.
Critics of the cross of Christ, who shy away from the power of the blood of Christ, follow in the footsteps of those hardened by sin. You have to have a hard heart to reject the cross of Jesus. You have to be hard to not appreciate the cost Jesus paid on the cross. Like Pharaoh, cross rejectors harden their hearts and are therefore hardened by God (Exodus 4-12). Hardness to the love of Christ on the cross is a symptom of the End times (Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Such a passionless response to the cross is akin to the Laodiceans. There’s good reason why the the Lay-os turned Jesus’ stomach (Revelation 3:14-22).
My prayer is that reflecting on the price paid on the cross of Christ will cure Christian carnality (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). Carnality in the Church is shocking nowadays. We need to be shocked back to holy living. Sin put Jesus on that cross, that bloody torturous cross. When we indulge sin, it’s as though we join in the lashing of our Savior. Look to the cross, look closely, look deeply, and be cured of your carnality, of your works of the flesh, of your self-centeredness, self-service, self-promotion, your self. I pray the cross of Christ cuts us to the heart and convicts us of our spiritual slothfulness and compells us by the love of Jesus to recommit our lives to Him afresh.
When Jesus endured the cross He did so joyfully. He had full assurance that He was fulfilling the will of God. Jesus knew the cross was necessary if we were to deal with and defeat sin in our lives and spend eternity with Him (Hebrews 12:1-4). The cross was terrible, horrible. But in the end, it is magnificent. When we stand before the throne of Jesus, amazed to be there, so thankful to be there, forever, worshipping in His glorious presence, we will see the nail pierced hands and marks of the cross on our Savior and King Jesus, and only then will we fully realize the magnificence of the cross of Christ Jesus. May we start now to deeply take to heart and feel the full holiness producing effects, of the magnificent cross of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.