“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27*). 

Most people who will read a devotional such as this one will not be challenged by the idea that the Cross is the central theme of the gospel (and for those who may doubt, read on), but is it too much to say that the Cross is the central event of history? When we realize that, only pages into the record of mankind, sin and death enter the world and God promises that One will come to put things right, we see glimmers of this centrality.

The first thing God does after the fall is clothe Adam and Eve in the skins of animals. Thus, the first blood was shed because of sin. Later God reveals that He had given us lifeblood for this very purpose (Lev. 17:11), for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). Following this we see God-fearing people, like Abel and the patriarchs, offering blood sacrifices, a practice that continues until one of the most vivid foreshadowings of the Cross plays out at Passover, when the blood of spotless lambs was applied to save the Israelites.

This emphasis on sacrifice in the Law of Moses (where many rituals and offerings were established for God’s people) pointed to the truth that our sin is so egregious in the eyes of God that it requires bloody, awful carnage. Yet none of it was sufficient for our full atonement. It was only a temporary covering.

Besides the rites and sacrifices, there are about sixteen Messianic psalms (including some which vividly point to Christ’s suffering) and hundreds of prophecies in both the major and minor prophets, most notably Isaiah 53. These are what Jesus referenced, both in the verse above (Luke 24:27) and when He chided the Pharisees in John 5:39. All of these references lead to the center point: the Cross. They act like neon arrows which only make sense once the Cross has been revealed. And, as we will see, we are tasked with continually pointing back to the Cross, just as the Old Testament writers foreshadowed it.

* Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the NIV.

CONSIDER:
• How does our vast need for salvation, a need that is established so early in our time on earth, set up the Cross of Christ to be the focal point of history? What is man’s/your core need?
• With how many of Scripture’s “neon arrows” are you familiar? Which speak the loudest
to you about the Cross? Why are they important to you?
• How central is the Cross in your life? Cite examples.

PRAY:
Lord, renew me in my focus on Your Cross and what You accomplished there. Open my eyes anew. Help me to humble myself before it, recognizing it as my only hope, my greatest joy, and the banner under which I will live my life each day as live a crucified life. Help me to see how vital the Cross still is in my life today.

“What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

The Cross is the most recognizable symbol of Christianity. With Judaism we visualize the Star of David, Islam features the Crescent and Star, and when people see the Cross they think “Christian.” But to true believers in Christ, the Cross is more than a mere symbol. As John Stott puts it, “The Cross is not just a badge to identify us and the banner under which we march; it is also the compass that gives us our bearings in a disorientated world. In particular, the Cross revolutionizes our attitudes to God, to ourselves, to other people both inside and outside the Christian fellowship” (Stott 250). The Cross is intended to remain not just our symbol but our center and main message.

This is clear in the New Testament Scriptures. The apostle Paul constantly pointed to the Cross as his main theme, calling it of primary importance. Before he came to faith in Christ, Paul was a highly respected Pharisee, steeped in the knowledge of the Scriptures. He could have easily spent a lot of time speaking and writing about God’s wonders and His Word with in-depth teaching, but he “resolved to know nothing...except Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). In his book, Stott quotes theologian Samuel M. Zwemer, who tells us, “One comes to realize that literally all the wealth and glory of the gospel centers here. The Cross is the pivot as well as the center of New Testament thought. It is the exclusive mark of the Christian faith” (46).

The Cross is not only the exclusive mark; it is also an exclusion mark. There are some for whom it remains merely a symbol. The core of their doctrine is what Pastor Jay Childs refers to as the gospel of be nice. People who subscribe to this “gospel” see Jesus as a moral teacher but reject the total sinfulness of man (especially of themselves), which leaves us incapable of saving ourselves and in desperate need of the Savior on the Cross who bears our sins.

While nominal believers can find pleasure in the story of Jesus’ birth and encouragement in His resurrection, it is only by meeting Him at the Cross and throwing ourselves in full dependence on His sacrifice that we can be saved.

CONSIDER:
• When speaking of your faith, how do you make the Cross your central focus?
• In what ways have you left the Cross behind you and pressed on to focus more on other biblical truths?
• How can you hold all other teachings in the context of the Cross? For example, how can spiritual disciplines be experienced in the context of the Cross?

PRAY:
Lord, help me to direct my life toward the Cross, living, thinking, and worshipping in its shadow. May it reorient my understanding of You, my attitude toward my life, and my willingness to shoulder my own cross and die there. May I follow the Cross daily, not just as my banner, but as my compass, my hope, and my joy.

“It is written: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in Me. Yes, what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment” (Luke 22:37).

My notes for this topic are largely made up of verse after verse in which Jesus declared His purposes for coming to earth. He knew He came to serve and not be served, fulfill the law, bring a sword, preach, bring fire on the earth, do the Father’s will, enact judgment “so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind,” give abundant life, bring light, and suffer and be rejected (Mt. 20:28; 5:17; 10:34; Mk. 1:38; Lk.12:49; Jn. 6:38-39; 9:39; 10:10; 12:46; Lk. 9:22). But above He came all “to seek and to save the lost” and “give His life as a ransom for many” (Lk. 19:10; Mt. 20:28). Clearly, He had a focus from His childhood on fulfilling the work the Father had given Him to do (Lk .2:49). He knew the Scriptures and what was written about Him, such as, “I will . . . make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is. 49:6). Christ repeatedly expressed that all the Scriptures concerning Himself should be fulfilled (Mt. 5:17; 26:54; Lk. 4:21).

Jesus was committed to accomplishing the purpose for which the Father destined Him. Unlike the tragic heroes of Greek plays who fought haplessly against their prophesied destinies, Jesus said, “I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed” (Lk. 12:50). Jesus embraced His God-ordained destiny, knowing that the “baptism” was the Cross and all the suffering which accompanied it.

Jesus often spoke of Himself as One who was sent. He was keenly aware not only of His destiny—the Cross—but also of His Source as He headed to and through that purpose. Because He knew He had a commission from His wise, good, faithful Father, He lived as His Son: in full, loving obedience to His Father, dependent on Him and under His authority. This union of mind, will, Spirit, and purpose were at the foundation of His steadfast drive toward the Cross.

CONSIDER:
• Jesus’ mind was never far from His destiny of the Cross, informing all He did. How does seeing the Cross as your own destiny—that is, dying to self and living for Him—aid in
keeping you steadfast?
• How does Jesus’ attitude toward the Cross help you as you face yours?
• How does Jesus and the Cross show you who the Father is? How does this help you find your Source in the Father’s love, and the power to face your own cross?

PRAY:
Lord, Your Word not only speaks of Jesus’ destiny, but of my own. Help me to take You at Your Word, as He did, and trust in the plans and purposes You have for me. May I pursue that purity and holiness for which You redeemed me for Yourself, and may I be eager to do the good works You have prepared
in advance for me to do.

“The life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for . . . one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11).

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Today we come to the glory of the atonement as we behold it in the Cross.
Atonement is a concept developed in the Old Testament from the word kaphar and its derivatives, and was first used to describe covering, as when Noah covered the ark with pitch. It denotes covering over, cleansing, making amends (as in “covering” an offense), and reparation to restore fellowship. In the New Testament the use of the word varies according to translation, with some preferring the word propitiation (which we will look at tomorrow because it has its own subtleties of meaning).

One commentary explained the difference between atonement and propitiation by saying that atonement is man-centered, focusing on man’s need to make amends and be reconciled to God. Propitiation, on the other hand, is focused on God’s perspective and the need for His wrath to be appeased in order for Him to express the love
He already has for us. While atonement may meet man’s need, John Stott reminds
us that “reparation (a general word for making amends) and restitution (the more particular restoration of what has been stolen) are both necessary to signify the genuineness of repentance” (Stott 102).

Here we see the glory of the atonement on the Cross. We cannot make amends because we have no way to repay God, nor can we be the perfect atoning sacrifice because of our sin nature. But the Son became a man, lived that perfect life, and gave a blood sacrifice as a Man for men, so that we can have our sins atoned for. He made amends on our behalf so that the fellowship with God that He intended when He made us might be restored!

CONSIDER:
• How does your need for atonement help you see the futility of spiritual self-improvement schemes?
• When you’ve offended God by sinning, how does the truth of the atonement move you to restore fellowship, especially when the “accuser of our brethren” is playing on our guilt and shame (Rev. 12:10, KJV)?
• When you gaze at the glory of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, what thoughts of wonder and worship arise in your heart?

PRAY:
Lord, help me to allow the truth of Your atonement at the Cross to give me joy and boldness, even as I humbly enter Your presence by virtue of Your own precious blood. May I more fully partake of the fellowship You restored, and rejoice.

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

Yesterday we laid out some of the nuances between atonement and propitiation. To review, propitiation is about appeasing, pacifying anger, and satisfying God’s justifiable wrath against our sin, which violates His holiness and justice. But when
we use the words appeasement and wrath, what images of God come to mind?

Sadly, a lot of people have an image of God that is solely made up of anger and judgment. They understand God as being against them and ready to strike them down at any moment, just waiting for a chance. They may think that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was Him standing between us and this wrathful Father, begging God to accept Himself as the bearer of our punishment in order to appease God’s fury. This is not at all an accurate picture of the glories of the Cross’ propitiation. It’s missing the true joy of those who’ve received it.

Let’s go back to what was probably the first Bible verse you ever heard or memorized: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (Jn. 3:16). Stott puts it this way: “God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loved us. . . . Let us be clear He did not change from wrath to love . . . since His character is unchanging. What the propitiation changed was His dealings with us” (Stott 172).

Indeed, “sin provokes God’s wrath—He gets angry because He loves—and wrath is propitiated through sacrifice” (Blackburn). An article by the Gospel Coalition assures us, “Jesus is not simply ‘the propitiator’ but the ‘propitiation.’ He is what satisfies the justice of God.” Doesn’t this make it clear how much God is for us?

In all of man’s false religions we see them striving to appease the anger of their gods, but the one true God knows it is impossible for us to do so. Therefore, through the Cross and because of His great love for us, He appeases (propitiates) His own justice so His love can flow freely to us—if we have faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross. What a blessed gift propitiation is!

CONSIDER:
• In what ways have you struggled with wrong images of God, especially the image of God as an angry Father?
• How might you have tried to appease God when you’ve sinned? By distancing yourself until you think He’s cooled down? Making vows? Giving extra money or sacrificing? How does God show He’s for you?
• How does Scripture reveal that the Godhead (the three parts of the Trinity) agrees on the issue of our propitiation?

PRAY:
Lord, help me better grasp the lengths You were willing to go in order to propitiate my sin—not by just covering it up, but by fully appeasing Your justice and wrath—all because of Your great love.

“If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11).

Neither atonement nor propitiation were intended to be isolated acts or mere judicial fact. They had a “so that” element to them; they were a means to God’s desired end. Unlike other creatures, God created us in His image so we would be able to fellowship with Him and know Him. However, our sin separated us from God, so this fellowship was severed. We were alienated from God, in the dire state of Ephesians 2:12—“without hope and without God in this world.” What a sense of desolation that verse brings home!

God has taken care of the root cause of this separation at the Cross. This is intended to restore the union between God and mankind—at least those who repent of their sin and believe in His finished work on the Cross. Paul is speaking about the purpose of the Cross when he says, “But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Col. 1:22). The Cross is meant to be the end point of our sinful way of life and the beginning of our increasingly sanctified life in Him (1 Pet. 2:24-25).

As we saw with atonement, we are not the ones who reconcile ourselves to God.
He takes on the role of being the Reconciler, making the way to bring us to Himself. In fact, He has not waited for us to make efforts in His direction, as imperfect as they might be, but reconciled us “while we were God’s enemies” (Rom. 5:10). Again, we were at enmity with God, rebels against Him until He made the way for us to be reconciled. Ralph Earle tells us, “The paradox which Paul is proclaiming is that although God looks upon men as enemies, yet He reconciles them to Himself . . . by one decisive act of the Cross of Christ.” How amazing is that?!

If this is not enough, Paul also tells us that through Christ’s Cross, God is reconciling all things to Himself, “whether things on earth of things in Heaven, by making peace through His blood” (Col. 1:20). We’re only beginning to see the glory of the reconciliation, but may we revel in what we can perceive now.

CONSIDER:
• Consider Eph. 2:12. How do you feel knowing you were without hope and without God before Christ’s restoration?
• When you’ve broken fellowship with God, how does the fact that He initiated reconciliation help you sense His desire to restore your fellowship?

PRAY:
Lord, I shudder at the thought of a life without hope and without You, let alone an eternity of that! Give me the firm conviction that You are so desirous of reconciliation that You would give me hope . . . and even Yourself!

“Christ also suffered once for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

We are now going to examine the fruit of reconciliation Christ gained for us on the Cross: the glorious freedom of being brought near to God. God cannot dwell with sin (Ps. 5:4), but His work on the Cross has, in His sight, fully removed sin from us. We’ll explore this more later, but suffice it to say that atonement, propitiation, and reconciliation wrought by Christ on the Cross all play a part in this amazing privilege.

In fact, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to avail ourselves of the confidence we have in the blood of Jesus by “draw[ing] near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” (Heb. 10:22). We can be confident because it is not our own efforts or desires that have brought us near, but the blood of Christ. Only His blood, shed on the Cross, was sufficient to fulfill God’s desire to have His people near Him. It is not that we first desire God and must convince a reluctant deity to turn to us. To the contrary, the desire for nearness began with Him, continues in Him, and is made possible by Him. It is He who woos us, kindling in
us a desire to respond and draw near to His presence.

Turning back to Ephesians 2, Paul reminds us that we were once “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship . . . ,without hope God and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (verses 12-13). Wycliffe’s commentary says that the “now” in verse thirteen is emphatic, indicating a contrast between our former state and our current status in Christ. In context, this chapter reveals the tragic state we were in: dead in our sins, following the world and the devil’s ways, objects of God’s wrath. . . Let’s pause and let the truth of that press in. Have we come so far from that reality that we are no longer gripped with excitement when verse thirteen says, “But now”? But now! Those of us in Jesus have been brought near! Let’s allow the joy of this reality to flood our souls!

CONSIDER:
• How does the realization that God desires nearness more than you do help you combat the enemy’s lies that He wants little to do with you unless you’re perfect? How does it spur you to draw near?
• What is it that gets in the way of your nearness to God? Distractions? Not making it a priority? Ongoing sin? Insecurity? What will you do about it?

PRAY:
Lord, it awes me that You’d long to be with me so much that You would go through the horrors of the Cross to make a way to bring me near. Kindle a deeper desire in me to pursue intimacy with You, to enter boldly by Your blood into Your presence, and to live a life that draws me ever nearer.