The Cross

The Cross

Lesson 3

Objective:

That trainee or student will have a deep understanding and appreciation of the cross of the Lord Jesus, not just as a symbol but as a living picture in their heart.

Aim for our Study

1.   That the student must convince that, the cross of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith.

2.  That every student should understand that, the cross reveals to us the character of God: His love for lost sinners and His perfect justice meet at the cross. 

3.  That every student should know that, keeping the cross of Christ central in their Christian journey will protect them from the many winds of false doctrine blowing in our day. 

 

Foundational Scripture

Matt 16:24

The cross is the marching order for Christians. After Jesus explained to his disciples that he must suffer, he tells them, to deny themselves and take up the cross and follow Him.

The Lesson

Life’s Origin

Man was originally created in the image of God as our foundational scripture indicates, and we are created in order to enjoy meaningful fellowship with Him and to exercise dominion over creation. This means that fellowship with God is an essential and integral part of normal human existence. Without God, man is empty, unfulfilled and incomplete.

 The PROBLEM

1.       The reason man is out of fellowship with God is sin.

2.       Adam the first man chose the path rebellion against the will of God for his life.

3.       In a sense, Adam was refusing God to be God and therefore Lord of his life. (Gen.3)

 The RESULT

1.       The result of Adams rebellion is death or separation in three fold sense:

a.      Physical Death - Separation of man’s body to his soul or spirit. (Gen 3:19)  

b.      Spiritual Death – Separation of man’s fellowship with God. (Isa. 59:2)

c.      Eternal death – Irreversible separation of the person to God for eternity, (Rev. 20:11-15)

2.       We became sinner by nature because, Adam brought this problem of separation by sin to all mankind, and all are now subject to death. (Rom. 5:12-15)

The Solution

1.       God immediately responded with a plan to sacrifice His Son, Jesus (Gen. 3:15).

2.       Our Father did not walk away in anger. He responded with immediate personal sacrifice.

3.       Not just any sacrifice would do, a perfect sacrifice was needed to completely pay for the sin of every person. That is why it was necessary for Jesus to be the sacrifice.

4.       For the Father used the "precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:19 NIV).

5.       The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, then rising from the dead, a way is made for us to have intimate fellowship with the Father.

 Things You Should Know about the Cross

 1. The Cross revealed the Trinity

God the Father sent the Son to save the world, the Son submitted to the Father's will, and the Holy Spirit applies the work of redemption to Jesus followers. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (John 3:16); God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Rom 5:5).

 2. The cross is the center Christian Teaching.

Without the cross, the Bible cannot provide a solution to our sin. The spiral of sin that began in Genesis 3 was stopped at the death of our Lord Jesus at the cross. He took on the sin of the world in His body and paid the price for all humanity. That is why Paul says that he decided to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Wisdom was found not beyond the cross, not above the cross, not below the cross, but on the cross.

 3. The cross inaugurates the new covenant.

At the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus interprets his death as bringing in the new covenant. It is through his body and blood that his new community is formed. That’s why we are reminded of this new covenant every time we gather together as a church and have our communion, making us one in Christ. The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but also in the shape of Christianity.

 4. The cross conquers sin and death.

The cross cancels the record of debt that stood against us (Col 2:14). On the cross, the Lord Jesus bore our sins in his body, so that we might die to sin and death (1 Pet. 2:24). The curse of sin and death was placed on Him so that we might obtain the blessings that God has for us. Understanding the cross and resurrection as a single event is important here, for it is through the death and resurrection of Christ that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54–55).

 5. The cross is substitutionary.

The cross is for us, in our place, on our behalf. He laid down his life for His sheep. He is our sacrificial lamb. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Just as Abraham raised his eyes and looked and saw a ram to offer as a burnt offering in the place of his son (Gen 22:13), so too we look up and see Jesus as our replacement.  He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), meaning he takes the place of all the enslaved, the rebels, the idolaters, and the murderers.

 Assignment

1. Take some time to think about Jesus' death on the cross from the Father's perspective. Think about the sacrifice of the Father. Think about the pain He experienced for you.

2.  Sometimes we take our sins lightly. When you think about the undeserving, tortuous death of Jesus on the cross for your sins, how do you feel? Does it motivate you to please Him?

 3. Pass your reflection using our comment section.