When I look at the cross of Jesus, what should I perceive? To answer this
question, let us see what Jesus himself said about the cross which he carried
for us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
When we look at the cross of Jesus, we should see that God loved all of us so
much that He gave His only Son. By this God’s love for the people of the world
became complete and perfect. Humanity sinned, and God took upon Himself the
punishment for those sins by sacrificing His Son Jesus so that we might be
saved. True love requires self-denial and sacrifice for the good of others. The
cross is a sacrifice, a suffering, and a punishment borne for the benefit of
others. God the Father loved us so much that He took the punishment Himself,
sacrificing His only Son for our sins so that humanity could be saved from the
punishment of sin and receive eternal life. Jesus carried the cross and gave up
His life so that by believing in Him we receive a new and eternal life.
Some people may wonder why punishment is necessary for sins and evil deeds. If
we think about our earthly world, if evil were freely allowed in society, then
in a short time this world would become a complete hell. Our countries have
legal systems that establish laws and punitive actions for those who break them
in order to restrain evil and promote proper conduct in society. In the same
way, God has given us rules and laws for living that are acceptable to Him, and
those who break God’s laws should be punished; this is a just system of justice.
But humanity became so sinful and rebellious, committing wicked acts that,
according to righteous justice, deserved death and hell. “An eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth.” Yet our God is also a God of love. He loved us greatly, and
in order to ensure justice, He fulfilled justice through His love. Justice
demanded punishment for our sins, and love demanded reconciliation. The price of
reconciliation was the sacrifice of the sinless one, which the Lord Jesus paid
by giving His life, fulfilling justice and bringing humanity back into
fellowship with God. Just as in the world's justice system, when someone serves
a sentence and pays the price of punishment, that person is freed from the
punishment and reunited with their family, God sent His only Son Jesus for us
out of perfect love, and Jesus took the punishment for our sins on the cross.
Just as one sun gives light to the whole world, in the same way one sacrifice
brought forgiveness for the sins of the whole world, and for those who accept
the cross of Jesus (the sacrifice of love) and follow Jesus (obeying His
commands), the light of heaven has already begun to shine.
Now we have no excuse for failing to honor and obey the words of God and the
Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus said that whoever honors Him and believes in Him will
not perish but will have eternal life. Those who believe in Him will not be
destroyed, they will not go to hell, but will receive eternal life in Heaven.
What do we mean by believing? In the Hebrew original texts, we understand that
faith means truth. “To believe” is an action—an action based on an underlying
truth. Therefore, those who believe in the Lord Jesus act upon the underlying
truth of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus did what He said, and we act upon His
underlying truth. The Lord Jesus also said that those who believe in Him will
receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, whose purpose is
to make us holy, to make us like Jesus, the Son of God. Holy means “set apart.”
The Holy Spirit works within us to separate us from the sins of the world. Those
who have not received the Holy Spirit should humbly and sincerely pray to God,
and according to His grace, God will give them the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when
we look at the cross of the Lord Jesus, we should see the love of God and of His
only Son, Jesus. We believe in His loving sacrifice (the cross)—we accept it as
truth and live in obedience to His words given in the Bible. When we do this, we
experience new life through the Holy Spirit, whom God gives and desires to give
to His people.
May God’s blessing remain upon you.
Regards
Er Jatin Lal