Artwork by Daniel Venturo
Life gets complicated. Life gets confusing. Hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, quarrels—all these tangle so easily into a muddled web of uncertainty. Life can quickly spiral into turmoil. When this happens, what do you do? You look to what matters.
I am not saying that your hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, and quarrels do not matter. But when compared with what is most important, they become only minor concerns. That is because what matters is so much bigger and more lasting. Our lives will end and with them all their complications. But there is one thing that matters most, and it will continue forever. So this is what you must look to. When things are muddled, you must look to what is clear. When the future is fuzzy, you must see what is certain. So what is this thing? This thing that is clear, certain, and enduring—all that matters? It is quite simple, really. It can be summed up in two words, The Gospel, and can be explained in a few short sentences. Here it is:
Jesus, God in the flesh, died in the place of guilty sinners. He was buried but rose again. Turn from your sin and trust Jesus alone for the gift of eternal life.
There you are. At first glance, it may seem so simple, even insignificant. You may have heard it a hundred times and now it seems so basic, so trivial compared with all of life’s complications and concerns. And it is simple. So wonderfully, unbelievably simple that even a child’s mind can understand it, and yet so deeply profound that the wisest intellectual can hardly grasp it. Have you ever stopped and thought deeply about this message? If not, please take a moment. Whoever you are, wherever you are at in life, stop. Lay aside your worries, your hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, and quarrels, and look back to the cross—the only thing that matters. Word for word, soak in its tremendous truth. And when it has overwhelmed you and you really begin to appreciate it, see how it changes your outlook on life . . .
Jesus:
“you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Mat. 1:21). “and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end” (Is. 9:6-7a). “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil. 2:10). “ ‘I [Jesus] am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades [Hell]” (Rev. 1: 17b-18). “ ‘Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise’” (Rev. 5:12b). “. . . called Faithful and True . . . His name is the Word of God . . . on His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Rev. 19: 1b; 13b; 16). (Brackets mine).
This is our Jesus. Incredible, right?
God in the Flesh:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (Jn. 1: 1; 14a). “ ‘I [Jesus] and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30). “Thomas said to Him [Jesus] , ‘My Lord and my God!’” (Brackets mine).
God, the great Creator, Who made the sun, moon, stars, trees, flowers, animals, every atom in our bodies, Who keeps every cell of every living thing working and in order, Who holds each of our lives in His hand, Whose nature we cannot possibly comprehend or fathom, the essence of truth and righteousness—this God became a man. A human being to live among other human beings—mortals, wretches, worms—wrought with the strife and cares of humanity, burdened with the pains and struggles of life under the curse. God became human. God in the flesh.
Died in the Place of Guilty Sinners:
I would like us to look at this phrase backwards.
Sinners:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “ ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’” (Jn. 8:34). “All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Ps. 14:3). “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Rom. 7:24). “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).
Have you ever fully grasped how desperately wicked you are? Your nature is exactly the opposite of God’s. Your very nature is evil, yet it is so easy to convince yourself that you are somehow good, or at least, not too bad. Pride and self-righteousness are so subtle, yet so prevalent. Until you understand how wretchedly vile your heart is in God’s sight, you will never understand the significance of the cross. God’s Law, summed up in the Ten Commandments, gives us a picture of just how holy and perfect God is, and how we as humans fail to measure up. Please take a few minutes to ponder God’s Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:1-21) and understand that you are a sinner.
Have you always loved God more than anything else (v. 7)? I am an idolater. Have you ever imagined God how you would like Him to be, instead of worshipping the God of the Bible (v. 8-10)? I am an idolater. Have you ever misused God’s holy name (v. 11)? I am guilty of blasphemy. Do you always set apart a day of rest to worship God (v. 12-15)? Have you always honored you parents (v. 16)? I am disobedient. Have you ever murdered (hatred is murder—1 Jn. 3:15) (v. 17)? I am a murderer. Have you ever committed adultery (lust is adultery—Mat. 5:28) (v. 18)? I am an adulterer. Have you ever stolen anything (v. 19)? Its value doesn’t matter. I am a thief. Have you ever told a lie (v. 20)? I am a liar. Have you ever coveted something that didn’t belong to you (v. 21)? I am guilty of covetousness which is idolatry (Eph. 5:5).
I am a sinner.
Guilty:
“For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a). “ . . . it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’” (Gal. 3:10b). “ . . . in this way death came to all people because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). “Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Eph. 5:6). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). “ ‘The one who sins is the one who will die’” (Ezek. 18: 4b). “each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.”
God is holy and just to give sinners what they deserve—death. He is too righteous to allow murderers, thieves, adulterers, and liars into Heaven. You are a sinner condemned to die. You are guilty. Guilty.
Jesus, God in the Flesh, Died in the Place of Guilty Sinners:
Ok, here’s the whole phrase. Hopefully it’s starting to make more sense.
“God made Him [Jesus] Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’” (Gal. 3:13). (Brackets mine)
Do you see Him there? Jesus, hanging on a cruel cross, suffering in agony, moments from death. In anguish, He raises His voice and cries out, “ ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Mat. 27:46b). Why would God forsake His only Son? Because Jesus is receiving the just penalty for sin. Not His own sin. If you remember, He is God in the flesh—perfect, holy, righteous. He is receiving your penalty. You are guilty, deserving death, but Jesus is dying for you. His perfect character is smeared with your sin. And He is doing it willingly, for you. “ ‘The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord’” (Jn. 10:17-18a). Jesus laid down His life to pay the penalty of your sin. He satisfied God’s wrath. Died in the Place of Guilty Sinners.
He Was Buried:
“Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid . . . since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there” (Jn. 19:41; 42b). “So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard” (Matt. 27:66). “. . . putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism” (Col. 2:11b-12a).
Jesus was dead. God, the Creator of everything, was dead. His disciples laid Him in a tomb. The tomb was sealed, secure, guarded. No one could steal Him away and claim that He was alive. He was dead and in a tomb. And if you are a Christian, your old self is in that tomb too. And there it must stay. Dead. Sealed inside. Gone. Because Jesus died for you, so may die your sin nature to be figuratively “buried with Him in baptism.” Forever. He Was Buried.
But Rose Again:
“ ‘He is not here, for He has risen, as He said’” (Mat. 28:6a). “ ‘God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it’” (Acts 2:24). “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. . . . So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus ” (Rom. 6:9; 11). “ . . . that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Heb. 2: 14b-15). “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26). “ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15: 55-57).
Jesus was dead. But He did not stay dead. In triumph He conquered death, rising up again, the victorious champion. Death is the just penalty for sin. But death has no more power. And just as death has no power over the Redeemer, it has no power over the redeemed. Death has no claim over the believer. Jesus has rescued us from death. But Rose Again.
Turn From Your Sin:
“‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mk. 1:15). “‘Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out’” (Acts 3:19). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Repentance means to turn around, or to turn from your sin. What does this mean? It means that at some point in your life, you are a sinner—that is your nature—and you are walking along on the road that leads to death, sinning and living however you please. As I said, death and Hell are at the end of this road where you are heading. But at the other end, behind you, there is Jesus. You hear the Gospel. You decide to turn around, and now you are following Jesus. And He makes you new. Yes, you still sin. But it is not natural anymore because you are a new creation. It grieves you. And when you fall, you remember the cross, you trust Jesus to deliver you from sin, and you stand up again and continue to follow Jesus. This is repentance. Turn from your sin.
And Trust Jesus:
“ . . . justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:24-25a). “ ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:31). “He Who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).
“‘Believe in the Lord Jesus.’” This does not mean we simply believe that Jesus existed, that He died, or even that He rose again just like we would believe any other fact of history. It is more than that. It is trust. Trust that Jesus will do what He says He will do. That His death, burial, and resurrection can indeed cleanse you of sin, seal your future, deliver you from death. It is all we can do. We are guilty sinners deserving death and we can only throw ourselves on Jesus’ mercy. And if you are a Christian, you must continue to trust “that He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). And Trust Jesus.
Alone:
“ ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’” (Acts 4:12). “ ‘I [Jesus] am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me ’” (Jn. 14:6).
Trust in Jesus alone. There is no one else. No one and nothing else can save us. No religion on earth can do for us what Jesus promises to do for us. He alone can rescue us from death and Hell. You cannot save yourself—you are guilty. Any good work with which you try to bribe God or to win His favor is worthless, abominable in His sight (Is. 64:6). You must trust Jesus alone to be saved, and after you become a Christian, you must also trust in Jesus alone, not yourself, to keep you from sin and bring you safely to Heaven—you can’t do any of it yourself. Jesus Alone.
For the Gift:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). “ . . . the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
Eternal life—a free gift offered by the amazing grace of God. Once again, there is nothing we can do to earn it. We can only accept it, with awe and gratitude. For the Gift.
Of Eternal Life:
“If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11). “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ Who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4). “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads . . . and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3-4, 5b). “ ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates’” (Rev. 22:14).
Our real home, our inheritance, is not here on earth. It is in the new heaven and the new earth, for all eternity. Our Savior has defeated death, and now we may live forever with Him.
What a gift! What a message! How can it ever grow old! I hope you have spent some time to really ponder and meditate on the incredible message of the cross. When you really start thinking about the Gospel and about eternity, the things of this life—the hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, quarrels—suddenly don’t seem so important anymore. So take your eyes off them and look to the cross. Keep your eyes on the cross, on Jesus. Never look away, never get distracted, because it’s all that matters.
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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission. All rights reserved.