The Cross of Jesus Christ.

From the very beginning, the Cross has stood as the defining symbol of Christianity. Once an instrument of bloody terror, it is now cherished around the world — topping church buildings, hanging on walls, and even worn as jewelry.

How did this transformation happen? How did the Cross shift from a symbol of horror to one of hope? The Bible provides the answer: the Cross was God’s profound plan to pour out divine blessings on an undeserving world. Through Jesus’ self-sacrifice, we receive four incredible benefits:

1. SALVATION

We’ve all heard the question, “Are you saved?” Some people might wonder what we’re saved from. After all, they live on a peaceful street and sink into their pillows at night, knowing that breakfast and a job awaits them the next day. Danger seems as far away as a distant galaxy.

​Scripture emphasizes that our greatest peril is not physical harm but spiritual death resulting from sin — a rebellion that hardens hearts against God, suppresses the call of Christ, and quenches the Spirit’s fire. Sin condemns us; it’s not merely a list of religious “no-nos,” but a profound condition leading to eternal death and destruction. No matter how moral we strive to be, we cannot extricate ourselves from this dreadful predicament.

But here’s the Good News: Jesus came as our Rescuer. Like a lifeguard plunging into deep waters, He enters the murky sea of humanity with the lifeline of His blood. Those who reach out and cling to Him are saved:

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. — I Corinthians 1:18

2. RECONCILIATION

At some point in our lives, we have longed to mend a broken relationship — whether with a parent, a child, or a friend. The pain of estrangement runs deep. Yet the greatest reconciliation we need is with God Himself.

The Cross is Heaven’s bridge, carrying us from alienation to atonement. While human reconciliation isn’t always possible — some people refuse it, and others have passed away — God always stands ready for you to be reconciled to Him. As long as we have breath, this remarkable promise remains open: 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. — 2 Corinthians 5:17–19

3. FREEDOM

Americans pride themselves on freedom — of speech, of religion, of assembly. Yet many live in invisible chains. Addictions, bitterness, materialism, and the endless pursuit of status hold them captive.

In order for us to be truly free — free from the regrets of the past, free from the power of sin in the present, free from fear of the future — we must not look to the Stars and Stripes but to the Old Rugged Cross:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. — Colossians 2:13–14

4. LIFE

The same Cross that brought brutal death to Jesus brings abundant life to all who embrace it:

“…He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die and live to righteousness…” — I Peter 2:24

The Bible calls this life zoe— a divine vitality breathed into the heart by the Holy Spirit. It’s the life we were meant for, a life only God can give.

In my younger years, I chased fulfillment in the approval of others, the pursuit of success, and the fleeting pleasures of the world. Yet, no achievement, no relationship, no thrill could fill the deep emptiness inside. Only God could — and when He did, He filled it completely.

The Cross shifts our focus from ourselves to God, from selfish ambition to serving others in love. It seems unthinkable that a tool of death could bring anything good, but God delights in using the weak, the mysterious, and the unexpected to reveal His power and love.

Have You Embraced the Cross?

The world pledges countless paths to fulfillment — self-improvement, religious rituals, good deeds, and philosophical wisdom. Yet Scripture shatters every illusion that we can earn our way to God. No amount of moral effort, spiritual searching, or personal sacrifice can bridge the chasm between a holy God and sinful humanity.

Only the Cross.

Through the Cross, we receive what no human effort could ever achieve: forgiveness of sin, peace with God, freedom to live a spiritually abundant life. It is the great exchange — Christ taking our guilt upon Himself and giving us His splendid righteousness in return.

Truly, there is nothing but the blood of Jesus!