As we approach Easter in the coming few weeks, I think it only appropriate that we look at the beauty that is the Cross of Christ. When we come to look at the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can do so from several different perspectives. Most commonly, we tend to look at the cross from our viewpoint. We see it as the act by which Christ provided salvation for us, by which he saved us from sin and death and hell and the power of the flesh, by which he delivered us from the wrath to come, by which he granted to us eternal life and all that it involves. We see it from our viewpoint and we can do that legitimately so. We could look at the cross from the angel’s perspective (whereby they worship), from the demons viewpoint (where they think they have won, only for Jesus to announce His victory over them) or even from Satan’s standpoint, (whereby he was ultimately destroyed). Often we think of the cross from Christ’s perspective, the agony He went through in bearing all the sins of mankind. But I think often we tend to forget the perspective of God the Father. What did Christ’s death mean to God the Father and how did it represent Him? I think possibly the best verses to answer these questions can be found in Romans chapter 3:24-31. This week, I would like to look at verses 24 and 25, where it says “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;” In these two simple but rich verses we see just what the cross meant to God, Christ died on the cross to demonstrate or to reveal or to declare God’s righteousness. If God just forgave sinful man without the appropriate sacrifice, some would say God’s justice and righteousness is weak and can’t be trusted. And if God’s righteousness were under question, what would stop us questioning His other attributes. But God wants us to know that His nature is unchallengeable and so He devised a plan of redemption for us (from before the foundation of the world), which would reveal His righteousness. And this plan was ultimately fulfilled at the cross. We are justified; we are made right with God, as a gift by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Let this truth promote us to Worship Him this morning and in the weeks ahead, leading up to Easter.
Contributed by Alex Townsend