The Cross

Mark 9:30-31
30 From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. 31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”

2 Corinthians 5:21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Three times in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus predicts his death. Each time he also predicts his resurrection.

Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was always the plan.

Jesus’ life, death and resurrection changed everything forever.

Most of the time we think of death as our physical bodies declining, decaying and ceasing to exist. But, we must think of death spiritually as well, a separation from life and a separation from God, the author of life. Death is being cut off from our life source, much like a branch being cut off from the tree.

We are born physically alive but spiritually dead, cut off from God because we are born in rebellion to him. We deserve separation from God and our actions and attitudes have earned death. Jesus, on the other hand, was born in complete union with God. He always did what God wanted. He was not born separated from God but willingly was separated from God on the cross for our sins taking them upon himself. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross. He chose to take my sin, my death, your sin, and your death so that we could have life with God forever and be united with God, grafted into our life source. Jesus chose to be forsaken by God so we could be blessed by God forever. Simply, Jesus received our sin and our death so that we could receive his life and his righteousness!

Jesus’ resurrection proves that Jesus is God. The resurrection proves sin has been paid for and that death has lost its power. The resurrection proves that God, through Christ, unites us with him. The resurrection shows that through Jesus’ life and death, God has canceled our sin and given us his righteousness. Christ’s resurrection offers us God’s righteousness which gives us hope, knowing that God has the power to keep His promises. Jesus knew He would die but also knew He would be resurrected.

Just as Christ chose to be cut off from God on our behalf, we must choose to believe in Christ, His life, His death, and His resurrection so we can have our eternal consequences paid for and receive God’s blessing of eternal life.

This Easter let’s make sure we celebrate what Jesus has done. He chose death, separation from God, so that we could have life.

Do you understand the impact that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has had on your relationship with God?

Have you trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins to be grafted in and united with God?

How can you cultivate gratefulness for Christ’s death and resurrection in your life?


Father, thank you for your divine plan to reconcile us to yourself through the death and resurrection of your Son. Thank you for the obedience of Christ, who chose death for us.