The Hope of the Cross

We've recently celebrated "Holy Week," the last week of Jesus's public ministry on earth, beginning with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and ending with His crucifixion and resurrection. It is, at once, a horrifying and glorious event. Horrifying because they killed the Son of God; glorious because the result is life eternal for those who believe. The cross, then, gives hope. Now, we who are followers of Christ are well aware of the hope -- eternal life. Because of Christ's crucifixion, our debt is paid. He nailed it to the cross (Col 2:14). He achieved what He set out to do; He ransomed us (Matt 20:28). Because of His death, our sins are forgiven and because of His resurrection, we have new life (Rom 6:4). That's our hope -- the hope of the cross.

The truth is, however, much of that hope is future. What I mean is when we come to Christ and our sin is forgiven, we go on living. We still commit sins. We still encounter pain. We continue this life. That eternal life of joy in the presence of our Savior is yet to come. And that certainly is a wondrous thing, but what about now? What is the hope the cross gives for now? I've been impressed with a very real message of hope that Scripture gives us from the cross. In Peter's first sermon (Acts 2:14-36) he made something crystal clear.

Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know -- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. (Acts 2:22-23)

Later, the believers under threat repeated this notion.

"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur." (Acts 4:27-28)

According to Scripture, Christ's trial, torture, and murder were all part of God's plan. He predestined it and it was acomplished. And that is a great source of hope for us.

To the believers in Acts 4, the fact that God planned for Jesus to die gave them confidence to speak, even under threat. Paul pointed to the cross and said, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). The cross gives us a future hope, to be sure, but it gives us a real-time, everyday, ongoing confidence that if God can plan and accomplish the ultimate good through the ultimate evil of the murder of His Son, how much more can we be confident "that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28)? In "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ... we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Rom 8:35-39). Every day. Real time. Without fail. How do we know that? Because of the cross. Because God planned, executed, and used His own Son's death to accomplish the very best good. Rejoicing in tribulation now and eternal life to come ... that's the hope of the cross for those of us who believe.