Great Doctrines of the Bible
Lesson 30
The Cross of Christ

Introduction
The cross of Christ is the focal point and source of all Christian doctrine. It is the symbol and primary content of the Christian religion and Christian civilization. The cross is the hub of history. For four thousand years, in types, shadows, depictions and prophecies, the world anticipated Calvary. For two thousand years the world has felt the impact and enjoyed the triumphs of that cross.

In this lesson it is our desire and purpose to present the depth and scope of the meaning and message of the cross as it relates to Christian doctrine and behavior.

Importance of this Lesson

• The death of Christ on a cross was part of God’s eternal plan for man’s redemption from sin.
• All the great doctrines of the Christian faith emanate from the cross.
• The cross was the core of apostolic preaching and the focus of the New Testament church. Eliminate the cross and Christianity has no message or meaning. Include the cross and every believer has much in which to glory and all the world can look to a divinely smitten substitute for sin and live.
• It is impossible to overstate the significance of this lesson. Our earnest prayer is that the Holy Spirit will burn the wonder of it into your heart and life.

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The Lesson

I. THE SHAME OF DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION

1. The Romans viewed death by crucifixion as detestable. Roman citizens were exempt from such a death since it was considered a severe punishment reserved for the vilest of slaves.
2. Christ was treated as a common criminal since death by crucifixion was meted out for such crimes as treason, robbery, piracy, assassination, etc.
3. The shame of the cross included the humiliation of being ostracized and totally rejected by His own people (John 1:11).
4. All who died by crucifixion were considered by the Jews to be cursed (Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23).
5. Stripped of His garments, Christ suffered the humiliating shame of exposure to the sneering, sin-blinded eyes of a howling crowd (Matthew 27:35-36).
6. How meaningful and precious to the devout believer, therefore, are the words of Hebrews 12:2, “...who for the joy that was set before him...despising the shame…,” and the thought of Philippians 2:8, “...he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

II. THE AGONY OF DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION

1. Death by crucifixion was normally preceded by an extremely painful scourging (John 19:1; Matthew 27:26). Designed to add severe pain to the punishment of crucifixion, the scourge “...consisted of a handle to which several cords or leather thongs were affixed, which were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal. The victim was tied to a post and the blows were applied to the back and loins...so hideous was the punishment that the victim usually fainted and not rarely died under it.”(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
   1. Christ suffered 40 such stripes (Deuteronomy 25:3; Matthew 27:26; 2 Corinthians 11:24).
2. In our Lord’s situation, the agony of the crucifixion was also increased by the crowning of thorns (Matthew 27:29). In mockery Roman soldiers plaited a wreath, or crown from some local thorn bush and placed it on His head. The precise species of shrub used is not known. Some had points of more than an inch in length. They were sharp and of very hard wood. These were beaten into Christ’s head with a reed by rough Roman soldiers inflicting horrible pain (Matthew 27:30).
3. Four forms of a cross were rather commonly used for crucifixion. The most common, and the one used to crucify Christ, was the “crux immisa” where the upright beam extended above the crossbeam. Christ’s hands and feet were impaled to this cross by sharpened stakes (John 20:25; Colossians 2:14).
4. The horrible suffering of death by crucifixion cannot be adequately described. In Judea, a stupefying drink was offered the criminal to ease the pain. Christ despised it (Matthew 27:34). Suffering was intensified by a hot, burning sun. Inflammation of the wounds and insufficient bleeding produced traumatic fever and unbearable thirst (John 19:28). Tendons and nerves were torn, creating excruciating pain. Arteries of the head flooded with blood, causing throbbing headaches. The victim usually died a slow, terrifying death that at times was hastened by the breaking of the criminal’s legs (John 19:31-34). Verse 34 seems to indicate that Christ also suffered a broken heart.
   • In reference to Christ’s suffering, ponder these verses: Hebrews 12:2, “...(He) endured the cross...”; 1 Peter 2:23, “...when He suffered he threatened not...”; and 1 Peter 3:18, “...Christ...suffered for sins the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.…”

III. CHRIST’S CROSS WAS THE HEART OF APOSTOLIC PREACHING

1. 1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the preaching of the cross...unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.”
2. 1 Corinthians 2:2 – “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
3. Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross....”
4. Ephesians 2:16 – Jew and Gentile were reconciled by the cross.
5. Colossians 1:20 – Peace with God was made possible by the blood of His cross.
6. Colossians 2:14 – The law was “nailed to the cross.”
7. Galatians 3:1 – Christ was openly set forth, “crucified among you.”
8. 1 Peter 2:24 – Christ bore our sins “in his own body on the tree (cross).”
9. 1 Peter 1:18-19 – Christ redeemed us by His precious blood.

IV. THE RECONCILING WORK OF THE CROSS
The ministry of the Gospel of Christ is called the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). The idea of reconciliation is the restoring to favor. It is the ending of estrangement, enmity and alienation. Those who once were enemies become friends. The barriers are removed. Peace is established. Two are made one.

1. How precious then to read that “...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself...” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Christ became “the mediator” who made it possible for a sinful, rebellious, unbelieving world to have peace with God.
2. At the cross, Christ “...abolished...the enmity (between Jews and Gentiles), even the law...for to make in himself of twain one new man...that he might reconcile both unto God...by the cross...” (Ephesians 2:14-16; Romans 5:10).
3. In Colossians 1:20-22, Paul is writing of sinners generally, who “were sometime alienated and enemies (of God)...by wicked works,” who are now reconciled to God, “having made peace through the blood of His cross.” The war is over. A peace treaty with God for any and every believer has been signed and secured by the blood of Christ. Our sins were judged and put away (Hebrews 9:26) and God, the offended party, is satisfied! No barrier exists, anyone can now come to God without fear, through Christ.
4. We should especially note that God, who is the innocent and offended party, takes the initiative and does the reconciling. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.…”

V. THE CROSS AND THE LAW
The law judged and condemned all men for not one could keep it (Romans 3:9-23). All who broke any part of it were under its curse and sentence of death (Galatians 3:10-11; James 2:10).

1. How precious then, to the believing heart, is the knowledge of the fact that on that accursed tree Christ bore the full curse of the law for all who would trust Him (Galatians 3:13-14), after fulfilling it by His life (Matthew 5:17).
2. At the cross, Christ became the “end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4).
3. At the cross, Christ, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law and its traditions), that was against us...and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).
4. Christ “abolished” the law in order to make Jews and Gentiles “…one new man (the church)…by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:15-16).

VI. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE CROSS

1. At the cross, Christ was “made to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). There He “bare our sins” (1 Peter 2:24); God laid them upon Him (Isaiah 53:6). He triumphed over sin and put it away “by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26). For all who would believe, it is no longer a SIN question, but a SON question. All your sins were judged and removed. The only question to be answered is, “What will you do with Jesus?” (Matthew 27:22).
2. Satan, the archenemy of God and man, was defeated eternally at the cross.
   1. Christ took part of flesh and blood that “through death (the cross), he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
   2. “Christ was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 ).
   3. The “fear of death” was conquered for all who believe (Hebrews 2:15).
   4. The enmity between Jew and Gentile was slain by the cross (Ephesians 2:16).
   5. For the believer, the “world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). Jesus said, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
   6. Christ ended the law (Romans 10:4), and redeemed us from its curse by dying on the cross (Galatians 3:13).

VII. THE CROSS VIEWED AS AN ACT OF GOD

1. The Bible views Christ’s death on the cross as an act of God.
   1. “...yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God , and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4).
   2. “...the Lord (God) hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
   3. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief...” (Isaiah 53:10).
   4. “For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us...” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
2. Such an act must be accepted as the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen.
   1. “For God so loved...that HE gave...” (John 3:16).
   2. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
   3. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

VIII. THE CROSS VIEWED AS AN ACT OF MAN
While the cross was the culmination of God’s love for man, it was at the same time the culmination of man’s hatred for God.
Viewed as an act of man, the death of Christ was a hideous and vicious murder.

1. “...Know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36; 4:10).
2. “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just,...and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised...” (Acts 3:14-15).
3. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree” (Acts 5:30).
4. “...the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52).
   • Simply because Christ died for us according to the will and purpose of God, does not eliminate us from our responsibility to that death. Anyone who rejects Christ joins hands with that murderous mob, with the Roman soldiers, Pilate and all who were responsible for His death. To reject Christ is to trod “under foot the Son of God...counted the blood...an unholy (cheap or common) thing” and despise the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29; note Philippians 3:18).

IX. THE SMITTEN CROSS
“ ...yet we did esteem him...smitten of God...” (Isaiah 53:4). Christ was indeed smitten at the cross. Without endeavoring to expound or expand on the following, ponder them in your heart. The cross was:

1. Smitten with darkness (Matthew 27:45).
2. Smitten with suffering (1 Peter 3:18).
3. Smitten with sorrow (Isaiah 53:3-4).
4. Smitten with death (John 19:30, 33).
5. Smitten with sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
6. Smitten with blood (1 Peter 1:19; Romans 5:9).

X. OF WHAT DOES THE CROSS SPEAK?
The cross speaks to us of:

1. Satisfied justice (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26).
2. Perfect obedience (Philippians 2:5-9).
3. Infinite love (1 John 4:10).
4. Divinely provided righteousness (Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
5. Purchased redemption (Ephesians 1:7).
6. Blessed reconciliation (Colossians 1:20-21).
7. Sin’s removal (Hebrews 9:26).
8. Satan’s defeat (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8).
9. Complete forgiveness (Colossians 1:14).
   • In other words, the cross is the heart of every basic Christian doctrine. Remember that Paul viewed the preaching of the cross as the power of God and considered it the totality of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 1:18; Galatians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 2:2).

XI. THE CROSS AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

1. The Christian is to glory in the cross and never be ashamed of it (Galatians 6:14).
2. By the cross, the Christian is crucified to this world and the world to him (Galatians 6:14).
3. Remember that the cross is an offense to many people and all who stand by it and live by it must expect to bear that offense (Galatians 5:11). Some may even have to “suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).
4. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said “...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” This means we are to submit to whatever sufferings or persecution God may permit or anything we may have to endure in our service for Christ.
5. Christians are to reckon themselves to have died with Christ on that Cross and learn to live by the grace of God a crucified life (Romans 6:6; 11-13; Galatians 2:20; 5:24).

Conclusion
Nothing sanctifies a life as much as deep reflections upon the cross of Christ. While no lesson can possibly exhaust the depth of its significance, we sincerely hope that this study has aroused in you a new love for Christ, a fresh appreciation of Calvary and a thirst to know more of the grace and power that flows from it.

Examination

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