Cross Position: The Believer's Compassنموونە

The Exchange at the Cross

Yesterday we started to look at the significance of the cross position to the believer and how it has changed our lives and nature. It is important to note the tenses and narratives in the scripture to comprehend the impact of the exchange that happened from the Old Testament to the New Testament because of the Cross.

In Genesis, we encounter one of such narratives that prefigure Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

It was customary for the eldest child to receive the family blessing and hold a privileged position. When Jacob was about to bless his grandchildren - Joseph’s sons, everyone expected the older Manasseh to receive the blessing. Surprisingly, Jacob switched his hands, choosing the younger Ephraim instead. This was a prophetic foreshadowing in the thread of scriptures showing the exchange to come as a result of the second covenant being greater than the first as a result of the Cross! Genesis 48:17-20

A Cover for Sins:

The first covenant was ratified by the blood of animals, which served as a temporary covering for sins. An animal would typically be substituted as payment for sin in the stead of the sinner.

David in Psalm 32:1 talks about sin being covered “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.” These practices foreshadowed what Jesus would do on the Cross. While part of their annual worship, they were not designed or done to appease God who made all creatures.

"For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?" - Psalm 50:10-13 NIV

The Taking Away of Sins:

Jesus presents a once-and-for-all sacrifice that does more than cover sins. Through the Cross, Jesus, the lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world forever!

"Whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor]." - Hebrews 10:12 AMP

The Cross has given us a new reality today. Jesus on the Cross was our substitute for sin. He completed the greatest exchange for us once, for all time, forever!

The Exchange in our Position:

Another way of identifying the impact of the exchange on the Cross is to check the change in tenses in the scriptures.

In the Old Testament, Isaiah says “by his stripes, we ARE healed” (Isaiah 53:5)

In the New Testament, 1 Peter 2:24 reflects Christ's finished work on the cross, saying "we WERE healed."

Thus, the believer is no longer the sick trying to be healed but the Healed, enforcing his healing and dispensing the healing power of God to their world.

Isaiah also in the same chapter describes how we were far removed from God before the Cross

Isaiah 53:6: "All like sheep have gone astray."

Through the lens of the Cross, Peter explains this in 1 Peter 2:25: "You were like lost sheep, BUT now have returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

Dear Believer, Christ on the Cross completed the great exchange for you. You are the recipient of the newness of life because of Christ's substitutionary work. You are free from condemnation, guilt, shame, and fear. Our sinful nature has been swapped out and now you have Christ’s righteous nature. Carry this truth in your consciousness and walk in confidence as you go through your day!

Reflection Question:

How does the change in tenses from the Old to the New Testament impact your identity as a believer today?