Jesus: The Man Who Changed HistorySample

Why is the cross the universally-recognized symbol of Christianity?

Most of the biographies that we read about focus on the life and the achievements of their subjects. But nearly half of what Mark has to tell us about Jesus takes place in the final week of his life.

In Jesus’ day, people were punished by being nailed to a wooden cross and left to die.

It was a terrible and shameful way to die.

Mark tells us that Jesus’ death was brutal, scary and public, but not surprising.

Mark 15:33

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.”

When darkness falls as Jesus is dying, God is angry.

We know how destructive anger can be. But God’s anger is not like that. It is settled and controlled.

He can’t just pretend that sin doesn’t matter, sweeping it under the carpet. To tolerate evil is not to be loving. Sin must be punished if God is to be just.

But at the same time, there is unexpected, undeserved, unimaginable love.

Love that is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths.

Rightful judgment mixed with extraordinary love.

Mark 15:34

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice … ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”

Jesus chooses to go to the Cross even though he knows he will be executed there. He does it because he loves us and wants to save us from our sins.

Jesus lived a perfect life, free from any hint or stain of sin. Not even his enemies could prove he'd done anything wrong?

But he chose to face God's punishment against sin, standing in our place and taking the punishment we deserved.

What is the result of Jesus sacrificing himself in this way?

Amazingly, it is this: Jesus paid the price for our sin so that we don't have to. He did it so that we could be forgiven.

Can you see how much he loves you, and how much that love cost him?