The Cross – What is The Real Message of the Cross

The Cross – What is The Real Message of the Cross

Have you ever thought about what the cross (or stake, whatever it was) really is the symbol of?

We are going to take a look at it here.

Please Read this Before we Begin. Scripture requires each individual to “Do not be Deceived”. So I caution you the remember to not believe what I or any Other man try to teach you until and unless it is confirmed to you PERSONALLY by scripture and the Holy Spirit of God as TRUTH.

The writer will answer for what he writes but only YOU will answer for what YOU believe.

The Man Jesus Christ ( His name translated to English)

Jesus Christ the man long prophesied about in the scriptures arrived as prophesied around 2000 years ago. He was clearly taught about in the scriptures (scripture is the word of God). His birth, life, death, resurrection and purpose were all clearly set out.

You can read about his coming through out the old testament.

You can read about His birth, life, death and resurrection in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Purpose of His Coming

Those that know the scriptures understand His purpose was to bring to man the opportunity (a way) to redeem their eternal life that Adam forfeited in the garden. In other words, as He tells us in scripture:

John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

His Birth

Scripture tells us he was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. He was, as prophecied, born to a virgin of the lineage of Abraham. We see in scripture that He was born near the end of the age of rhe Israelites.

His Life and Current Appointment

We find that he lived a perfect life, that He grew up and became the fufillment of the word of God, by fulfilling the law and finshing it. By doing this He brought in the totally new and different age, the age of the rule of Christ. This was because God has delegated all of His authority on heaven and earth to Jesus for this age. Matt 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”That makes Him the Lord of this age.

This authority, all the authority of God is temporal, for a season, like this earth and all thing on or pertaing to it and will be returned to God at the judgment.

I Cor 15:22- For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. ²⁴Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷For "He has put all things under His feet."^*But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

His Death and Resurrection

As prophecied, He was unjustly killed by the then current church system, the Priest and leaders of the Israelites. As was also prophesied He was killed in a horrble manner because He upset the current apple cart (church system), He came to fulfill scripture and the law which replaces them as God's representatives on earth.. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law as was prophesied and by fulfilling it, He ended the age of the tabernacles and clergy and brought a new and different way of worshiping God. In Christ ALL things become new. But in spite of them killing Him unjustly, He freely gave up His spirit and died from the terrile attack. They never expected Him to be resurrected. But, since he had all the authority of God, is acting in the place for God during this age, He simply raised Himself up from the dead, as he had done for others. By raising Himself from the dead with the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit He now has POWER OVER DEATH, He owns it, both life and death are now His. He died willfully and was raised willfully, by the will of God which is His will. They could not kill Him without His allowing it and they COULD NOT RAISE anyone, but He can. Because He now owns life and death He can provide us with life (which through Him is eternal life). As He promised He has brought to us the ability to receive eternal life, the life and relationship to God that Adam forfeited in the garden. As He now, during this age, possesses ALL the AUTHORITY OF GOD, He becomes the Lord of this age, by delegation of God, He is not God but is serving as the delegated authority of God for this AGE. And as the scripture above shows us, He will until the judgent at the end of this age when He returns all Power and Authority to God who once again becomes and forever all in all..

Now To The Cross

There are several stories about death on the cross to be found on line and the description of that death is horrendous. No man should have to suffer that way, even a guilty one much less an innocent Lamb such as Christ. Yes He was an innocent lamb, not a scapes goat as some teach.

The reason for this article is that I for one am so tired of seeing that evil, Terrible cross being glorified instead of the Man who endured and reclaimed His life, opening the door for me and you to redeem our heritage of eternal life with God, Christ and all our other brethren in the eternal kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ suffered the indignity of that horrible way of death that was reserved for criminals, GAVE up His life willingly so that you and I can have eternal life if we are willing to pay the price.

The cross is the symbol of EVIL, not of Christ. Yes He showed who He is by defeating it but the cross glorifies the killer, how can anyone justify the cross as a symbol of Christ? It is the MAN JESUS CHRIST THAT IS TO BE GLORIFIED HERE AND NO OTHER OR ANY OTHER THING. Glorifying the cross is giving glory to the killer of our Lord. Understand that they could not have killed Christ, unless He surrendered His spirit to death, knowing that He would have the final word when He took up His life again. This man Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God.

1 Tim 2:5-7 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,the Man Christ Jesus,⁶who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ⁷

All glory and honor in this age is due to the man Jesus Christ, the firstborn son of God. No other thing or man deserves any glory or honor and there is no other way to God but through the man Jesus Christ WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR us and proved He is able to deliver us by taking HIS LIFE UP again as He promised after 3 days in the tomb. All Hail Jesus the ONLY MAN Who has the power to give us entry into the eternal kingdom of God and He does it by the Power of His Holy Spirit, which is the same Spirit of God and is the same Spirit that each of us must possess and be possessed by to be of one Spirit with Him and God and thereby enter the eternal kingdom of God, IF we endure to the end.

The Message of the Cross is not about the cross, it is that Jesus Christ willfully DIED for ALL who will follow him. The world needs to hear the MESSAGE of the cross not about the cross

but Him alone. Scripture is clear no man can serve two masters.

Here is How To Honor Him

In His own words He tells us how to honor Him. We must honor Him alone;

Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore^*and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

To honor the Lord Jesus Christ we are to GO and make disciples for Him. A disciple of Christ follows Christ alone as HE is the only man that can enter names in His book of Life. He alone opened the book to include those of all nations that would follow Him and do ALL He requires of them. He alone in this age can grant eternal life, NO OTHER MAN can do this, that is why He requires that His disciple GO into the world and bring Him to those that are lost. There is not a single word in the new testament, the book of instructions for the age of Christ saying to bring them anywhere, the word is go to them. There is not a word anywhere to support a building made with the hands of man of wood, brick. Concrete, glass or other materials as being of God. The church of Jesus Christ is made of living breathing people under the control of the Holy Spirit, doing as it directs. As Peter proclaims, the ministry of this age is in the hands of the real disciples of Christ as they GO and DO as the Spirit bids. We the real disciples of Christ are the priesthood in this age and are called to go and take Christ to all.

1 Peter 2:9-10

⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Doing all He requires of us individually is the way we are to HONOR CHRIST. By doing ALL He requires of us is the fulfillment of His great commission. Which in not given to apostate man or their false church system but is given to the disciples of Christ alone, who are to teach of ONE MAN, the ONLY MAN that can give eternal life. They who have received Him as their own and follow Him alone are they to whom He has granted the authority to make disciples for and of Him, no other can.

It is time for the saints (real disciples of Christ) to stop honoring (and following) apostate man that leads them through the wide open gate and down the wide comfortable path and follow Christ alone through the narrow difficult to find gate (only those filled with and following the Holy Spirit of Gad can find it) and along the difficult and rough path (where He walks with and leads us) as He has called us all to do.

Choose this day who you will serve, the Christ that leads to eternal life in the eternal kingdom of God or apostate man that lead to destruction in the lake of fire.

Charles LaFoe

copyright 12/2/2018