The Purpose of the Cross
Luke 4:18
There is no bondage so big that God didn’t deliver us from on that cross. It does not matter what addiction you are battling or what deep-seated fear keeps you up at night. No matter what failure you have walked through or what sin you have committed, whether you think it is big or small, the debt has been paid. The good news is that Jesus came to this world to set us free from sin when He died on the cross and rose from death. This is true freedom and it is available to every single one of us today.
1. Origin of Sin Nature
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51:5
To understand why the cross matters, we have to look at where the problem started. We were all born into a sin nature because of the original fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. This is why the world feels broken, as all the evil, illnesses, and addictions entered our reality through that initial act of disobedience. It created a gap between us and God that we could never bridge on our own strength. However, the story does not end with our brokenness or the mistakes of the past. When Jesus went to that cross and died then rose from the dead, He gave us the power to be free from every yoke of bondage Adam and Eve’s sin brought into this world. We no longer have to be defined by a nature of failure because He provided a way out.
2. There is Freedom at the Cross
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36
Whatever you are struggling with today, you need to understand that on that cross Jesus bore all our suffering so we can be free. He did not just take on a concept of sin, but He took on your specific pain and your specific struggles. They tortured Him beyond recognition, beat him, spat on him, bullied Him, mocked Him, and made a spectacle of Him on that cross. He endured the worst of humanity so that we would not have to carry the weight of our own mistakes forever. But when He rose on the third day He conquered sin and death for us once and for all. Because of that cross we are free from sin, shame, condemnation, every evil sin brought into this world, and free from every generational curse.
3. We Are Redeemed!
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13-14
Redemption means that something has been bought back at a very high price. On that cross Jesus willingly became a curse for us so that we would never have to live under one ourselves. This applies to every area of life, whether that is sickness, disease, bondage, poverty, anxiety, shame, or condemnation. Jesus died with it all and went down into the lower parts of the earth with that curse and victoriously gave it back to the author of that curse, which is Satan. He was marred above all men and became unrecognizable on that cross taking on all of our sin for our redemption. He traded His perfection for our mess so that we could walk in total victory.
4. His Spirit Lives In Us
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8:11
Because Jesus carried the weight of the world on His shoulders hanging from the cross, He can surely carry us through our daily lives. There is nothing too heavy for Him to handle and no situation that is too far gone for His grace. Whatever we are going through, and whatever fiery arrows the enemy is throwing at us, He can carry us through because He already paid the price for all of our sins. When Jesus rose from that grave there was no more curse left to hold us back. Now, as children of God, we have His spirit living inside of us to guide us. That spirit is our source of strength and will take us to our promised land.
Final Reflections
The work on the cross was a complete and final victory for your life. Take a moment today to trade your heavy burdens for the freedom Jesus already bought for you. When you realize that the same power that raised Him from the dead lives in you, there is no limit to the freedom and purpose you can experience.
