When one refers to the preaching of "The Cross", he should be referring to
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which includes... the Old Testament
prophecies pointing to Jesus, the virgin birth, the sinless life of Jesus,
substitutionary death, burial and triumphant resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. All these aspects must be preached for without any one of them, the
Gospel is incomplete.
The Old Testament prophecies are why we know Jesus is the Messiah for He
fulfilled the Messianic prophecies spoken of in Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, etc. The
virgin birth is essential because the Second Person of the Godhead became
flesh. The sinless life of Jesus is essential for He took our place on the cross as
the spotless Lamb of God, without any sin or blemish. The substitutionary
death of Jesus is essential for He alone paid the price for our sins upon the
cross, took our place, purchased our redemption with His precious blood.
The burial of Jesus is essential to the preaching of the Cross for Jesus did
indeed die and was wrapped in grave clothes and covered with spices. The
Resurrection is essential for without the Resurrection, we are yet in our sins.
The Resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God. (Romans 1:3-4) This is
the whole message of the Cross.
Without any one of these preached, the message is incomplete. How could
Jesus pay the price if He was not born of a virgin, if He was not sinless, etc?
Jesus and His finished work is the message of the cross. The preached
message of the Cross must always point the listener to a PERSON, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Messiah and the Savior.
The Gospel must be preached to the unsaved for if one does not receive Jesus
as Savior, he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The Gospel is the Good
News that Jesus died to save us. He shed His precious blood for our sins.
Jesus rose again for our justification. We can be forgiven of our sins and we
can walk in newness of life with Him while on this earth and spend eternity
with Him forever when we die. Jesus came that we might have life.
Jesus said:
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on
me should not abide in darkness.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
Further Study:
Jesus Died For Us
Which Is The Greatest Sin?
What Is The Gospel? by H.A. Ironside
The Christ of the Cross
Dead With Christ, Risen With Christ
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which includes... the Old Testament
prophecies pointing to Jesus, the virgin birth, the sinless life of Jesus,
substitutionary death, burial and triumphant resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. All these aspects must be preached for without any one of them, the
Gospel is incomplete.
The Old Testament prophecies are why we know Jesus is the Messiah for He
fulfilled the Messianic prophecies spoken of in Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, etc. The
virgin birth is essential because the Second Person of the Godhead became
flesh. The sinless life of Jesus is essential for He took our place on the cross as
the spotless Lamb of God, without any sin or blemish. The substitutionary
death of Jesus is essential for He alone paid the price for our sins upon the
cross, took our place, purchased our redemption with His precious blood.
The burial of Jesus is essential to the preaching of the Cross for Jesus did
indeed die and was wrapped in grave clothes and covered with spices. The
Resurrection is essential for without the Resurrection, we are yet in our sins.
The Resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God. (Romans 1:3-4) This is
the whole message of the Cross.
Without any one of these preached, the message is incomplete. How could
Jesus pay the price if He was not born of a virgin, if He was not sinless, etc?
Jesus and His finished work is the message of the cross. The preached
message of the Cross must always point the listener to a PERSON, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Messiah and the Savior.
The Gospel must be preached to the unsaved for if one does not receive Jesus
as Savior, he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The Gospel is the Good
News that Jesus died to save us. He shed His precious blood for our sins.
Jesus rose again for our justification. We can be forgiven of our sins and we
can walk in newness of life with Him while on this earth and spend eternity
with Him forever when we die. Jesus came that we might have life.
Jesus said:
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on
me should not abide in darkness.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
Further Study:
Jesus Died For Us
Which Is The Greatest Sin?
What Is The Gospel? by H.A. Ironside
The Christ of the Cross
Dead With Christ, Risen With Christ
PREACHING OF THE CROSS
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