There are two main reasons Jesus bore the cross. The crucifixion
allowed for the atonement of the sins of men (Mt 26:28; Ro 6:6-11),
and it allowed God and Jesus to come and unite with people who have no
sin (Ac 2:36-38; Gal 2:20; Ro 8:9-11). Before the crucifixion, the
spirit was not yet with people (Jn 7:38-39), but after Jesus was
crucified he breathed on people and told them to receive the spirit
(Jn 20:22-23). Jesus, right before his ascension, commanded his
disciples to wait for the holy spirit that the Father promised to send
and to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth after the spirit came
upon them (Ac 1:4-8). After that, they received the spirit Jesus had
promised and went on to preach the gospel (Ac 2:1-4). The holy spirit,
which left people because of their sins, was able to return to people
without sin because Jesus bore the cross on behalf of his disciples to
atone for their sins. Where does Jesus currently reside?
Let us truly believe by meditating on the following scriptures:
=95I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live
because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. (Gal 2:20)
=95You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me
and I am in you. (Jn 14:20)
=95Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal
with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)
=95And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts, who calls =93Abba! Father!=94 (Gal 4:6)
=95You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of
Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you,
your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because
of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus
from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead
will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives
in you. (Ro 8:9-11)
=95We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God=92s field, God=92s
building. (1Co 3:9)
=95Do you not know that you are God=92s temple and that God=92s Spirit
lives=
in you? (1Co 3:16)
=95Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given
authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word
of God. These had not wor****ped the beast or his image and had refused
to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and
reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Rev 20:4, NASB)
According to the scriptures, Jesus resides within us after he has
atoned for our sins. This is why he bore the cross and it is our hope.
It is wrong to talk about the Bible if you do not understand it fully
and if you are not a Christian. These people are not qualified to talk
about the Bible. You must proclaim and testify the truth only after
receiving the holy spirit that allows you to see, hear, and master the
Bible. You should be thankful that you now know the true meaning of
Jesus=92 cross, which we proclaim for our own salvation.
|
