The Meaning of the Cross, Day 13

Welcome to Day 13 of our “40 Days of the Cross” series. Each day we are taking just a few minutes to look at a word which will help us better understand the meaning of the cross. 

Today’s word is atonement. Atonement is making reparations for a wrong that’s been done. It is paying someone, through money or actions for an injury that you’ve caused. In a spiritual context, the idea of atonement can be seen back in the Old Testament through the sacrificial system. People made sacrifices to God to atone for their sins. Their sins were the wrongs that were done to God that needed to be atoned for. 

It was through the shedding of blood on the sacrificial altar that people paid for breaking their covenant they had made with God. But the sacrificial system was incomplete. The death of an animal couldn’t make reparations for the broken covenant, especially a promise that was consistently being broken. The sins of the people broke the covenant with God and therefore separated the people from God. Their attempts at atonement were only a picture of what was to come. 

It is the cross of Christ which was the fulfillment of that picture of atonement. 1  Corinthians 15:3 says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” He died on the cross in atonement for our sins. It is our sins that are the wrongs we’ve done to a holy God that need to be paid for. Jesus took the act of atonement upon Himself so that the price could be paid for the broken covenant that separated us from God. 

So, through the cross, we are able to be reunited with God into a relationship that He created us for. Romans 5:10 says, “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” It is the cross which provides atonement for our sins. It is this atoning act of grace that provides us with access to God so we can be His children. We’ll talk more about access tomorrow.
 

Heavenly Father, it would take all of eternity to give you the thanks you deserve for the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. And I thank you that because of that atonement we WILL have all of eternity to be in your presence, filled with joy, and able to thank you for all you have done for us. May we share the message of your atonement with those who need to hear it. In the name of Jesus, amen 

Thanks for reading today. Please take some time to pray and meditate on how the cross is a symbol of atonement.

Continued tomorrow