The Meaning of the Cross, Day 23

Welcome to Day 23 of our series, “40 Days of the Cross.” 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 plan. Some people look at the cross as a catastrophe. By definition, a catastrophe is a sudden event causing damage or suffering. There’s no doubt the crucifixion caused suffering to Jesus and to His disciples. But this was by no means a sudden event. Jesus had told His disciples over and over again that He would be die and rise again three days later. Back when Jesus was a baby, a prophet told Mary that a tragedy was coming to Jesus that would pierce her heart.

Even before Jesus was born, the prophets foretold of the Messiah who would suffer to bring redemption to the people. You can go all the way back to the fall of humankind in the Garden, and God’s prophecy that a Son of Man would crush the head of the serpent even as the serpent bit the heel of the man. The cross was tragic, but it was not unexpected.

In fact, when Peter was preaching his first sermon on the day of Pentecost, he was confronting the Jews gathered at the Temple about Jesus, who had performed mighty miracles in their midst. And then Peter said this in Acts 2:23, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Yes, it was evil men who perpetrated the deed, but it was God Himself who did the planning. Peter even emphasizes that it was a definite plan.

Years after the day of Pentecost, Peter wrote that the cross had been planned from the foundations of the world. God created this plan because of our sinfulness, His justice, and His love for us. It was because He loved us that the Father was willing to have His one and only Son die upon the cross, so that if we believe in Jesus and give our lives to Him, we can have eternal life with God. That was God’s plan from the beginning. To bring us into fellowship with Him through the death of Jesus on the cross. We’ll talk more about fellowship tomorrow.

After we pray today, let’s take some time to meditate on what that means to us - that the cross was planned by God because of His love for us.

Heavenly Father, Your plan was completed in the death of Your son on the cross. And your plan for me has continued in my repentance as I have given my life to you. Help me to continue to follow Your plan for my life, and may all who listen and read see Your love for them. In Jesus name, amen.

Thanks for listening/reading today.

Continued tomorrow