The Undeniable Force of the Cross & the Grave

I wonder what that small group of followers and family who remained was thinking as they looked up at their Messiah nailed to that cross. What hope remained when they saw Mary holding Jesus' lifeless body? Did they realize that the fullness of God's will was not complete yet?

Many churches will soon be remembering and celebrating the cross. Some will even have a cross that is draped with cloth, a crown of thorns, beautiful lilies, and even be backlit. We will sing songs about that old wonderous beautiful cross and the blood of Jesus which was shed on that cross. Yes, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). This is all good, even wonderful, even needed & worth celebrating... as long as we don't forget Jesus' victory over the cross and that the pain was never the point.

The cross only became glorious once the tomb was empty. Had Jesus remained in the grave, the cross would have simply become a harsh reminder of brutality, defeat, and our inevitable eternal death. Yet, we can't simply celebrate the empty grave either. For without the cross, the empty grave is lacking the victorious power over sin & death. The two, the cross & the empty grave, form a powerful, undeniable force that could never be fully realized apart from one another.

The cross of Christ and His empty tomb are the powerful, victorious ways in which God dealt with sin and death. Christ conquered both sin and its consequence, death. One is evidence of the other. Which is why the Apostle Paul states, "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!" (1 Corinthians 15:17) Because of Christ's victory over the cross and the grave, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

This Easter, this resurrection Sunday, let us celebrate & shout with the Apostle Paul, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?... All thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57) May your Easter be a celebration of the power & victory released by the cross of Jesus and His empty grave.