by Richard Mansel

The cross of Christ is the essence of the gospel message. Its impact cannot be underestimated. To understand the importance of the cross we must see what it meant to Jesus, on a personal level.

First, for Christ the cross represented an inevitable appointment. From the moment God decided on the plan of salvation, Christ was on a clear path to the cross.

Isaiah 53:6 tells us that God "laid on (Jesus) the iniquity of us all" (NKJV). While God "gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16), Christ gave of himself so that we could have remission of sins (Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:8).

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane begged that his role in the plan of salvation be removed. While there was never any doubt Jesus would comply, this episode revealed explicitly that Christ had a choice. This made his sacrifice more poignant. We cannot imagine his inner turmoil as he hurtled toward his destiny. The reader can almost hear relief in his cry, "it is finished."

Second, for Christ the cross represented intense pain. Being omniscient, Christ knew the suffering of the cross eons before its existence. It stood as a reminder of his place in the plan. He was the sacrificial lamb who would be offered for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:7). The anticipation of this moment underscores the bitter turmoil of the Garden.

If we knew the day and circumstances of our death, especially if violent, we would forever be changed. Days and activities would take on a different hue. Christ lived daily with that realization. We wonder how often he contemplated the day of his crucifixion; imagining the sights, sounds and sensations. His keen insight into his own future should give us pause as we realize the depths of his sacrificial love.

We read Jesus saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Luke 13:34). As Jesus looked at them with intense love, he mourned because soon this same people would be sending him to his death. Imagine Jesus looking into the eyes and souls of his betrayer and murderers years before the event. We would, no doubt, be crushed by such knowledge. Jesus took it in stride.

Third, for Christ the cross represented intolerable separation. In Jesus' prayer in John 17 he says, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You" (John 17:1). Later in the same chapter Jesus tenderly adds, "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You" (17:21).

While God and Jesus are different, they are also one. They are bound together in a relationship we can neither comprehend nor transcend. Accordingly we hear the pain of Jesus when he cries out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). At that moment Jesus knew the greatest loneliness he would ever feel. For the first time in all eternity, Jesus was alone. Alone with his pain and his mission.

As humans we think of our selves first. Instead, we must take a step back and see what the cross meant for our Savior. Christ's mixture of deity and humanity never seemed more palpable than when he hung between heaven and earth, dying for the sins of every one of us.

by Richard Mansel

The cross of Christ is the centerpiece of Christianity and the essence of the gospel. We must understand its scope and majesty before we can grasp the concept of salvation.

Therefore, we are contemplating the lessons of the cross. Previously we discussed that the cross of Christ reveals our sins and God's love.

Third, the cross reveals God's appeal. He provided a way to salvation by offering his Son on the cruel tree (John 3:16; Romans 5:6). Paul wrote, "for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10). John added, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).

The cross is indelibly linked to the gospel call. Paul warned the Galatians, "But even if we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). To remove the suffering servant from the cross is to corrupt the message and to face an eternity of pain and suffering. Christ is the message and the way to God (John 14:6). Era, circumstances or any other motivation cannot remove this salient point from God's plan of salvation.

Fourth, the cross revealed Christ's humanity. His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross was intense. Christ's courageous act portrayed his unselfish and tender, humble spirit. His pain is evident in Luke's account. He wrote, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44). His prayer was "Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42).

Jesus was God but he was also human (John 1:1-4,14). The savage beatings, hateful cries for his blood and barbarity of the cross were as if we were enduring them. His humanity suffered intense pain while his divinity subordinated itself to God. Hebrews 2:9 reads, "But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." He endured the nightmare because he loved us and was perfectly committed to carrying forth his mission.

As humans we must learn from his example as we take up our cross for him. Jesus said, "He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38).

Not that we must be crucified on a physical cross, but that we must be willing to sacrifice everything for his glory. That we must place his will above our own pride and our own feeble wisdom. Jesus tucked away his fears and stood facing them to the glory of his Father. Likewise, we must subordinate our stubbornness to do his will and to bring glory to our God.

As the hymn says, "Must Jesus bear the cross alone, And all the world go free? No, there's a cross for everyone, And there's a cross for me. The consecrated cross I'll bear Till He shall set me free." (Thos. Shepherd, et al).

by Richard Mansel

"The cross of Christ is a symbol of God's heartbreak over a world gone astray." All men need the gospel which is ultimately the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is the central event in the history of the world. One man's suffering parted the waves of history. Christ gave his life so that we could be forgiven of our sins.

Christ became the bearer of our sins. As Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years earlier, "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers," and "for the transgression of my people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked" (Isaiah 53:7,8, NKJV). An innocent man, condemned to death for our sins.

"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all," 1 John 1:6 says. Then 1 John 1:7 adds, "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Sin is represented in Scripture as darkness. That is why Matthew 27:45 says, "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." Darkness represented the vile, evil sins placed upon his shoulders (Galatians 3:10-14). Jesus then breathed his last, and the worst sin of all mankind spread across the land.

The lessons we learn from the cross are powerful.

First, the cross reveals our sins. Acts 2:23 says, "Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death." Isaiah 53:6 says, "And the Lord, has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Second, the cross reveals the love of God. Imagine driving with your daughter in a rural area. You stop in front of a deserted building to make a phone call. Suddenly, a man wrenches open your passenger door and demands to have your car. Frozen with fear you pause. The angry man grabs your daughter and shoots her before your eyes. Tossing her aside, he curses and points the gun at your head. Trembling, you flee from your car.

Weeks later, the man is captured and sentenced to death for his horrific crimes. Yet before the execution could take place, you insist on being executed in his place.

This sobering scenario helps us grasp the true meaning of Paul's words, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). Maybe we have not given enough thought to the fact that an innocent man died a brutal death in our place.

The blessings of God are poured out onto all men and women. Peter writes that "He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Yet stop and think of all the ungrateful, unkind people who ignore his sacrifice. What if you saved someone's life and instead of being grateful, they hated the very sight of you? If so, we would know how Christ's heart breaks daily.

The cross should move us to realize the enormity of our sins. If we have not been to God, then the blood of his Son is still on our hands. The cross of Christ is our plea and our pardon. Paul wrote, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

by Richard Mansel

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was recently released on DVD and VHS. Gibson is certainly to be commended for making a fine film with so much depth. Controversy has surrounded this film, as any Christian could have predicted. Jesus made it clear that he would divide nations, homes, and hearts with his life and message (Matthew 10:32-36).

As a religious film, it contains some inaccuracies, such as when it combines events or gets them out of order. Moreover, Gibson includes several Catholic legends which are not found in Scripture.

That said, it is a very strong, moving experience. I left the theater tingling and speechless. Around me, everyone looked stunned and many tears were being shed. Gibson has brought us the most touching depiction of Christ's suffering in film history.

Some aspects really touched me and made me think. Visuals have a very powerful impact. Snapshots in the mind are far more tangible than that which we hear or read.

First, Satan's presence at crucial times in Jesus' suffering illustrated the reality of his evil intentions. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that he is actively involved in pulling us away from God. In the film, Satan watches Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and later during his suffering at the hands of his killers. During the scourging, Gibson added a thought-provoking scene. Satan appears to caress a baby before the eyes of Jesus. I think his purpose was to emphasize Jesus' agony. Jesus begged that the cup of suffering would be removed from his mission (Matthew 26:39). Yet, he said, "not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42, NKJV). God let him endure this wrenching pain for the redemption of our sins (Romans 5:6-8). Satan wanted Christ to think that God had abandoned him, and by contrast, that Satan's "child" was safe in his arms, being loved and caressed. Satan wanted Christ to turn on his Father in anger.

The underlying themes of the film are the inner turmoil of its characters and the power Christ had to touch people's hearts. Judas is portrayed as a tortured soul that -- after his betrayal of Christ -- is haunted by demons representing his inner war of conscience. It is a disturbing reminder of the nature of Satan's attacks.

Throughout, people who came in contact with Jesus were moved by him. Soldiers refused to participate in the arrest, physical abuse, and crucifixion because they were mesmerized with his words and actions. The message is that anyone who comes to Christ with humility will be changed.

The violence that has become so infamous is certainly brutal, but it had to be in order to be accurate. Isaiah prophesied that he would be "stricken" and "afflicted" and "led as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:4-7). Jesus suffered excruciating pain on the cross. Jewish historian, Josephus, said that the crucifixion was "the most wretched of deaths."

It is a film with a powerful message. Some are put off by the added elements, others by the thought of seeing a portrayal of Jesus and others by the subtitles. Yet, I can certainly recommend it with the aforementioned explanations.

Christ went to the cruel cross to die for our sins. Three days later, as prophesied, he was resurrected so that he could prove his divinity and defeat the last enemy, death (1 Corinthians 15:26). Over the next few weeks we will be discussing the cross and the resurrection.

by Richard Mansel

Surely you have heard this exchange.

"Do you attend church?"

"No way!" "

"Why not?"

"They're all a bunch of hypocrites up there!"

At this point, the one posing the questions is supposed to pause, see the profundity of the charge and slink away in shame.

Hypocrite simply means, "one who is pretending to be something they are not." The popular usage usually refers to someone who fails to live up to a standard bestowed on their position in society.

Originally the word was ascribed to actors playing a part. One writer has said, "The art of the actor is that from the moment he dons the mask his whole conduct on stage should be in keeping with his allotted role" (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament 8:560).

Let us consider this concept for a moment. Two films are under consideration. In the first, a man roams the streets filming whomever passes in front of his camera. In the second, friends are hired to play roles according to a script. Which film is using actors? Obviously it would be the second film.

Someone acts purposely on stage or film to portray someone they are not. By definition, for someone to be a hypocrite they must do so purposefully. If we inadvertently wander onto the stage of a live play in the park, we are not suddenly billed as an actor in that production. Someone who dons a mask has to do so intentionally.

The hypocritical Christian is portraying a faithful believer when they intend to deceive. Vine's says "it was a custom of Greek and Roman actors to speak in large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of the voice" (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 242). No actor alters their appearance or voice without intending to do so.

Christians who are weak and sinful are not necessarily hypocrites. Christians who battle temptations and lose frequently are not hypocrites, but sinners in need of forgiveness. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:10). We all fail to be what we intend. If this made one a hypocrite, then everyone would be a hypocrite. Consider that when an alcoholic refuses a drink or a rapist passes on a victim, they are hypocrites by the popular definition.

Let us consider some thoughts. First, the charge evidences a lack of understanding of what a true Christian is. Second, the charge creates an untenable situation. Since everyone who ever lived but Jesus was a hypocrite, we would not be able to live among human beings.

This charge also fails to account for personal responsibility. The hypocrisy of a Christian and the religious condition of the sinner are two different issues. The Christian will be held responsible by God for his hypocrisy. If he fails to remedy the situation and repent, he will lose his soul.

Yet, this has nothing to do with the sinner leveling the charge. They will also stand before God and be judged. Revelation 20:12 says, "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things written in the books" (NKJV). Then charges of hypocrisy will be futile. Now the accuser will be the one in trouble.

A safer path would be to worry about our own soul and let God handle the hypocrites.