The Cross and the Crown

There has always been selective interest in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, especially at this time of year, as millions of followers of Christ around the world acknowledge these two signal events in the Christian faith.

Millions of people are talking about Jesus Christ, specifically His death and resurrection. And that is why we who are His followers need, as never before, to be ready, as the Apostle Peter said, to give an answer “for the hope that is within us.” Specifically, we need to be able to answer the all-important question of “Why.” Why did Christ have to die, and why did he have to rise again from the dead?

By the way, both the crucifixion and the resurrection are equally important. One has little meaning without the other. Unfortunately, Christians tend to emphasize one event to the neglect of another.

We evangelical Christians, so anxious to differentiate ourselves from those of the Catholic faith, perhaps have made a very serious mistake in not talking more about the Passion, the suffering of our Lord on the Cross.

But to focus solely on the crucifixion without the resurrection is equally mistaken. After all, Jesus was not the only person to suffer the fate of crucifixion. Anywhere from 30,000 people were placed on crosses by the Romans during Jesus’ lifetime.  

But I dare say there is not one person here today who can give me the name of one other victim of crucifixion except perhaps for the Apostle Peter. Why is that? Why, 2,000 years after the fact, are we still talking about this poor Galilean rabbi named Jesus?

Because he was the only person in human history who had ever escaped from the jaws of death, just as He promised.  

The Christian message from the beginning has always centered on both the death and the resurrection of Christ. As Paul wrote: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

I want to examine both events—Jesus’s death and resurrection—and discover why they are so important to us 2,000 years later.

1. The Cross of Christ: His Death

Jesus’ death was an atonement, a covering for our sin. For hundreds of years, the blood of animals was offered in the Jewish temple to cover the sins of the people. But as Hebrews points out, sin cannot be covered by the blood of animals. This ritual was a symbol, a looking forward to, the true Lamb of God—Jesus Christ—who offers a once and for all sacrifice—not of an animal, but of Himself.

Why was the cross, the death of Jesus, necessary to provide atonement, a covering for our sin? Jesus’ death provides us with:

• An Example of Suffering (1 Peter 2:21, 23b)
• A Payment for Our Sin (1 John 2:2)
• A Redemption from Spiritual Slavery (Colossians 1:13-14)

2. The Crown: His Resurrection

• Prophesied by Christ (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; John 2:19)    

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was not some “add-on” to the Jesus story to make it a better story, as some woke theologians claim. Jesus Himself predicted His resurrection. In fact, as John Stott points out, every time Jesus prophesied about His death, He also prophesied His resurrection.

Although thousands of Jews had been crucified, it would be Jesus’ ability to fulfill this prophecy that would authenticate him to be “the Son of God in power,” as Paul said.

• Proclaimed by the Apostles (Acts 2:23-24, 32)

Perhaps the single greatest evidence for the resurrection is the overnight transformation of Jesus’ apostles from cowering, fearful followers who were afraid even to be seen with Christ to bold, courageous prophets who were willing to die for their message.

I laughed out loud when an interviewer asked a liberal theologian to account for this inexplicable change in the apostles. She answered, “Well, they obviously saw something.” You bet they did—they saw the risen Christ.

• Proved by History (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

In other Easter messages, I have talked about the historical evidence that the resurrection of Christ took place. For example, the empty tomb. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then what happened to his body? The Jewish and Roman authorities did everything they could to protect the body so that his claim to be the Messiah would prove to be false. The last thing they wanted was an empty tomb. The disciples had neither the ability nor the courage to overthrow a Roman guard unit and steal the body. Or consider the eyewitness testimony—over 500 saw him in person.

Experts say it takes more than 80 years for a legend to supplant the truth. Yet, the claim of Christ’s resurrection became the core belief of Christianity immediately.

You may not know the name of Sir Lionel Luck Hoo of Guyana. But according to the Guinness Book of World Records, he is the most successful trial attorney of all time, who succeeded in getting his 245th murder acquittal in 1985. He is obviously an expert on what is reliable, admissible, and persuasive evidence.

Luck Hoo decided to use his own expertise in the law to answer whether or not the resurrection of Jesus Christ stands up to the test of legal evidence. His conclusion: “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt” (Preaching Today, Lee Strobel, The Truth About the Resurrection). 

• Promised to Believers (John 5:24, 6:39, 11:25-26)

Jesus’ resurrection answers the bottom-line question that Job voices when he asked, “If a man dies, will he live again?” After all, isn’t that the only thing that really matters? Is this life all there is? When I close my eyes for the last time, is that it? Or do I continue to live after I die, and if so, where?” If I die, will I live again? If my husband or wife dies, will they live again? If my child dies, will he live again?

Fortunately, the resurrection of Jesus from the grave was not a one-time event reserved for the Messiah. Jesus not only promised that He would rise from the dead, but so would all those who place their faith in Him.

That is the message of Easter. Jesus lives, and one day so shall we!