The Power of the Cross

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
— Colossians 2:13–14

The power of the cross is for all practical purposes, the message of Scripture. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, clearly speaks of Jesus' life and death. After Satan led Adam and Eve into sin, God judged Satan and said to him, "He [the Messiah] shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Suffering Servant who "was wounded for our transgressions . . . and by His stripes we were healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Throughout the Old Testament, we see glimpses of Jesus Christ and the New Testament reinforces this central message that Jesus came to die.

From the very beginning, Jesus' death and resurrection were a part of God's plan. The crucifixion was not an interruption of an otherwise successful ministry. It was all part of God's plan to bring about the redemption of humanity. Jesus was born to die for our sins. That is the power of the cross.