Day 21: Tuesday, March 21, 2017  

1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NLT)

 The Cross Is Not Enough

Jesus’ death on the cross is not sufficient to provide the abundant and eternal life God has promised us.  Does that statement shock you? If you are a Christian, I would expect you to be highly offended and perhaps not read another word.  But if you’ll hear me out, I think you’ll agree with me. The apostle Paul firmly believed the cross was not enough. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 

Peter also knew that our eternal hope depended on the Resurrection of Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, (1Peter 1:3-4 NIV) so why do we so often leave out the Resurrection when we share the Good News of Jesus?  We don’t forget to talk about the Cross.  And yes, praise God, the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary provided the payment that my sins, and yours, had earned.  Our sins deserved the death penalty. Our sins brought us spiritual death and separation from our holy God.  But Jesus Christ took that penalty on Himself.  Without the Cross of Christ we would still be dead in our sins.  But that is only part of the Gospel message. 

Yes, Jesus’ death paid the price of our sin, but His resurrection provided our hope for life – both now and eternally.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Forgive us when we forget the sacrifice You made for us by giving up Your only Son for our sins. Amen.

Contributed by Laura Winckel