Jesus Unveiled: The Cross and the Crown!

Jesus Unveiled: The Cross and the Crown

Romans 5:8 (ESV)"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The cross didn’t wait for you to clean yourself up. Jesus died while you were still a mess. God didn’t just say He loved you. He proved it with blood.

The weight of Friday

In 2021, a viral sound echoed the question: “Can we skip to the good part?” It reflected a culture craving reward without the struggle. But the story of the Gospel doesn’t skip the pain. If you want Sunday’s miracle, you have to walk through Friday’s suffering.

Jesus didn’t skip the suffering. He didn’t avoid betrayal, beating, or the silence of the grave. He walked into it fully. Not because He was losing, but because He was winning. The victory wasn’t only seen in the empty tomb. It was secured on the cross. This is one story. From the cross to the crown.

The cross exposed hatred. The resurrection unveiled love.

Luke 23:34 records Jesus praying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

When Jesus was arrested, the same crowds that once shouted “Hosanna” now screamed “Crucify Him.” The disciples fled. Peter denied. The crowd betrayed. Humanity showed what it was capable of without God. Yet in the middle of that hatred, Jesus showed us the depth of divine love. Forgiveness wasn’t an afterthought. It was His first response.

Jesus didn’t lose His life. He gave it.

John 10:18 says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

Jesus wasn’t overpowered by Rome. He wasn’t trapped by the religious elite. Every moment was intentional. He stretched out His arms. He embraced the nails. He declared, “It is finished.” The debt was paid. The curse was broken. Nothing was taken from Him. He offered it all freely.

The cross broke the curse. The resurrection sealed the promise.

Galatians 3:13 reminds us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

Sin had a cost. The cross paid it. Jesus became the curse so we could become free. But it didn’t end at the cross. The resurrection was God’s yes over your life. The curtain tore. The tomb opened. Chains fell.

Grace shouted louder than death ever could. The promise was sealed forever.

A call to respond

Romans 6:4 says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised... we too might walk in newness of life.”

Tonight isn’t just about remembering a story. It’s about stepping into resurrection life. Don’t just hear about the cross. Surrender at it. Don’t just admire the empty tomb. Live in the power it gives.

📍 Join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM at First Assembly of God – Mount Pleasant, or watch the full message below.

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