The attraction of the cross cannot be explained apart from God. In fact, Jesus Christ Himself said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:32) What is it that gives the cross such appeal?

First, the cross has the appeal of love. In the cross of Christ, we see the love of God as it can be seen nowhere else in all creation—it can be seen in all its dimensions and that’s why persons are drawn to Calvary. Second, the cross has the appeal of forgiveness. The greatest need we have is forgiveness. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible declares, “There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20) The differences among us are not that some are sinners, and some are not. It is only in the degree of our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross is God’s answer to man’s sin. And through Jesus’ death, God offers us forgiveness. Third, the cross has the appeal of victory. The cross of Jesus marked the defeat of Satan and the ultimate victory of God in time and eternity. The cross of Calvary was a struggle between Christ and Satan, between light and darkness, between good and evil, between two rulers contending for world supremacy. Jesus emerged as the Victor. It is because men have seen the cross as God’s ultimate victory that they are drawn to it. A 13-year-old girl fought and lost a long and painful battle with cancer. On the flyleaf of her Bible she wrote these words: “The way of the cross may not be easy, but it is the way home.” Has the attraction of the cross drawn you to Jesus Christ yet?

Sin cera, Erik

Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

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