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The cross of Jesus Christ looked like defeat.
A rejected Messiah.
A bloodied body.
Roman soldiers.
Mocking crowds.
A borrowed tomb waiting nearby.
Nothing about crucifixion looked glorious.
Yet the apostle Paul wrote:
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— Galatians 6:14
Paul could have boasted about his religious education.
His knowledge.
His heritage.
His ministry.
Instead, he pointed toward something the Roman world considered shameful:
the cross.
Why?
Because at the cross we see the seriousness of our sin, the holiness of God, the love of Christ, the price of our redemption, and God’s victory over the powers of evil.
Therefore, the Christian does not look at Calvary merely as a tragic moment in history.
We look there and say:
“This is where my hope rests.”
Here are seven reasons Christians can boast in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Why Is the Cross of Jesus Christ Central to Christianity?
Without the cross, Christianity loses its gospel.
Jesus certainly taught extraordinary truth.
He healed.
Loved sinners.
Confronted hypocrisy.
Demonstrated God’s kingdom.
Yet the New Testament does not present His death as an unfortunate ending to an otherwise successful ministry.
Jesus came deliberately toward the cross.
Mark 10:45 says the Son of Man came:
“to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Paul later summarizes the gospel by saying:
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…”
The cross therefore belongs at the center of God’s saving work.
Christianity is not primarily the announcement:
“Try to live like Jesus.”
The gospel begins:
“Jesus Christ gave Himself for sinners.”
For a fuller explanation:
1. The Cross of Jesus Christ Was Part of God’s Saving Plan
Acts 2:23 says Jesus was:
“delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God…”
Yet Peter immediately says He was crucified:
“by the hands of lawless men.”
Both truths matter.
The cross was not an accident.
At the same time, the people responsible for Jesus’ death were genuinely responsible for their actions.
God’s sovereignty does not turn evil actions into morally innocent actions.
Therefore, we should not say that every insult, blow, lie, and sinful motive surrounding the crucifixion was good simply because God incorporated the cross into His redemptive plan.
Instead, Scripture reveals something greater:
God accomplished His saving purpose even through the wicked actions of sinful people.
The cross shows providence without denying human responsibility.
The Cross Was Not God’s Emergency Plan
Jesus’ death did not catch God by surprise.
The New Testament repeatedly says Christ’s saving work fulfilled God’s purpose and the Scriptures.
First Peter 1:20 says Christ:
“was foreknown before the foundation of the world.”
Revelation presents the Lamb at the heart of God’s redemptive victory.
Therefore, Calvary was not Plan B after humanity ruined Plan A.
God’s saving purpose in Christ reaches deep into His eternal counsel.
However, I would avoid saying philosophically:
“There could have been no other possible way God could ever save.”
What Scripture gives us is enough:
God chose to save through the death and resurrection of His Son, and Christ’s sacrifice was necessary to the saving plan God actually revealed.
2. The Cross of Jesus Christ Fulfills the Story of Scripture
We should say this carefully.
Genesis 3:15 does not explicitly mention crucifixion.
However, Christians have long seen in God’s promise concerning the offspring of the woman an early anticipation of the Messiah’s victory over evil.
Likewise, Genesis 22 does not simply say:
“Isaac is Jesus.”
Yet the story of Abraham and Isaac develops themes that later resonate powerfully with God’s provision of His Son.
The strongest Old Testament patterns become even clearer when the New Testament itself makes the connection.
Passover is an excellent example.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7:
“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Therefore, Exodus 12 legitimately helps Christians understand Jesus’ sacrificial death.
The biblical story moves toward Christ.
Still, responsible interpretation distinguishes between explicit prophecy, biblical typology, and later Christian illustration.
The Sacrificial System Points Beyond Itself
Hebrews gives us one of the strongest biblical foundations for connecting Israel’s sacrifices with Christ.
Animal sacrifices were repeated.
Jesus offered Himself once for all.
Hebrews 10 explains that the earlier sacrifices could not finally perfect worshipers in the way Christ’s sacrifice does.
Therefore, the tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifice, blood, and Day of Atonement form part of the biblical background through which we understand the cross.
Yet we do not need to turn every nail, piece of furniture, fabric color, or ritual detail into a hidden prediction about Jesus.
Christ fulfills Scripture more deeply than imaginative symbolism.
The safest path is to follow the connections the New Testament itself makes.
3. The Cross of Jesus Christ Shows the Seriousness of Sin
Sometimes we underestimate sin because we compare ourselves with other people.
We think:
“I am not as bad as him.”
“At least I never did that.”
But the cross destroys shallow comparisons.
If human beings could reconcile themselves to God through moral improvement, Christ would not have needed to die for sins.
Isaiah 53 says:
“He was pierced for our transgressions…”
First Peter 2:24 says:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…”
Therefore, the cross tells us something uncomfortable:
sin is far more serious than we naturally imagine.
It is not merely weakness.
Not simply poor self-esteem.
Not just psychological brokenness.
Sin is rebellion against our holy Creator.
And reconciliation required something we could never provide for ourselves.
The Cross Exposes Sin Without Destroying Hope
Looking honestly at sin can be painful.
Yet the cross does not expose sin merely to condemn us.
It points toward the Savior who bore sin.
Therefore, Christians should avoid two opposite mistakes.
One says:
“Sin isn’t really serious.”
The other says:
“My sin is so serious that even Jesus cannot forgive me.”
Both misunderstand Calvary.
The cross says:
your sin is serious enough that Christ had to die.
But it also says:
Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient for every sinner who comes to Him in faith.
That is why the cross simultaneously humbles us and gives us hope.
4. The Cross of Jesus Christ Reveals God’s Love
John 3:16 tells us:
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…”
Romans 5:8 says:
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God did not begin loving sinners after Jesus persuaded Him to be merciful.
The cross originated in God’s love.
The Father sent the Son.
The Son willingly gave Himself.
John 10:18 records Jesus saying:
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”
Therefore, Christ was not merely a helpless victim trapped by circumstances.
He willingly submitted to the saving mission given Him by the Father.
At Calvary we see divine love acting, not merely talking.
Jesus Gave Himself Willingly
It is important to describe the crucifixion historically with precision.
Jewish leaders played a major role in the events leading to Jesus’ arrest and condemnation.
Roman authority, however, carried out crucifixion.
Roman soldiers scourged Jesus, placed the crown of thorns upon Him, mocked Him, and crucified Him.
We should therefore avoid saying vaguely:
“The Jews crucified Jesus.”
The New Testament distributes responsibility among different actors while ultimately confronting human sin.
More importantly, Jesus willingly went to the cross.
He told His disciples that He could appeal for angelic deliverance.
Yet He continued toward Calvary.
He gave Himself.
5. The Cross of Jesus Christ Reconciles Sinners to God
Second Corinthians 5:18 says:
“God… reconciled us to himself through Christ.”
That word—reconciliation—describes a broken relationship being restored.
Sin alienates us from God.
Christ brings believers near.
Romans 5:1 says:
“Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Notice what Christianity promises.
Not merely:
peaceful feelings.
But:
peace with God.
The Gospel addresses our objective standing before Him.
Because of Christ, guilty sinners can be forgiven, justified, adopted, and reconciled to their Creator.
That is far greater than religious self-improvement.
The Cross Does Not Mean God Simply Ignored Sin
Forgiveness is not God deciding that evil does not matter.
Romans 3 presents the cross as the place where God demonstrates His righteousness while justifying those who believe in Jesus.
Christ bears our sins.
God remains just.
The guilty receive mercy.
Therefore, the cross displays both:
justice
and
grace.
We should not pit those attributes against one another.
God does not become less holy in order to become loving.
Nor does He stop loving in order to judge sin.
At Calvary, God’s holiness and love meet within His saving purpose.
6. The Cross of Jesus Christ Defeats the Powers of Evil
The cross appeared to be Satan’s victory.
The Messiah was condemned.
His followers scattered.
Jesus died.
Yet the New Testament interprets the event very differently.
Colossians 2:15 says Christ:
“disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame…”
Hebrews 2 connects Jesus’ death with defeating the one who had the power of death.
Therefore, the cross is not only about forgiveness.
It is also victory.
Christ triumphs over:
sin,
death,
condemnation,
and the powers of darkness.
Furthermore, Galatians 3:13 says:
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
So we can biblically speak of Christ bearing the curse.
But we should explain what Scripture means rather than turning “breaking curses” into a vague spiritual formula.
When Accusation Comes, Look to the Cross
Christians still experience accusation.
Sometimes our conscience rightly reminds us of sin that needs confession.
Other times shame continues accusing us even after we have genuinely repented.
Romans 8:1 says:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, when you sin, do not hide.
Confess it.
Repent.
Return to Christ.
But once God has forgiven you, do not imagine that endless self-punishment somehow honors Him.
Your hope is not that you have never failed.
Your hope is that Christ died and rose again.
The cross points us away from ourselves.
7. The Cross of Jesus Christ Gives Us a New Way to Live
Paul does not stop in Galatians 6:14 with:
“I boast in the cross.”
He continues:
“by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The cross changes our relationship with the values of the world.
If Jesus gave Himself for us, then Christianity cannot simply become:
“How can Jesus make my present life more comfortable?”
The cross calls us toward:
holiness,
sacrifice,
love,
obedience,
generosity,
forgiveness,
and faithfulness.
Grace does not merely forgive us.
Grace teaches us to live differently.
The Cross Changes the Way We Face Suffering
When hardship comes, Christians do not need to pretend pain feels good.
Jesus Himself suffered.
Therefore, the cross prevents shallow Christianity.
Following Jesus does not guarantee:
perfect health,
financial prosperity,
easy relationships,
or freedom from grief.
Yet suffering no longer means God has abandoned us.
The cross proves that profound suffering and God’s saving purpose can exist in the same story.
When life becomes difficult, we can look to Christ and remember:
God’s love is not measured only by present comfort.
For more:
Why Paul Boasted in the Cross
To “boast” in the cross does not mean Christians admire the physical instrument of execution itself.
Paul is boasting in Christ and what Christ accomplished through His death.
The Roman cross represented humiliation.
Paul sees redemption.
The world sees weakness.
Paul sees God’s power.
Human pride says:
“Look what I accomplished.”
The Gospel says:
“Look what Christ accomplished.”
That is why boasting in the cross destroys spiritual pride.
No Christian can stand at Calvary and say:
“God saved me because I deserved it.”
We boast in grace.
What Does It Mean to Boast in the Cross Today?
It means your confidence before God rests in Christ.
When someone asks why you expect forgiveness, you point toward Him.
When temptation whispers that sin will satisfy you, remember what sin cost.
When pride tells you that you are better than other sinners, look again at the cross.
When shame says you are beyond mercy, look toward the Savior.
When ministry succeeds, do not make yourself the center.
When life hurts, remember the One who loved you and gave Himself for you.
Boasting in the cross means Christ becomes greater and self becomes smaller.
The Cross of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection Belong Together
We should never preach the cross as though Jesus remained dead.
Paul’s Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15 includes:
Christ died,
Christ was buried,
Christ was raised.
The resurrection does not make the cross unnecessary.
Neither does the cross make the resurrection optional.
Together they form the saving announcement concerning Jesus.
At the cross, He gives Himself for our sins.
In the resurrection, death is defeated and Jesus is vindicated as Lord.
Therefore, Christian hope rests in the crucified and risen Christ.
Seven Reasons to Boast in the Cross of Jesus Christ
Remember these truths:
1. The cross was part of God’s saving plan.
2. The cross fulfills the great redemptive story of Scripture.
3. The cross reveals the seriousness of our sin.
4. The cross demonstrates God’s love for sinners.
5. The cross reconciles believers to God.
6. The cross displays Christ’s victory over sin, death, and evil powers.
7. The cross creates a new way of life for those who belong to Jesus.
That is why Paul could say:
“Far be it from me to boast except in the cross…”
The Cross of Jesus Christ: What Will You Boast In?
Every human heart boasts in something.
Success.
Education.
Money.
Appearance.
Ministry.
Morality.
Denomination.
Spiritual experiences.
Even theology can become something we use to feel superior.
The cross removes all such boasting.
At Calvary, I cannot say:
“Look how good I am.”
I can only say:
“Look how good Christ is.”
Therefore, spend time remembering the cross.
Not because you need a new mystical revelation beyond Scripture.
Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand more deeply what Scripture has already revealed about Christ’s sacrifice.
Read the Gospel accounts.
Read Isaiah 53.
Read Romans 3–5.
Read Galatians.
Read Hebrews.
Thank God.
Repent where necessary.
Worship.
And then live differently because you belong to the One who gave Himself for you.
The cross of Jesus Christ is our boast because our salvation rests not in what we have done for God, but in what God has done for us through His Son.
Continue the Study
Part I:
What the Gospel is:
Biblical repentance:
How Christians should face hardship:
Jesus as our Rock:
I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.
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