CROSS & CROWN

Scripture and
Pastoral Reflections
on Easter
CROSS & CROWN

S c r i p t u re a n d
Pa s to ra l R e f l e c t i o n s
o n E a s te r
Cross and Crown: Scripture and Pastoral Reflections on Easter
©2017 In Touch Ministries. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NASB taken from the New American Standard Bible ®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972,
1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

“Where the Battle Is Won” by Charles F. Stanley originally appeared in the April 2009 issue of In Touch magazine.

“The Precious Blood of Jesus” by Charles F. Stanley originally appeared in the April 2010 issue of In Touch magazine.

“Because He Lives” by Charles F. Stanley originally appeared in the April 2006 issue of In Touch magazine.

Please note that Cross & Crown is a redesign of the Easter resource Because He Lives.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction by Charles F. Stanley 2

The Preparation According to Matthew 4

“Where the Battle Is Won” by Charles F. Stanley 8

The Crucifixion According to Matthew 13

“The Precious Blood of Jesus” by Charles F. Stanley 17

The Resurrection According to Matthew 22

“Because He Lives” by Charles F. Stanley 24

A Closing Prayer 29
 I N T R O D U C T I O N

I
n the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus made a small request of His

three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John: “My soul is very sor-

rowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me” (Matt. 26:38). The

Lord wanted His friends to be with Him in spirit, even if the price He was

about to pay was one that only He could afford. But the disciples failed.

While Jesus was praying fervently to the point of sweating blood, Peter,

James, and John couldn’t seem to keep their eyes open.

As we approach the Easter season, there is a temptation to close our

eyes as well, to avoid looking on Jesus and taking stock of the sacrifice He

paid on our behalf. But the Gospels were written so that we might know

Jesus Christ and the salvation He secured through His death on the cross.

We dare not look away.

The pages that follow contain resources designed to help you

experience the Easter season with fresh eyes—to help you and your loved

ones stay alert as we remember and celebrate the most important events

in human history: the crucifixion and resurrection of the Son of God.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ death and resurrection has been broken up

into three sections: the preparation, the crucifixion, and the resurrection,

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and is presented in a special reader’s format. There are no chapter or verse

markers, no cross-references, and no footnotes—nothing to distract you

from the Word of God. Also included are special articles, which have been

selected to help you reflect on the true meaning of the season.

My hope is that as you read the story of the ultimate sacrifice, you

would feel the weight of the price Jesus paid for your eternal life, and that

you would also experience anew the weight of the Father’s love. The cross

of Christ drives everything we do at In Touch Ministries, and so it is my joy

to invite you to stay awake with me, as together we witness with new eyes

the glory of our Savior.

—Charles F. Stanley

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 T H E P R E P A R A T I O N
A C C O R D I N G TO M AT T H E W

MATTHEW 26:6-27:2

N
OW WHEN JESUS WAS AT BETHANY in the house of Simon the leper, a

woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive

ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And
when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For
this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus,
aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done
a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will
not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to
prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in
the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the
chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?”
And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought
an opportunity to betray him.

N ow on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus,

saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Pass-
over?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The
Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house
with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and
they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they
were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And

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they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I,
Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will
betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man
by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that
man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is
it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke
it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he
took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink
of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of
the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night.
For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter an-
swered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows,
you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I
will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

T hen Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said
to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking
with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and
troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death;
remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his
face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from
me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples
and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch
with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

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The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second
time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink
it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their
eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the
third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and
said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand,
and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be
going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him
a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders
of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I
will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said,
“Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what
you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and
drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take
the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my
Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that
hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with
swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching,
and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures
of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

T hen those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was fol-
lowing him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and
going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests
and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that

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they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false
witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man
said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three
days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to
make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained
silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell
us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said
so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high
priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further
witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your
judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his
face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you
Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came
up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it
before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went
out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the by-
standers, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with
an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came
up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent
betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do
not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remem-
bered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three
times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and
led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

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 Where the Battle Is Won
D I S C OV E R Y O U R G R E AT E S T A DVA N TAG E

by Charles F. Stanley

P
eter did not understand what was about to happen,
but he should have had the necessary insight. Neither
James nor John, nor any of the other disciples had
the insight. Even though they had been with Jesus for three
years, they still did not have a grasp of God’s eternal plan, and
this weakness would prove to be their undoing.

As they sat down to eat with the Lord on the night of His arrest, their
minds and hearts were filled with many concerns—most of which did not
include the Savior’s impending death. Earlier in the day, they had been com-
pletely caught up in the details of the Passover dinner (Luke 22:10-13). When
Jesus arrived at the upper room, no one offered to wash His feet. Therefore,
He took up a towel and began washing the feet of the men who were with
Him (John 13:5).
A squabble arose among the disciples over who would be the great-
est among them. Jesus intervened, saying, “The one who is the greatest
among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant”
(Luke 22:26 NASB). Later, He revealed a startling truth: each man would
abandon Him that very night. But Peter adamantly denied the possibility
saying, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away”
(Matt. 26:33 NASB). No one seemed aware of the spiraling progression that
was taking place. As the evening went on, the Lord spoke about His betray-
al, but His message did not register in the disciples’ hearts.

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 They could not conceive how this would take place—not to a man who
had changed the lives of so many and who had literally worked miracles in
their presence. With death and sorrow closing in on them at a rapid pace, the
disciples drifted to sleep and failed to learn the most important principle to
winning any spiritual battle. What was the lesson? To watch and pray.

Are we careless when it comes to our faith?

At times, most of us have found ourselves in situations where we knew
something was about to change. We could sense it. We may have been
warned in advance—someone may have even explained what was about
to take place. But we were not willing to accept anything other than what
we believed was right. We failed to listen because we were caught up in our
own needs, desires, dreams, and passions. Instead of heeding the warning
and preparing for what was to come, we chose to ignore the message. We
acted carelessly. Then, when adversity hit, we realized the opportunity we
missed to trust God.
Following the Savior’s arrest and crucifixion, the disciples probably did
what most of us have done: They went back over the details leading up
to that night and the event that changed their lives forever. Did they miss
something—a clue as to why things had turned out so differently? “Differ-
ently” than what? Could they have done anything to prevent Jesus’ arrest?
Had they been unfaithful? Would they meet His same fate—arrest and con-
viction on false charges?
It is true: The primary victory for the Christian was won at the cross.
This is where God sacrificed His Son for the sins of mankind. Jesus had to
die so that you and I could have eternal life. No greater conquest has ever
been recorded, but there is a place leading up to this moment where an
even more important victory was gained. It took place that same night in
the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus completely surrendered to
His Father’s will. If He had not done this, the cross would never have been
lifted. You and I would have been lost for eternity.
There is also another very telling truth about what happened in the Garden
hours before His arrest: The disciples had a tremendous opportunity to prove

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faithful that evening, yet they failed the test—not once but three times. Can we
learn from their failure? I know we can.
At the conclusion of the Passover meal, Jesus led His disciples away
from the upper room to a place of isolation and prayer. He asked them to
remain alert and watchful. But they did neither. He chose the three men with
whom He shared an even closer relationship—Peter, James, and John—to go
further with Him into a place of intimate prayer that was nearer the heart of
God. It was the place that was literally footsteps away from where He uttered
His prayer of personal surrender. But they were not listening.
Not only was Jesus God, He was also human. And it was at Gethsemane
that His humanness became most obvious. This is where He was hurting,
suffering, and feeling very alone—even though friends were with Him. It also
was the place were He had to yield to God’s plan or miss doing the Father’s
will. There was no escaping the importance of this one moment.
He told His disciples, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death;
remain here and keep watch with Me." Matthew's account continues, "And
He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying ‘My
Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as
You will.’ And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said
to Peter, ‘So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour: Keep
watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit
is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ He went away again a second time and
prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your
will be done,’ Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were
heavy” (26:38-43 NASB).
What happened next is more than we want to imagine. He returned a
third time only to find them still asleep. Matthew wrote, “He left them again,
and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
Then He came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and
resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed’”
(vv. 44-45). All that Jesus had told them would happen was about to come
true. Once Satan’s evil had been launched that evening, there would be no
remaining time “to watch and pray.”

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Let prayer be your first response.
There is a point in time when God will call us to pray, and then we must act
on what we have learned from Him in prayer. But if we have not spent time
with Him, we will not know how to stand firm in our faith. We also will lack
the discernment and wisdom that are key to making good decisions. When
we come to the place of prayer, the place where Jesus led those men that
night, we should be completely caught up in His holiness—so much so that
being in the infinite presence drives us to our knees. Jesus humbled Himself
before the Father, and these men had the opportunity to witness His pattern
in prayer. But they did not do it.
When we face challenges that are far too great for us to handle, our first
response needs to be to go to God in prayer. The victory to every battle we
fight can only be gained in one place—the place of prayer.
Instead of sitting in an easy chair, make the effort to kneel before the
Lord—stretch out and be still in His presence. Some people may not be able
to do this physically. But you can certainly kneel and lie prostrate before
Him in your heart. Think of the inner strength available to Peter that night,
had he done what Jesus asked Him to do: watch and pray. Or consider the
insight and power that would have come from following Christ’s example.
John and James certainly
would have joined Peter
in prayer, and the others ALL YOU NEED TO
would have followed, too. KNOW CAN BE
They would have gained
much-needed courage.
DISCOVERED BY
Instead, when the enemy TRAVELING THE
struck, they ran away in DISTANCE BETWEEN
fear of losing their lives.
There is no limit to the
THE TOPS OF YOUR
power of prayer. This is one KNEES AND THE
of the reasons Jesus asked
FLOOR.
His followers to pray with
Him that evening. People

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often want to know God’s will for their lives. They spend money buying books
and trying different methods in order to learn something new so that their lives
will have meaning. But the truth is, all they need to know can be discovered by
traveling the distance between the tops of their knees and the floor. Everything
essential is available through prayer.
Jesus gained reassurance through prayer that night concerning God’s
plan for His life. Wouldn’t you like to know God’s plan for your life? Prayer was
where Christ won the battle. And prayer is where your battles can be fought
and won. The Lord never rushed to get the opinion of others. He only want-
ed to know what God thought. When He got up off the ground that night in
the Garden, He had direction, hope, and the strength He needed to endure
Calvary for our sake. And though He could not see all that was to come, He
knew in His heart that He could trust the Father because He had spent time
with Him in prayer.
Is there a problem in your life that's too great for you to handle? Nothing
is too great for God. Will you “watch and pray” with Him so that you might
know His perfect will and plan?
 

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 T H E C R U C I F I X I O N
A C C O R D I N G TO M AT T H E W

MATTHEW 27:3-66

T
HEN WHEN JUDAS, HIS BETRAYER, saw that Jesus was condemned, he
changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying
innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And
throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and
he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of
silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood
money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field
as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the
Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the
prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the
price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,
and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he
was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate
said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”
But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the gover-
nor was greatly amazed.
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the
crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious
prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them,
“Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called
Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to

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him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much
because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders
persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor
again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”
And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with
Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he
said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him
be crucified!”
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot
was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,
“I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people
answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for
them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's
headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they
stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown
of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneel-
ing before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they
spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they
had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on
him and led him away to crucify him.

A s they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They
compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place
called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to
drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when
they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting
lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head
they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the
Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one

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on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and
saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save
yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the
chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved oth-
ers; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now
from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver
him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the rob-
bers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until
the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is
calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with
sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others
said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried
out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to
bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were
opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy
city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with
him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place,
they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who
had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the moth-
er of the sons of Zebedee.

W hen it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named
Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and

15
asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his
own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to
the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests
and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how
that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ There-
fore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples
go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and
the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a
guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made
the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

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The Precious Blood of Jesus
A R I G H T U N D E R S TA N D I N G R EV E A L S I T S I M P O RTA N C E

by Charles F. Stanley

W
hen was the last time you heard a sermon or sang a song
about the blood of Jesus? Some churches today find the
concept antiquated or even gruesome. Songs that men-
tion “the blood” have even been removed from hymnbooks. Yet without
it, there is no hope of a relationship with God, no assurance of salva-
tion, and no confidence that our prayers are heard.

Scripture never shies away from the mention of blood. In fact, it runs like a
red thread from Genesis to Revelation. If you eliminate the references to blood
from the Bible, all that remains is a book of history and literature. Anything that
God considers this important should never be disregarded.
Leviticus 17:11 tells us that God gave blood to make atonement because “the
life of the flesh” is in it (NASB). The word atonement, as it is used in the Old Tes-
tament, means “covering.” Through the sacrificial system of worship established
by the Lord, the sins of mankind were covered by the blood of innocent animals.
The seriousness of sin is revealed by the monumental cost of atonement—
the penalty is death, and it must be paid by either the guilty one or an accept-
able substitute. To cover transgressions, the animals that were offered had to
be unblemished and perfect. Every sacrifice on the altar was a fulfillment of the
death penalty required by God’s law.
The sacrificial system taught people that the Lord is holy, transgressions
must be punished, and atonement for sin takes place only through the shed-
ding of blood. This arrangement was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
Because animal sacrifices can only cover sin, an “ultimate lamb” was needed to

17
remove all of man’s iniquity.
One day, as John the Baptist stood by the Jordan River, “the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world” walked onto the scene of human history
(John 1:29 NASB). The perfect sacrifice for sins had arrived. He was “foreknown
before the foundation of the world” and came to earth to fulfill the Lord’s awe-
some plan of redemption by shedding His precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-20 NASB).
Jesus wasn’t just a man; He was the Son of God clothed in human flesh.
His birth was supernatural because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the
womb of a virgin. Since no sin was transferred to Him through an earthly father,
Jesus was the perfect, spotless Lamb of God—His was the only flawless life and,
therefore, the only suitable sacrifice for the guilt of all mankind.
Apart from the blood of Christ, no one can have a relationship with the
heavenly Father. Because God is holy, our sin blocks any chance of connec-
tion with Him. But in love, He planned and initiated a course of reconciliation
with fallen humanity. The precious blood of Jesus provides all that we need
to draw near to the Father.

REDEMPTION
To redeem means “to buy something back.” Jesus Christ came to the cross for
the primary purpose of purchasing us from a life of slavery to sin. Maybe you
think you’re a pretty good person and do not feel enslaved to sin. But no matter
how moral a person may seem, every human being has a sin nature (Rom. 3:23).
To set us free, a price had to be paid. But to whom? Jesus didn’t pay off
the devil; He paid the price that God required in order to satisfy His holy justice.
According to Ezekiel 18:20, “The person who sins will die” (NASB). The cost of
our redemption was the precious blood of the perfect Son of God—and He
made this sacrifice in our place. Because the Father accepted Christ’s payment,
we’ve been set free from bondage to sin and have received the power of the
Holy Spirit, who enables us to live in the freedom of obedience to the Father.

FORGIVENESS
Most people have the idea that the Lord will forgive them simply because they
ask Him. What they may not understand is that the basis for His pardon is

18
not their request, but Christ’s payment of their debt. The Lord cannot forgive
wrong just because someone asks. His holiness will not allow Him to overlook
sin; it must be punished. His justice will not allow Him to forgive trespasses
without a payment.
Only with the substitutionary death of the perfect Son of God does the
Father have a legitimate basis by which He can forgive whoever comes to
Him in faith and repentance (Eph. 1:7). There is nothing we can do to earn His
forgiveness. Pardon is granted only when Christ’s blood is applied to our lives.
Because we cannot pay our sin-debt, Jesus paid it for us. Without His interven-
tion, we have no hope of pardon.

JUSTIFICATION
The wrath of God will rightly fall on sinful mankind (Rom. 5:8-10), but those
who are justified by the blood of Christ will be saved from that dreadful punish-
ment. Justification means that the Father accepts the death of His Son as full
payment for our sin (Rom. 3:23-26). Jesus is a satisfactory substitute because
He is the sinless Lamb of God.
Furthermore, we are declared righteous in the Lord’s eyes. Think of jus-
tification as a legal transaction in which Jesus placed all our iniquities on His
account and then paid it in full. Next, He took the record of His perfect life
and transferred it to our account. Now when God looks at us, all He sees is
Christ’s perfection. We are no longer guilty but are declared legally righteous,
even if we don’t always act like it.
What an awesome privilege to be righteous in the Lord’s eyes! Now, that
does not mean believers can go out and do anything they want. Remem-
ber, “you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body”
(1 Cor. 6:20 NASB). We are children of God, but if we start acting like children of
the devil, our loving heavenly Father will be faithful to use discipline and bring
us back to our senses. The gift of righteousness should motivate us to live a life
that reflects our blameless standing before God.

RECONCILIATION
When a relationship characterized by separation and alienation becomes

19
one of acceptance and restoration, that change is known as “reconciliation.”
The moment Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, the relationship between
God and mankind was broken, but the Father took the initiative to bring res-
toration by sending His Son into the world. Through the blood of His cross,
Christ made reconciliation possible by establishing peace between God and
man. Beyond that, He presents us blameless before the Father (Col. 1:19-22).
All the barriers have been removed, and an intimate relationship with the
Lord is available to every believer.

SANCTIFICATION
At the moment of salvation, Jesus sanctified you with His blood by applying it
to your life (Heb. 13:12). This means you were set apart as God’s child to live for
Him from that time onward. The best way for me to describe sanctification is
to compare it to a period that comes at the end of an event. You were saved,
redeemed, justified, reconciled and sanctified, period. But this period does not
end. It turns into a line that continues throughout your life.
Sanctification is the process by which the Lord is continually transforming
His children into the image of Jesus Christ. The entire Christian life is in that
line; it just keeps lengthening as we grow in godliness, obedience, and under-
standing. Salvation is not the endpoint but the beginning of God’s purposes for
believers. His goal is to renew every area of our lives so that we can become His
valuable servants and ambassadors of Christ to a lost world.
This process will continue throughout life because the Holy Spirit resides
within every believer, guiding and empowering each one to move forward. He
will never leave us—there is always another step to take in our progress toward
Christlikeness and fruitful service for the Lord.

ACCESS TO GOD
Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us that we can confidently enter the Holy Place by the
blood of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the Holy of Holies was the inner room of
the tabernacle or temple, where God dwelt above the ark of the covenant. The
high priest was the only one who could come into this most holy place, and he
could do so only once a year to make atonement for himself and the nation.

20
After carefully preparing himself with sacred rituals, he would enter with ani-
mal blood to sprinkle on the mercy seat.
Today, the only reason Christians can approach God is because, spiritu-
ally speaking, they are covered in the blood of Jesus. When Jesus offered His
life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, the veil of the temple—which sep-
arated God from the people—was torn in two from top to bottom. This su-
pernatural event signified the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, which
opened the way to His presence.
Because we have never participated in the Old Testament sacrificial sys-
tem, we usually take our access to the Lord for granted. There is now no need
to sacrifice a lamb whenever we want to approach God. Each time we enter
the Father’s throne room in prayer, it’s as if Jesus looks at us and says, “Here’s
one of Ours. The blood has been applied.”
Those who have not accepted Christ’s covering of blood have no con-
fidence that God will hear their prayers. But the Lord promises to hear and
answer the prayers of His children— maybe not exactly the way they expect,
but always according to His wise and loving will.

DAILY CLEANSING
As believers, we are declared righteous at the moment of salvation, but we are
not perfect in practice. Although legally forgiven for all past, present, and future
sins, we are still in need of continual cleansing by the blood of Jesus to keep
our “lines of communication” with the Lord open. Sin blocks our ears from
hearing His voice and robs us of the power to live as we should. But each time
we come to God and confess our sins, He faithfully forgives us (1 John 1:7-9).
The blood of Jesus is precious because He is the only one who could
pay the penalty for man’s sin and satisfy divine justice. If He had not agreed to
come to earth and die in our place, all humanity would be forever separated
from God. Jesus is our Advocate before the Father. He stands as a lawyer
between us and the Judge and works on our behalf. When sin rises up to
condemn, Christ rises to His feet and says, “Not guilty! This one is covered by
My blood and is righteous.”
 

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 T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N
A C C O R D I N G TO M AT T H E W

MATTHEW 28:1-20

N
OW, AFTER THE SABBATH, toward the dawn of the first day of the
week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for
fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel
said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who
was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the
place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen
from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you
will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb
with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met
them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and
worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my
brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had as-
sembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of
money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night
and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the gover-
nor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took
the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread
among the Jews to this day.

22
N ow the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which
Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped
him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disci-
ples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

23
 Because He Lives
W H Y D O E S T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N M AT T E R ?

by Charles F. Stanley

S
uppose Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead. Where would
that leave us? What assurance would we have about anything in
life? Our confidence, our thoughts about death, and our hopes
about existence after this life would all be affected.

Of course, if you have never received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior,
His resurrection must seem rather meaningless, as far as you are concerned.
People who have not placed faith in Jesus don’t believe He returned to life after
dying; they regard Christianity as “just another religion.” However, He truly did
rise from the dead, and for the believer, that one fact changes everything.
God knew that Jesus’ resurrection would raise many questions in
our minds; that is why He led Paul to provide us with some answers. In
1 Corinthians 15:14, the apostle addresses the main issue: What if the resur-
rection did not really happen? He writes, “If Christ has not been raised, then
our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” (NASB).
This means that if the resurrection had not occurred, our faith would be
empty and without foundation. The following verse says we would be false
witnesses, because we would be spreading lies. If that were the case, all of our
efforts for the faith would be worthless—reading the Scriptures and sharing the
good news would be a total waste of time (v. 17). All Christ-followers who had
died believing they were destined for eternal life would simply have perished,
their hope of heaven nothing more than a delusion (v. 18). Worst of all, we
would still be living in our sins (v. 17), still under guilt, and owing our life as the
penalty our transgressions deserve (Rom. 6:23).

24
 Paul sums up the issue this way: “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only,
we are of all men most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19 NASB). Thankfully, though,
our hope extends beyond this life because Jesus truly has risen from the dead.
God in His wisdom left us undeniable evidence. For one thing, the tomb was
guarded by Roman soldiers (for whom failure to carry out orders could mean
death). Though this precaution was to prevent Christ’s followers from stealing
the body and falsely claiming He had risen (Matt. 27:62-66), the tomb never-
theless ended up empty. Another indication is that of changed lives—some-
thing significant has to have taken place for Christ’s fearful disciples to become
bold proclaimers of the gospel despite violent threats (John 20:19; Acts 4:1-31).
Most importantly, Jesus Himself said that He would rise from the dead
(Matt. 16:21). He claimed to be one with the Father (John 10:30), so either He
was and is the Son of the living God, or else He was a liar. The record, how-
ever, shows that He never told an untruth (John 14:6; Eph. 4:21; John 18:37).
Everything He promised or predicted has come about just as He said it would,
except for those prophecies that are still future, such as His second coming.
These, too, will one day occur exactly as He has foretold, because there is
nothing false about Him (John 7:18).
The fact, then, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead gives us the absolute,
unquestionable foundation for everything else we believe. First of all, we have
the confidence of knowing that our God is alive. Jesus was not simply some
itinerant preacher or teacher; He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of the liv-
ing God (Matt. 16:16-17). The Lord told His disciples that to see Him was to see
the Father (John 14:9), and in fact, that was one of the reasons He came—to
reveal the heavenly Father so that we could understand what He is like.
All other belief systems have their so-called gods, but we know where
their leaders are buried, which of course calls their “divinity” into question.
Christ rose to validate and settle once and for all that our God is the only true
God, the Creator of all things. He who made each of us can’t be fashioned by
us. The one we worship is alive—not dead, inanimate, or an idea dreamed up
by a mere mortal. Think about it. Unless you believe that Jesus Christ is risen
from the dead, then you worship either something else or nothing, a situa-
tion Isaiah considers foolish (Isa. 46:5-10) and Paul calls pitiable. Why? Because

25
people without Christ have no assurance of anything.
You might wonder, If Christ is alive, then what is He doing? The Scriptures
say very clearly that He is seated at the Father’s right hand, interceding on our
behalf (Heb. 7:25; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). He is a living God who cares, who loves, who
hears, and who answers our prayers. He is our forgiving Lord, who is continual-
ly advocating on our behalf. What’s more, the Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son,
who is preparing a place for each of us who believes in Him (John 14:2). He
is also the risen Savior who promised His disciples that, though He was going
away, He would not leave them as orphans—Jesus assured them He would
send the Holy Spirit to teach and guide each of His followers until He returned
(John 14:16, 18).
So today every single believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God, starting
the moment he or she receives Christ as Savior. As Christians, we are sealed
forever unto the day of redemption when we are called home to heaven.
Our God is alive and active in the life of every one of His children—and He
is ready to save anybody willing to confess sin, receive His forgiveness, and
be cleansed of unrighteousness.
Another important benefit of Christ’s resurrection is the absolute assur-
ance that our sins are forgiven. As Paul said in verse 17, without Christ’s victory
over death, we would have neither the proof that our God is alive nor the
guarantee that our penalty had been fully paid. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said
that He “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom
for many” (NASB). His resurrection verifies that He fulfilled this mission. In
fact, His final words from the cross were “It is finished,” indicating that our
sin-debt had been paid in full (John 19:30 NASB).
Contrast this with all other world religions: they teach that forgiveness
is attained through good works. Although humanly speaking this appears to
make sense, the logic breaks down when we analyze the situation and realize
that nobody can be perfectly righteous all the time. The law—which is God’s
standard for righteousness—was given to show us that on our own, we are in-
capable of keeping it. It is not a matter of our becoming “lost” after committing
a certain number of sins. If that were the case, then how many good works
would we have to perform for our God to accept us? We would never have

26
certainty about our standing
THE RESURRECTION
in His eyes.
James 2:10 gives us EARNED AND
God’s perspective: “Whoever DESERVES OUR
keeps the whole law and yet
stumbles in one point, he has
TRUST FOR ALL
become guilty of all” (NASB). THAT CHRIST EVER
And the punishment for trans- CLAIMED, PROMISED,
gression is death (Ezek. 18:4;
Rom. 6:23). In other words, WARNED, OR
after even one offense, we de- PREDICTED.
serve to die, and all of us are
guilty. The law was given to
instruct us of our need for a Savior (Gal. 3:24). And it is this same Savior—the
Lord Jesus Christ—who died to pay for our sins and then rose again, proving
that our forgiveness was accomplished.
Jesus told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. By actually
doing so—by conquering the unconquerable—He not only proved the truth
of that one statement but also validated everything else He ever said. The
resurrection earned and deserves our trust for all that Christ ever claimed,
promised, warned, or predicted.
Because Jesus is alive, we have the awesome certainty that our God is
actively involved in our lives. In fact, we see evidence of His living through
us: We pray, and God answers; we watch Him work in people’s hearts and
change lives; we ask Him to cleanse us from our sins, and we walk away
forgiven—the guilt is gone, and we experience a profound sense of restored
fellowship with our Father. Why? Because He is real. And when something is
true, you don’t have to worry about defending it; you simply live it out, trust-
ing God, and He will take care of the results.
Because Jesus died in our place and rose again, we are God’s forgiven
children—and what He has done for us can never be undone. John 10:28-30
says, “I give eternal life to [my sheep], and they will never perish; and no one
will snatch them out of my hand; My Father, who has given them to Me, is

27
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I
and the Father are one” (NASB). Do you hear the permanence and guarantee
of that promise? No one—not even you yourself—can snatch you from the
Father’s hand once you are His.
Another great promise of Scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish, but have eternal life”—period (NASB). God did not say “except” or
“if”; He said “eternal life.” That means forever, irrevocable, 100 percent sure.
And He offers it to whoever will believe. Because Jesus rose from the dead,
we know that He will raise us, too, so that we will live with Him forever. That
is why we sing with great joy, “Jesus is Risen, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

28
 A CLOSING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son

and for the eternal life He purchased on my behalf

at Calvary. If I ever doubt Your love for me, help me

remember that You spared nothing—not even Jesus—to

make a way for me to be with You forever. Help me live

in the light of the gospel, dead to sin and raised to new

life with Christ. And with that new life, use me as Your

ambassador to share the good news of salvation with

others. Amen.

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NOTES
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