Notes on John Stott’s
The Cross of Christ
Chapter 3: Looking below the surface
I feel a bit guilty to be merely summarizing Stott’s main points in this chapter–yet his points are so good, I feel they require little comment from me. This is a fantastic intro to the significance of the cross, from Jesus’ perspective.
What is the significance of the cross?
1) Christ died for us.
2) Christ died to bring us to God
3) Christ died for our sins
4) Christ died our death
Jesus on His death
The Last Supper
1) Jesus affirmed the centrality of His death
- The Last Supper, a commemoration of the death of Christ, was the ONLY commemorative act commanded by Jesus
2) Jesus affirmed the purpose of His death
- Intended to create a new covenant
- Intended to obtain forgiveness of sins
3) Jesus affirmed the necessity of personally appropriating His death
- The disciples were commanded to eat and drink–to receive the work of Christ on their behalf
Gethsemane
4) Jesus agonizes over the wrath of God soon to be poured out on Him
- Jesus’ agony in the garden was not over the prospect of physical pain and death, but in contemplation of the impending “cup” of God’s wrath to be poured out on Him.
The Cross
5) Jesus experienced true separation from the Father on the cross
- In His cry “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”, Jesus expresses true agony at the true, necessary, voluntary separation of Himself from the Father
Conclusions
When we look at the cross of Christ, we are forced to make three conclusions:
1) Our sin must be horrible
2) God’s love must be wonderful
3) Salvation must be free
“…We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
I Corinthians 1:23-24
(See more notes on The Cross of Christ here.)