By Billy Graham
Lifetime Television Network showcased the 40-foot glass cross as a camera crew entered The Billy Graham Library (@TheBGLibrary) to tape a program highlighting it as a point of interest in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. My colleague met the show’s cohost, Kristy Villa, and explained what visitors might experience while there, drawing attention to the many crosses displayed throughout the tour known as The Journey of Faith.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Billy Graham: 1918 — 2018]
Halfway through the presentation, Villa said with a sense of awe, “I see all the crosses, but where is Jesus?” The colleague smiled and said, “He’s in Heaven, and He is also present in the lives of those who believe in Him and follow Him as their personal Lord and Savior.”
The journalist threw her hands around her face and exclaimed, “Oh, that’s right! Some worship a crucifix, but Christians worship a risen Christ.” After a moment, Villa said, “I have been in church my whole life, but I have never heard the emphasis put on an empty cross.”
She may not have realized it, but she had just proclaimed the heart of the Gospel and later told her viewers, “This destination is a place you must come and see!” When I heard this marvelous report, it made my heart leap, and I thought about the words of the psalmist: “Come and see what God has done . . . for mankind!” (Psalm 66:5 NIV).
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The question we must all answer is, “What does Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection mean, and what does it mean to be saved?”
The resurrection story of Jesus Christ is what gives meaning and power to the cross. What a failure Christianity would be if it could not carry our hopes beyond the coldness and depths of the grave. You see, the resurrection means the salvation of our souls.
What does the resurrection mean to you, and has it changed your life? Many have never thought about it. Some believe that Jesus died leaving a legacy of “Do good to your neighbor,” never believing that He was raised from the dead. Others think the resurrection was a hoax. There are those who question whether Jesus even existed.
True believers in Jesus Christ have no doubt that He lived among us, died for our sins on the cross, and after three days was resurrected to life, conquering the sting of death, and offering the human race the greatest gift—His sacrificial and saving love.
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Many people do not fully grasp the impact that the crucified and risen Christ makes upon the human heart. How do I know this? Because there is no change in them.
Ask yourself: “What do I believe about the empty cross and the empty tomb?” The foot of the empty cross is the place of salvation from sin, and the empty tomb illuminates with the light that brings the redeemed soul to its ultimate destination—eternal life. Acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice, or rejection of it, determines the future life of every person. If you do not believe that Jesus died for you, then you will remain the same, being gripped by sin and dying by its penalty, with certainty of eternal judgment in Hell and banishment from God. But if you believe that Jesus rose from the grave, achieving victory over the cross of death, and you accept that He paid your penalty, you will never be the same.
The cross represents doom for sin and hope for sinners. It condemns sin and cleanses souls. The cross is where Jesus was crucified in our place and where Christ brings resurrection life to mankind. The bloodstained cross is gruesome to some, but the empty cross is full of hope.
Satan, overly eager to thwart God’s purposes, overstepped his bounds, and God turned what seemed to be life’s greatest tragedy into history’s greatest triumph. The death of Christ, perpetrated by evil men, was thought by them to be the end, but His grave became a doorway to victory.
The resurrection empowers faith in Jesus Christ. If I did not believe that Christ overcame death on the cross and bodily rose from the grave, I would have quit preaching years ago. I am absolutely convinced that Jesus is living at this moment at the right hand of God the Father and He reigns in my heart. I believe it by faith, and I believe it by evidence found in the Scriptures.
Luke, a physician and disciple of Jesus, was one of the most brilliant men of his day. He made this startling statement about the resurrection in the book of Acts: “He . . . presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
These “infallible proofs” have been debated for 2,000 years. Many people have come to know the truth while they tried to prove Jesus’ resurrection a lie and failed. Others ignore the facts recorded in the bestselling book of all time, the Bible.
• Jesus was born of a virgin, fulfilling prophecy.
• Jesus was crucified on a cross, fulfilling prophecy.
• Jesus died for the sins of mankind, fulfilling prophecy.
• Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, fulfilling prophecy.
• Jesus was raised from the dead, fulfilling prophecy.
• Jesus ascended into the heavens, also fulfilling prophecy.
• And this same Jesus will come again one day in fulfillment of prophecy.
Jesus has defined history, giving hope for our tomorrows.
The above article is excerpted from What Happened at the Cross: The Price of Victory by Billy Graham. Copyright © 2021 Billy Graham Literary Foundation. Published by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com. All rights reserved.
What Happened at the Cross is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
Bio: Billy Graham, world-renowned preacher, evangelist, and author, delivered the gospel message to more people face-to-face than anyone in history and ministered on every continent of the world in more than 185 countries. Millions have read his inspirational classics, including Angels, Peace with God, The Holy Spirit, Hope for the Troubled Heart, How To Be Born Again, The Journey, Nearing Home, and The Reason for My Hope.
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