The cross is an altar because Jesus died a sacrificial death there for the sins of the whole world. Altars are places of sacrifice. The Jews initially had to bring the best lamb to offer as a sacrifice at the altar and offerings were made for the sins of the high priest and the whole community. When John the Baptist saw Jesus in John 1:29, he said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” In saying this, it is clear that he saw Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Jesus sacrificed for our sins once and for all (Hebrews 7:26-27). God accepted that sacrifice. The only charge that they could bring up against Him was that He blasphemed and when they brought false witnesses, they contradicted each other. However, God needed an altar and the Cross was a suitable altar on which the Lamb of God could be slain for the sins of the world. The Cross became that altar.
Altars open doors and impact generations to come. The sacrifice on the Cross opened doors and impacts and will continue to impact generations to come. This sacrifice on the Cross means that we can step into things that God has prepared for us. Outside of the Cross, man could not come into the things that God had prepared for him.
The blood that was shed on the Cross can connect with any life. The altar still speaks as the blood is powerful enough to change your life, your destiny and to impact you to the extent that it turns your life around.
In Matthew 26:39, Jesus asked God to let the cup pass from Him if it was His will. However, through an act of obedience He did what God wanted. Philippians 2:8 – “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death.” God loved us so much that He opened a door for us to receive life through Christ. The grave had to release Christ because He humbled Himself in obedience to God.
Jesus showed how we should live in obedience towards God and therefore He could rise in three days as He said He would because an altar was set up on a mount to God on our behalf. There are many things that want to come in your way but because of the Cross, we have victory. The key is obedience and setting up altars. God is calling time on every onslaught upon your life. He is saying it is over!
Romans 5:19 “. . . even so through the obedience of the One many will be made righteous.”
The Cross is a gate. A gate or door represents a place of power, a place of entry and a place to a tremendous life in Christ. Man was separated from God because of sin and there was a need for someone to bridge that gap. Jesus volunteered and because of His death, we who were nothing have now become special and beautiful (Ephesians 2:14-16)
Jesus did not die for us to live a dreary life. Jesus died for us to have life abundantly. The door is open. Walk into the life (Hebrews 10:19-20).
In Matthew 26:17-19, the disciples asked Jesus where He wanted them to celebrate the Pass Over and once they found the place, He broke bread and offered wine in establishment of a new covenant.
On the Cross, there was an exchange of our sins for Christ’s righteousness, our sickness for His healing. The covenant that He made has set us free. The new covenant demanded that Christ live a sinless life on earth so that He could be sacrificed on our behalf (Hebrews 10:5-10).
For God, Christ’s death was a sacrifice on an altar on man’s behalf. It was not a punishment of Christ Himself. 1 Corinthians.2:7-8 says that “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.” Those who crucified Christ did not know what they had really done, as God did not reveal the impact of Christ’s death on the Cross to them. If He had revealed it, they would not have crucified Him.
