• Original Power Point By Richard Thetford www.thetfordcountry.com Edited with additions of scriptures/etc Jack Wheeler – Clovis Ca. jack@powerpointstojesus.com 1 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 2 • Our relationship to the Christ of the cross determines our eternal destiny • Without the cross, Jesus is not the Christ and the gospel is not good news – Luke 24:25-27 • We need to appreciate the importance of the cross in the scheme of redemption 3 The Necessity of the Cross • Salvation not possible without the cross • It did for us what we could never have done – Romans 5:6 • Jesus drank the cup of His suffering – Not possible for it to be any other way for our sins to be forgiven – Matthew 26:39, 42; Hebrews 5:7-9 4 The Death of the Cross • Christ defeated death by dying for us • Submitting to death – Jesus conquered the power of death – Genesis 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:10 – He gave us life – by submitting to death! • Jesus accepted the penalty of death – 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:14-15 5 The Blood of the Cross • His blood cleanses us from sin – Life is in “the blood” (Leviticus 17:10-14) • Life must be taken to atone for sin • Animal sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus – Hebrews 9:11-12 • Blood of Christ cleanses our soul – Revelation 1:5 6 The Love of the Cross • God’s love for us is shown by His gift – God gave His only Son – John 3:14-17; 1 John 4:7-11 • Required love on the part of Jesus – John 10:17-18 • When we think seriously about the cross, we must be moved to give ourselves to God – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 John 4:19 7 The Love of the Cross • The cross will cause us to love the Lord and His people! – 1 John 4:10-11 • The cross will cause us to be faithfully obedient to the Lord – Christ died for US, that we might live for Him! – John 14:15 8 The Preaching of the Cross • Should want to share the message to all • Preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the cross of Christ – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 • A proclamation that Jesus is Lord and Christ – Announces the conditions of acceptance of the gospel of Christ – Acts 2:36-39 9 The Preaching of the Cross • Jesus draws men to Him by the cross – John 12:32 • Our gratitude will cause us to preach the cross of Jesus – Mark 5:19 10 “As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death....” Romans 6:3-4 11 Galatians 2:20 “ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 12