The Cross of Christ

At TSCF national conference this year, students and graduates gathered to hear about the cross of Jesus Christ. What a privilege it was! - to spend a week thinking about the center of God’s great plan for the world, the news we are called to proclaim on the tertiary campuses of New Zealand.

But of course, the message of the cross deserves more attention than one week. That’s why it was exciting so many students went to the bookstall and purchased a copy of John Stott’s The Cross of Christ (IVP 1986) – around 90 copies in fact! This book was commended to us by a number of the speakers at conference. So why all the enthusiasm?

Stott takes us on a journey to the heart of the gospel: God has forgiven sinners by the death of his own Son in their place, bearing his wrath against sin. The evangelical view of the cross is sometimes stated so crudely as to be rejected or misunderstood. But Stott’s presentation is neither cliché or impersonal. He makes it clear that Christ’s identity and work cannot be seperated. ‘Our substitute then, who took our place and died our death was… God in Christ’ (p. 156). In this event, not only has God achieved salvation for sinners, but has displayed his character and purposes, and conquered evil once for all. Stott’s contention is indeed that of the scriptures: that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. The Cross of Christ also describes what it means to ‘live under the cross’. How should the cross shape Christian community, self-identity, suffering, and all of life?

Let’s keep talking about the cross. It is the power of God for salvation, even today, in workplaces and tertiary institutions. And grab a hold of this book, find a comfy spot, and start reading!