Jason Kennedy
Life Church Hartselle

If you have been to my church or have read any of my writings, you may think I am obsessed. I eat, live, breathe and preach that Christ was crucified for sinners.

Well, if you think that, you would be right.

To me, the cross is the central point of history. It will have an impact upon everyone at some point. As we come into the Easter season, I wanted to write a series explaining the cross in order for us to understand it and embrace it.

When it comes to the Bible, everything points to Jesus and his finished work on the cross. The Bible is not a self-help book but rather the story of God and His redemption. If this is the case, then it should come as no surprise to us that we see the gospel in the Old Testament.

Let me give you an example. In Isaiah 6, the great prophet is taken up into the holy place. Isaiah, who was a part of the royal family and is righteous, comes in contact with a holy God.

Isaiah’s response was a confession of sin and a recognition that he was going to die. Upon this confession, God sends a messenger with a coal to cleanse him of his transgressions, so that he could stand before God.

This picture is entirely a picture of the gospel. While no cross or death is mentioned, we see death in front of holiness, confession of sins and grace initiated by God.

This is the gospel and this is what would be played out upon Calvary.

As we read our Bibles, we need to ask ourselves, “What does this teach me about the finished work of Christ?” When you study this way, you will begin to see a beautiful redemption story.

Contact Jason Kennedy by logging on to Jasonkennedy.tv or via Twitter at @jason_kennedy55.