What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ
Hi friends,
Have you ever needed someone to step into the middle of a difficult situation?
Maybe there had been a misunderstanding.
Maybe two people could no longer see eye to eye.
Maybe the distance had become so great that someone else needed to help bring the two sides together.
That person becomes a mediator — a go-between.
And spiritually, that is exactly what we needed.
Sin had created a separation between us and God that we could never repair on our own.
We needed someone who could stand between us.
And God gave us Jesus.
A gap we could not cross
Romans 3:23 (KJV) says:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Not some of us.
All of us.
Sin created a gulf between humanity and God.
And throughout history, people have tried all kinds of things to bridge that gap.
Good works.
Religion.
Morality.
Trying harder.
Being a “good person.”
But none of those things can reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God.
Isaiah 59:2 (KJV) says:
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…”
That was our condition apart from Christ.
Separated.
Unable to fix it ourselves.
In need of reconciliation. What it Means to be Crucified w…
We needed a Mediator
Then comes one of the clearest statements in Scripture.
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV):
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
Jesus is our Mediator.
He did not simply come to tell us about God.
He came to bring us back to God.
He is fully God, and He became fully human.
He understands the heart of the Father.
And He understands the pain and weakness of humanity.
He stands between the two and makes reconciliation possible.
The Cross became the bridge
Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the mediator of the new testament and points directly to His death as the means through which redemption became possible.
The Cross was not an accident.
It was not Plan B.
It was God's provision.
At the Cross, justice and mercy met.
Our sin had to be dealt with.
Jesus dealt with it.
Our debt had to be paid.
Jesus paid it.
The separation had to be bridged.
Jesus became the bridge.
Through His death, the way back to the Father was opened. What it Means to be Crucified w…
Because of Jesus, we have access to God
Think about what this means personally.
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) says:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Because of Christ, we do not have to approach God terrified that He will reject us.
We can come boldly.
Not arrogantly.
But confidently.
We come knowing that Jesus has made the way.
And His work as our Mediator is not finished.
Hebrews 7:25 reminds us that He still intercedes for us. What it Means to be Crucified w…
What a comfort that is.
Jesus is not only the Savior who died for you.
He is the Savior who continues to intercede for you.
We can lay down guilt and shame
Sometimes we believe Jesus forgave us, but we still carry the weight of things He already bore.
Past mistakes.
Regret.
Shame.
The voice that says:
“You should have known better.”
“You ruined everything.”
“God could never really use you again.”
But Romans 8:1 (KJV) says:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”
The lesson puts it beautifully:
Because of the Cross, we are declared forgiven, accepted, and clean. What it Means to be Crucified w…
So let me ask you something.
What burden are you still carrying that Jesus already carried to the Cross?
You do not have to keep paying for something He already paid for.
Reconciled people become reconcilers
There is another side to this truth.
If Christ has reconciled us to God, that should change the way we relate to others.
2 Corinthians 5:18 (KJV) says:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
Because we have been reconciled, we are called to become people who pursue reconciliation.
That does not mean every relationship can be restored exactly as it once was.
But it does mean we should be willing to forgive.
To seek peace.
To make things right where we can.
To stop holding onto bitterness that Christ is asking us to release.
Grace received should become grace extended.
What does the Cross change today?
This entire series has been about more than understanding what happened at Calvary.
It has been about what the Cross means for how we live.
So as we finish, I want us to ask some of the same questions found in this final lesson: What it Means to be Crucified w…
What does the Cross mean to me personally?
Is there someone I need to forgive?
Is there someone with whom I need to seek peace?
What needs to change in my prayer life because I now have access to God?
What needs to change in the way I see myself because there is no condemnation in Christ?
And how can I help someone else understand that reconciliation with God is available through Jesus?
Looking back at the journey
Over these twelve weeks, we have talked about:
dying to the old life,
being made new in Christ,
freedom from sin,
daily surrender,
letting Christ increase while we decrease,
walking in resurrection life,
and living in the reality of the Cross every day.
And it all leads us here.
Jesus did what we could not do.
He stood in our place.
He bore our sin.
He reconciled us to God.
And now, because of Him, we can draw near.
A Word of Encouragement
Friend, you do not have to build your own bridge to God.
Jesus already did.
You do not have to earn your way into His presence.
Jesus made the way.
You do not have to carry condemnation for something Christ has forgiven.
And you do not have to remain separated from the God who loves you.
The Cross is the divine go-between.
And Jesus is still our Mediator.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” — 1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)
Thank you for walking through this 12-part series with me.
My prayer is that What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ has done more than teach you about the Cross.
I pray it has helped you live closer to it.
To surrender more freely.
To walk in greater freedom.
And most of all, to know Jesus more deeply.
With love,
Sara Mix