Why do preachers go around still emphasizing the brutal death of Jesus?

on Feb 20, 2024

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The Christian message is primarily about Jesus, which would include His death on the cross. I am a Christian but I do not believe that this should be the main focus of our religion. The focus should be on God’s love and the kindness that Jesus showed to people. This is the only thing that will really attract the world to our kind of faith, so why do preachers especially go around still emphasizing the brutal death of Jesus? It seems that educated people could get beyond the emotion of what happened so long ago. – C.M.

A: It’s time we abandoned the pretense of being intellectual and recognize that our best minds are baffled by life. Have we done so well with our private lives, with our families, and with our society that we can claim wisdom?

God successfully changes men and women by the message that centers in the cross of Jesus Christ. We must recognize the disease of sin and claim God’s healing ointment — forgiveness. Daily, we profit from many things beyond our understanding. We may not decipher a doctor’s prescription, but we pay a high cost to fill it because we trust our physician. In the same way, we may be unable to fully comprehend the deep significance of the cross, but we can benefit from it because the Bible tells us what Christ accomplished on the cross to give us hope and assurance of eternal life.

The cross remains the focal point in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ because He shed His blood there for the forgiveness of sin and Christ overcame death. God’s holiness demands that sin be punished — but God’s love has provided the way of redemption through Christ’s willing sacrifice on the cross. This is the most glorious message that has ever been proclaimed.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)