In the end, the Jesus story comes to an abrupt halt at a cross. 
When we started the story we would not have anticipated this ending. Neither did the disciples. But the cross was there. The weeks before Easter can be a time to ponder the cross, not the beautiful artwork around your neck, but the harsh wooden one Jesus died on. We can look at the big picture of the cross in History, we can look at Jesus and the cross, and we can look at us and the cross…but to the cross we will walk.
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“Walk to the Cross” It is that time of year that we focus more fully on the whole Easter event. What is so significant about this event that captures our attention? Jesus died on the cross, so what? Many people died in this way during His time, and many people have died this way since. Why pick on this guy? Many times we are quick to respond that yes, Jesus died, but then He rose again on the third day and we focus more on that event. Was Jesus different than any other person that Friday afternoon? Is it important for us to spend time contemplating the significance of this one persons death?
Outside of the Jewish faith we can not grasp the value of a sacrifice to compensate or bring forgiveness to the fact that we stray from God’s original design for us. As we study the old testament we learn of the importance of sacrifices to God. God Himself demanded that the only compensation to blot out our sin is a blood sacrifice. Ironically this only happened periodically. I always wondered what happened to those who died before they could participate in the next sacrifice and died knowing that their sins have not been atoned for since the last sacrifice.
As we understand the New Testament we know that God Himself came to our level through His immense love for us to show us first hand how we are to respond to Him, each other, and the environment. But God did not stop there, He also took it upon Himself to shed His own blood to atone for our sins once and for all. Why? He loved us!
When we look at the cross we can feel secure in the fact that God loves us, that God shed His own blood for us, that we are free from guilt knowing that through this demonstration of love God himself does not keep record of our failures to live up to the bar that Jesus set for us.
What is required of us? In order to belong to the family of God he requests only one thing, to belief in Jesus and all He represents. When we do this we make Jesus Lord of our life, nail our own aspirations to the cross and invite Jesus into our beings. We respond to life through the knowledge we get from reading the Bible and building a relationship with the person we have just given our life over to.
Was Jesus just another man that was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Not at all if we believe in a God that created the world and all that is within it and desires a close relationship with human which He made in His own image.
The cross represents part one of a two part plan. If we believe part one then we can also believe part two – Easter Morning!