How?

How do we know God is for us? How do we assure our quaking hearts? Look to the cross!!! The cross is truly the ultimate display of God’s love, the climax of Adam and Eve’s covering (Gen. 3), Abraham’s blessing and promise (Gen. 12), the Exodus, the return from exile--it all pointed to the cross.

But--I also want to say the cross is not alone. For a long time that was all I pointed to: the cross. I do not want to undermine it in the least (but rather point to the fullness of it!). Christianity is a historical religion, faith based on a historical, objective event. Yet, it is also an ongoing, historical event. Our Savior lives--lives in a human body, grounded in the heavens. Our Savior is reigning, “for [Jesus] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:25).

The cross is crucial--but it is part of the resurrection, ascension, and ongoing session of Christ. How do we know God is for us? Because he right now lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25). How do we assure our quaking hearts? To see our High Priest still in a body, still with nail-pierced hands, standing before the throne on our behalf, as us, our head.

At this precise moment, he is your mediator of all God’s blessings, his light, his favor, his smile, his love. At this moment Jesus’ voice is heard before the throne on your behalf. At this moment, your Savior is living. He did not die and then put his mediatorship on hold. He did not hang up his priestly ephod. The cross opened up his priestly session;  he is working now. Look to more than the cross, look to the living Jesus.