In a previous post we noted that the Old Testament points forward to the cross and the New Testament points back to it. Bible teachers therefore need tips for teaching about the cross that keep Jesus’ death central Help students value the cross as more than a religious icon. Though symbolic with Christianity, the cross is so much more.
To effectively teach about Jesus’ death with these tips for teaching about the cross:
- You must deal with the sin issue.
In today’s world it is easy to shy away from the topic of sin. But, if people do not understand that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), the cross will hold little significance in their hearts and minds.
Help people understand why sin is an issue by looking at the character of God. He is a holy, righteous, and just God who cannot stand in the presence of sin. But, He is also a loving, compassionate, merciful, and gracious God who wants to be in a relationship with the people He created. Since we are sinners, that would not be possible unless there was an atonement for sin. In the Old Testament they sacrificed animals but had to do that over and over. Jesus died once for all so our sin could be forgiven and we could be made righteous in Him.
- Emphasize the necessity of grace.
Jesus died for us because we could not save ourselves. We will continue to fall short of God’s righteousness no matter how hard we try. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God …” (Eph. 2:8-9) That same grace that saved us is what “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12). If we do not live to His glory, it means we have forgotten what He has done for us on the cross (2 Pet. 1:5-9) which is why we need to keep taking people back to the cross.
The Teaching the Real Message of the Bible Teacher Training Resource also reminds us to get beyond the story of the cross to the Person who hung on the cross, and to be careful not to keep Jesus hanging on the cross. That resource shows how the message of redemption weaves throughout the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.