Meskel (The Feast of the Holy Cross) Part 2

This article is prepared by Mahibere Kidusan USA Center

"Why Did Our Lord Jesus Christ Die on a Cross?"

Our Lord Jesus Christ willingly died for us on a cross and gave us His holy body and poured out His pre-cious blood. He did this to redeem mankind from the curse and save us from our sins. This is because the body and soul of all humanity was under the bondage of sin. Although we had fallen deeper and deeper into our sins, our Creator did not leave us to perish. He came down from heaven seeking for His sheep, us, who went astray (Matthew 18: 12-14). He was incar-nated of the Holy Spirit and of His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35), became man by taking flesh of her flesh and soul from her soul, and was gloriously born in a manger in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7). Indivisibly, God became man and man became God (Matthew16:13, 1 John 1:1-2, 5:20). He grew and became strong in spirit (Luke 2:40). At the age of thirty, Christ went to river Jordan and was baptized in the hands of Saint John, the Baptist. He then left for the wilderness (desert) and embarked upon forty days and forty nights of fast (Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21- 23, Matthew 4:2). Thereafter, He appointed His 12 apostles, 72 disciples and 36 female saints (i.e. alto-gether the first family of Christ was hundred and twenty) (Luke 10:1, Acts 1:15). His teachings of the Gospel lasted for a total of three years and three months. Finally, to redeem us from our sins (curse), He willingly died for us on the Cross. (Mark 15:23- 37). That day on the Cross, Jesus Christ completed the salvation journey He started while He was still in His Blessed Mother’s womb (John 19:30).

As stated above, our Creator came down to earth and died on the Cross to save us from our sins. He carried our sins on the Cross and freed us from curse. As Prophet Isaiah said, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5). In addition, Saint Paul wrote in his epistle to the Galatians, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" " (Galatians 3:13). Moreover, in his epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul also stated, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corin-thians 5:21). Furthermore, in his epistle to the Philip-pians, he said, "but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:7-8). Saint Peter the apostle also said, "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." (1 Peter 2:22-24). Therefore, we have found numerous gifts through our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross.

Please proceed to Part 3