From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

The ultimate victory of the cross is that it could not hold the Savior of the world. He finished His work for mankind there but the cross did not finish Him. He triumphed over sin and death, winning salvation for mankind. The resurrection story of Jesus Christ is what gives meaning and power to the cross. What a failure Christianity would be if it could not carry our hopes beyond the coldness and depths of the grave.

What does the resurrection mean to you? Some believe that Jesus died leaving a legacy of “Do good to your neighbor,” never believing that He was raised from the dead. Others think the resurrection was a hoax. There are those who question whether Jesus even existed. True believers in Jesus Christ have no doubt that He lived among us and ultimately conquered the sting of death, offering the human race the greatest gift—His sacrificial love.

There is victory in the cross because it represents doom for sin and hope for sinners. It condemns sin and cleanses souls. The bloodstained cross is gruesome to some, but the empty cross is full of hope. Satan overstepped his bounds, and God turned what seemed to be life’s greatest tragedy into history’s greatest triumph. The death of Christ, perpetrated by evil men, was thought by them to be the end, but His grave became but a doorway to victory.

Though the cross repels, it also attracts. It possesses a magnetic quality. It has become the symbol of Christianity because the cross is where Jesus purchased our redemption and provided a righteousness which we could not ourselves earn.

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

Where does your hope come from? Find it in Jesus.