THE CROSS OF JESUS IS GOD'S VICTORY OVER EVIL! 10 REASONS TO BELIEVE SO

Why didn't God prevent suffering but experienced it himself?

Introduction

In a world filled with tragedy, injustice, suffering, and inexhaustible sorrow, the eternal question is heard again and again: If God exists and is good, why didn’t he prevent evil? But the gospel of Jesus Christ gives us not a distant answer, but a fleshly answer: God did not sit back, he came down and carried the burden. The cross was not an accident of history—it was God’s weapon to overcome darkness in a most extraordinary way: self-sacrificing love.

Here are 10 reasons why we believe that the cross of Jesus is not a defeat, but the culmination of God's victory over evil.

1. The Cross of Jesus Shows Victory Through Devotional Service

In a world that glorifies power, cunning, and political success, the cross of Jesus stands in stark contrast. Jesus humbled himself to the point of a shameful death on the cross, not because he was defeated, but because he chose to overcome with self-sacrificing love. In Mark 10:45, Jesus says that he came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. This is a blow to the world’s idea that victory is achieved through revenge or self-defense; for Jesus, victory is achieved through self-sacrifice for others.

In this sense, the ministry of the cross is the essence of God’s reign. In Philippians 2:5–11, Paul explains that Jesus, although equal to God, did not hold onto that position but humbled himself even to the point of death on the cross. That is when God honored him above all others. In our world today, filled with greed and selfishness, the cross teaches us that true strength is the ability to give of oneself for the sake of others—like a mother who sleeplessly cares for her child, or a doctor who risks his life for the sick in war zones.

2. The Cross Is God's Judgment on Evil

In Jesus’ suffering, God did not turn a blind eye to sin; He exposed it in an unprecedented way. Romans 8:3 says that God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh. The cross was not only the means of salvation but also a mirror that showed the ugly face of sin—it was a place where the gravity of sin and its cost were clearly seen. God did not just say that evil was evil; He took it and removed it through Jesus.

This means that God is not a passive leader who ignores the evils of the world. In Romans 3:25–26, Paul explains that God set Jesus up as a propitiatory sacrifice, so that he might be just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus. This comforts us today because it confirms that God will deal with evil—not by avoiding suffering but by bearing and judging it himself. The cross is the promise that righteousness is not forgotten, but has been restored in the blood of Jesus.

3. The Cross Breaks the Powers of Darkness

Jesus did not just die for personal sin, but He was directly involved in the spiritual battle against the powers of darkness. Colossians 2:15 clearly states that by the cross, Jesus stripped off principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the sight of all. This is a spiritual victory over every false god, oppressive system, and demonic power that oppresses mankind. His death was a literal victory over Satan and his forces.

In today’s world where many people fear the powers of darkness, curses, or demons, the cross is the good news of deliverance. Hebrews 2:14–15 confirms that by his death, Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death—the devil—and freed all who were living in the slavery of fear. This is true freedom: that we are no longer threatened by spiritual darkness, for the light of the cross has prevailed. The cross is like the sun rising after a long night—the darkness cannot stand before it.

4. The Cross Shows God's Glory in Human Weakness

In the divine sense, weakness is not a loss but an opportunity for the revelation of God’s power. Jesus suffered, was mocked, stripped, and hanged naked in public shame. But in that terrible weakness, God revealed his glorious face. Paul wrote that “he was weak, but he lives by the power of God” (2 Corinthians 13:4). The powerless crucified one became the center of the power of salvation.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, Paul explains that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. This is a revolutionary teaching for today’s society that increasingly believes that success is achieved through arrogance, arrogance, and fame. With the cross, God changed history: true power was hidden in weakness, and his glory was poured out on the brokenhearted.

5. The Cross Is the Door to True Forgiveness

At the heart of the message of the cross is forgiveness that is not superficial but deep and real. When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), he was not merely setting an example of mercy, but he was opening the door to forgiveness for the entire world. Through his blood, we have been set free from the guilt and curse of sin. Ephesians 1:7 says that in Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

In a society where guilt and shame have become burdens that oppress many, the cross offers true relief. No human being is beyond forgiveness – whether they are in prison, or broken by life. The cross says, “Forgiveness is open to all who come by faith.” This is good news for all who are isolated, broken, or have made serious mistakes – because the cross does not ask the magnitude of your sin, but invites you into the vastness of God’s grace.

6. The Cross Delivers Life from Shame and Darkness

Jesus not only bore our sins but also took upon Himself our shame. In Hebrews 12:2, we are told that Jesus endured the cross “despising the shame,” because of the joy that was set before Him. In Jewish and Roman culture, death on the cross was the most humiliating – but Jesus willingly took on that shame so that we might have the honor of being children of God. He turned a place of humiliation into a place of redemption.

Today, many live hidden by the shame of what they have experienced or done. But the cross is a testimony that Jesus did not avoid shame but endured it, so that we would no longer fear it. Isaiah 50:6–7 describes the servant of the Lord who gives his back to the smiters and his cheeks to the shavers, saying, “I will not be ashamed, for I know that I will not be put to shame.” Thus Christ conquered shame by looking at it and trampling it underfoot in the name of love.

7. The Cross Lays the Foundation for the New Creation

The cross did not come to solve the problem of individual sin, but it began God’s work of recreating the entire universe. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away. This is an invitation to participate in a new world where love, justice, and peace reign because the cross has laid the foundation for a new kind of life.

In Galatians 6:14–15, Paul says that he rejoices in nothing except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to him and he to the world. In that statement lies this truth: the cross is not just an ancient event, but the source of ongoing transformation. Today, as we take on the image of the crucified Jesus, we become agents of a new creation—families, communities, and nations can begin anew under the shadow of the cross.

8. The Cross Reunites Humans with God

When the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51), it was a sign that the way to God had been opened. Previously, God’s presence had been confined to the Most Holy Place, but now, through the blood of Jesus, we can enter with confidence into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:19–22). The cross broke down the wall of separation caused by sin.

In John 14:6, Jesus boldly declares that he is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through him. The cross, then, is not only the way of salvation but the bridge that connects the human soul to the heart of the eternal Father. In today’s world where so many people are searching for meaning, acceptance, and a place of spiritual rest, the cross of Jesus is the gateway to true fellowship with God—not by our own efforts but by the grace of Christ who interceded for us even as he drew his last breath.

9. The Cross Brings Unity to the Place of Division

In the cross of Christ, Jews and Gentiles who were enemies were united into one body. Paul teaches in Ephesians 2:14–16 that Christ is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. Through the cross, he killed that hostility and created a new person—a new race of children of God. This is good news for a world plagued by ethnic, gender, class, and religious divisions.

In John 17:21, Jesus prays that all believers may be one as he and the Father are one. The cross becomes not only the source of personal forgiveness, but also the basis of social harmony. The true church is the witness of the cross, as it breaks down human boundaries and witnesses to the love that overcomes hostility. In our current world of conflict, the cross invites us to live as one family – people of every nation united by one blood.

10. The Cross Is the True Way to Eternal Victory

Jesus didn’t just conquer by dying—he rose again. But the cross wasn’t an accident; it was a necessary path to glory. In 1 Corinthians 15:54–57, Paul declares that “death is swallowed up in victory” and that “our victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The cross was the door to an irreversible victory—not because the enemy didn’t resist, but because love triumphed to the end.

Revelation 5:5–10 gives us a picture of the Lamb who was slain but who is worthy to open the book of the world’s destiny – for he was slain and with his blood he has redeemed people from every language and nation. This is proof that the cross was not a defeat but the royal symbol of the Eternal King. In our lives, we do not rely on temporary human victories, but hold up the cross as the ultimate symbol of God’s victory – of life, of hope, and of resurrection.

Conclusion: The Cross is a Heavenly Lamp in the Darkness of the World

In the image of the cross, the world thought it had extinguished the light of God—but instead, it was ushering in a new dawn. Out of pain, hope was born. Out of death, life blossomed. Out of shame, honor dawned. The victory of the cross is not of the kind the world recognizes, but it is deeper than the victory of war, money, or fame. It is the victory of love sacrificing itself, justice served, grace flowing, and a new creation proclaimed. The cross of Jesus is the eternal statement that evil does not have the final say—God does.

In these Ten Reasons, we have seen that the cross is not a sign of defeat but a revelation of God’s amazing power. It is through self-sacrificing service, the judgment of sin, the victory over darkness, human weakness, true forgiveness, deliverance from shame, the foundation of a new creation, reconciliation with God, the unity of humanity, and ultimately resurrection and eternal victory. Within each reason is an invitation—not just to knowledge, but to faith. Will you confess Christ crucified for you? Or will you take another path, avoiding the sign of great love?

Final Appeal

O Eternal Father, in your Son Jesus Christ you have revealed to me an incomparable love. In his cross, I see the judgment of my sins and your mercy shed in spotless blood. Help me to believe, receive, and live under the shadow of this victorious cross. Grant that I may share in his victory over darkness, and be a witness of his love to a suffering world. In the name of the living Jesus, Amen.

The Last Call

Have you ever experienced the power of love that conquers through self-sacrifice? Are you bound by sin, shame, or fear? Come and answer Jesus' invitation: Come to the cross, and experience the victory of God.