A diamond with a thousand glittering faces
‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!’ — Isaiah 52:7
‘Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best… Help me to adore thee by lips and life.’ —The Valley of Vision, ‘Love Lustres at Calvary’
Today could have been called ‘Bloody Friday’.
Or ‘Ugly Friday’.
Or ‘Horrible Friday’.
The Son of God hung naked, scarred and bloodied on a criminal’s cross—one of the cruellest instruments of torture ever devised by mankind.
There He was mocked, ridiculed and spat at by the very people He came to save—the victim of Rome’s brutality and the Pharisees’ deception.
Exhausted, abandoned, in agony—there, as darkness descended across the land, Jesus cried out for the final time.
It could have been called ‘Bloody Friday’.
Instead we call it ‘Good Friday’.
But perhaps we could also have called it ‘Beautiful Friday’.
Beautiful, not because there is anything good or glorious about the barbaric execution of an innocent man—but beautiful because of what Christ achieved for us on the cross.
A diamond with a thousand glittering faces
The message of the cross—the message of the gospel—is unparalleled in beauty.
It’s so beautiful, in fact, that Scripture even calls the feet of the messenger who proclaims it ‘beautiful’:
‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!’ — Isaiah 52:7
The message of the cross—the ‘good news of peace and salvation’ prophesied by Isaiah—is like a diamond with a thousand glittering faces.
Every time we examine it, we see something new of God’s glory and grace—we behold the radiant light of His perfect love and goodness.
Today, meditate with me on seven glorious aspects of Christ’s saving work on the cross—seven faces of the beautiful diamond of the gospel.
1. The glory of His justice
‘But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.’ — Isaiah 53:5
‘For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.’ — Romans 3:25–26
2. The glory of His victory
‘You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.’ — Colossians 2:13–15
‘“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ – 1 Corinthians 15:55a–57
3. The glory of His grace
‘But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.’ — Ephesians 2:4–7
‘When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.’ — Titus 3:4–7
4. The glory of His love
‘But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.’ – Romans 5:8
‘We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.’ — 1 John 3:16a
5. The glory of our justification
‘Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.’ — Romans 5:1
‘For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.’ — 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. The glory of our assurance
‘So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.’ — Romans 8:1
‘My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.’ — 1 John 2:1–2
7. The glory of His completed work
‘When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’ — John 19:30
‘For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.’ — Hebrews 10:10
This list is not exhaustive. These wonderful realities are just seven aspects of the thousand—and more—glittering faces of the gospel.
They are a taste of the glorious feast that Scripture invites us to enjoy and satisfy ourselves on—not just during Easter, but each and every day of our lives.
Behold Him—and share Him
Today, as you behold again the man on the cross—Jesus Christ, who died so that you could live, who took the form of a servant so that you could be raised up as a son, who rose triumphantly in the power of the Spirit on the third day to vanquish sin and death forever—fall again at His feet in wonder.
See His justice, His victory, His grace, His love, His justification, His assurance, His completed work—and praise Him.
Lay your sin before Him. Lay hold of His grace and mercy once again. Know the assurance of His forgiveness. Delight in His presence.
And there, from that place of heart-filled gratitude, go and tell the world that life, forgiveness and freedom is found in Him alone.
Today, and every day, let your life be a mirror for the beauty of the gospel—‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!’ (Isaiah 52:7).
With love,
Mike