What Was Jesus Doing On the Cross?
By Reverend David Barnes
We know a lot about the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Bethlehem was His birthplace; Nazareth was His boyhood hometown; Galilee was the location of much of Jesus' teaching, signs, wonders and miracles and Jerusalem is the city He was betrayed in, tried and judged.
Early on the Friday morning, He was condemned to die on the cross, and early on the Sunday morning, the third day, He rose from the dead and many days later He ascended into Heaven from atop the Mount of Olives, which overlooks Jerusalem – the city of the great King.
But ever since the time of Christ there has been huge speculation concerning His death on the cross– was He just an innocent victim of circumstances or was He, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God’ and for what purpose? (Acts 2:23)
What Was Jesus Doing on the Cross?
This new book has 16 insightful chapters that examine what Jesus was doing on the cross and will help you to explain the message of salvation to your friends and win them to Christ.
Book Review and Reccomendation
This excellent short but powerful book by David Barnes offers some of the most relevant teaching on the Cross of Christ and His work of redemption that I have read. The average reader should be able to finish it in just a few hours, and that brief investment of time can bring eternal benefit by providing a fuller understanding of one of the most important doctrines in Christian theology.
The question posed by the title of this book — What Was Jesus Doing on the Cross? — goes to the very heart of the Christian faith. There is no more important question we can ask, because there is no greater event in human history than the death of Jesus Christ. The cross was not an accident, nor merely the tragic end of a misunderstood life. It was the eternal purpose of God, the decisive act of redemption, and the fullest revelation of divine love, holiness, justice, and mercy.
For many believers around the world, the meaning of the cross is not only theological, but deeply personal and practical. In my own ministry, I have worked in China, India, and other nations where following Christ often brings opposition, rejection, and persecution. In such places, the “cross of Christ” is not simply a doctrine to be admired; it is a reality to be embraced.
Christians understand in a profound way what it means to take up their cross and follow Him. To bear the cross is to remain faithful in suffering, steadfast under pressure, and true to Christ when obedience is costly. It means loving Him more than comfort, safety, reputation, or even life itself.
And yet, while the believer’s cross is real, it must never be confused with the cross that only Jesus could bear. We may suffer for His sake, but only He could suffer in our place. We may endure persecution as His followers, but only the Son of God could atone for sin, satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to the Father.
The cross we carry is the result of discipleship; the cross He carried is the ground of our salvation. That is why this book is so important. It calls us back to the central wonder of the gospel: what Jesus was accomplishing when He died on the cross.
In those sacred hours, Christ was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, turning away the wrath of God, pleasing the Father, bringing us to God, and securing all that was necessary for our redemption. He was demonstrating God’s love for the unworthy, breaking the bondage of sin, forgiving our sins, establishing the New Covenant, purchasing the Church, making us holy, and showing us the pattern of sacrificial love.
The cross of Christ is the center of our message, the foundation of our hope, and the heart of our ministry. Without the cross, there is no forgiveness, no peace with God, no salvation, and no gospel to proclaim. But because Jesus died and gave Himself for us, there is pardon for the guilty, freedom for the captive, cleansing for the unclean, and hope for all who believe.
It is my prayer that every reader of this book will not only gain a deeper understanding of the cross, but will also be drawn into deeper worship of the One who hung upon it. May we never lose our wonder at Calvary. May we never cease to proclaim Christ crucified. And may the truth of what Jesus was doing on the cross strengthen our faith, deepen our gratitude, and inspire our obedience until the day we see Him face to face.