Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Power of Jesus’ Cross: Salvation, Healing, Victory

In Short:  The Bible teaches that the message of Jesus Christ’s cross is the power of God for all who believe. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus saves sinners, brings reconciliation with God, heals, breaks Satan’s power, frees us from the fear of death, and calls us to holy living. This Bible study explains the meaning of Christ crucified and shows why the cross remains the center of the Gospel and the source of lasting spiritual victory.

The “power of the cross” refers to what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection — providing forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, spiritual and physical healing, victory over Satan, and eternal life for all who believe.

Key Takeaways:  

Key Scriptures:  1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Colossians 1:20-22; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:13-16; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

Welcome to Original Pentecostal
Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Brief Bio:  Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D., is a Pentecostal Bible teacher with more than 50 years of Spirit-filled ministry experience. His sermons and Bible studies are personally written and drawn from decades of service as a church planter, senior pastor, Bible college teacher and Dean, and as a trainer of ministers internationally in the Pentecostal tradition.

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The late, internationally respected evangelist Billy Graham at age 95 preached his "last sermon." Fittingly, it was about the cross of Jesus Christ. Permit me to share some reflections on Jesus' crucifixion from a sermon on the power of the cross of Jesus Christ that I preached in Alaska about the timeless value and power of His sacrificial death for us.

If you are searching for Bible verses about the cross, the meaning of Jesus’ death, or how the cross brings salvation and healing, this message explains those truths directly from Scripture.

The Message of the Cross Is the Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it [the message of the cross of Christ] is the power of God.

•• The apostle Paul wrote elsewhere that "the gospel of Christ ... is the power of God unto salvation..." (Romans 1:16)

•• The Gospel of Christ and the message of His crucifixion are inseparable. Both are said to be "the power of God". Hearing the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for you and me brings to your life God's power to save you.

•• In late 1968 and early 1969 I came under the hearing of the Gospel, including the central truth that Jesus had died on a cross for my sins. One winter night I repented of my sins, asked Jesus to forgive me and save me, and He did! I immediately felt powerful changes happening in my life.
• I knew absolutely that my many sins were forgiven.
• I was born again.
• I entered into God's family as a son.
• I began to experience victories over sin.
• Long-standing bad habits began to lose their strong grip.
• Suddenly I loved attending church services, which was a big change for me.
• And many more evidences of God's power occurred in my new life as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ on the Cross Was an 'Offering for Our Sin'

2 Corinthians 5:21  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

New Living Translation  For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin...

•• What a grace-filled trade! At the cross our sinless Savior Jesus had all our sins placed upon Him, and then God's righteousness is placed upon us.

On the Cross Jesus Bore Both Our Sins and Our Sicknesses

1 Peter 2:24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

•• Three wonderful blessings flowing out to us from Jesus' crucifixion are mentioned here:
• Jesus on the cross, bearing our sins, gives us power to die to sins.

• Further, we are enabled by the power of the cross of Jesus Christ to live for righteousness. A holy life becomes an attainable goal.

• By the wounds inflicted upon Jesus in his scourging and at the cross, we have "been healed". Divine healing is ours!

The Cross Gave Us Peace with God and Reconciliation to Him

Colossians 1:20-22  ...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

•• Through Jesus' blood, shed on the cross, we are offered an abundance of His blessings:
• Formerly His enemies, we are now at peace with God.

• Once alienated from God by our unforgiven sins, we are now reconciled to God by faith in Christ's death on the cross for us.

• Our faith in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for us brings changes in our lives that enable us to live "holy in his sight".

• Formerly guilty, unforgiven sinners, we now find ourselves "without blemish and free from accusation" in God's sight.

By Faith the Believer is 'Crucified with Christ' and Has New Life in Him

Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

•• "Crucified with Christ" — when I came in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ in 1969, all the benefits of His crucifixion and his resurrection on the third day became available to me. The "old Jim" died, and the "new Jim" began a joyful and victorious life of faith in the Son of God.

Boast Not of the World, But Only in the Cross of Christ

Galatians 6:14  May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

•• The power of the cross of Jesus Christ enables believers to break the grip that the things of the world have on us.

The Cross Has Joined Believing Jews and Gentiles into One in the Lord's Sight

Ephesians 2:13-16  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jews and Gentiles] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

•• The ancient Jews and Gentiles had a long history of animosity towards one another. But Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and thus opened the way for Jew and Gentile to be united in "one body", His church.

•• The takeaway here is that Christ's cross has the power to unify every disparate group on earth. Muslims, Hindus, atheists, animists, Satanists, Jews, Gentiles, poor, rich, the honored, the despised — these and more can all find unity in Christ, through the overcoming power of His cross in each of our lives, breaking down the barriers that so easily and sadly divide us.

Jesus' Death on the Cross Has Freed Us from Satan's Grasp and from the Fear of Death

Hebrews 2:14-15  Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

•• Victory through the power of the cross! Jesus died to "break the power of ... the devil" in our lives. On your own you can't do it. But the power of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross (and His resurrection on the third day) are fully sufficient to break every hold of Satan in your life and to arm you with spiritual warfare authority.

•• Have you lived all your life fearing death? Well, I have good news! You no longer have to fear going to hell or being under Satan's control in this life or eternity. Why? Because by Jesus' death on the cross He has broken Satan's power and has freed us from being "held in slavery by [our] fear of death". Having been born again by faith in Jesus Christ, you can look forward to eternity in God's presence.

Let 'Jesus Christ...Crucified' Be Absolutely Central in Our Lives and Ministries

1 Corinthians 2:1-2  And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

•• This may surprise you, but the great apostle Paul admitted that he was "unskilled in speaking" (2 Corinthians 11:6, Amplified). How then was he so effective in ministry for the Lord, since he did "not come with eloquence or human wisdom"? The answer — and an example for us — is that he did not focus on human abilities, but always on the cross of Jesus Christ.

•• The world we live in is getting worse and worse. Crime, immorality, violence, corruption, and more seem to have permeated the very fabric of society. Man's best efforts to turn this around have failed. There is only one hope, and it is a supremely great hope — "Jesus Christ and him crucified".

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Sorrow Turned to Joy!

1 Corinthians 15:1-4  "...I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved ... [3] Christ died for our sins ... was buried ... [and] was raised on the third day."

This is the very heart of the Gospel and the source for us of eternal life — the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

On what the Church traditionally calls "Good Friday," we reverently recall the eternity-changing death of Jesus on the cross. The Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus, died a horrible death on the cross to take on Himself our sins and the penalty due to our sins.

Then on the third day He rose from the dead, thus completing and proving for all eternity that He was and is the Savior of all who will come to Him for salvation.

This is the marvelous message of Good Friday and Easter — that Jesus on the cross suffered for us by taking our sins and their punishment on Himself ... then was buried ... and on the third day rose from the dead, thereby securing the certainty of salvation to all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). There in a nutshell is "the Gospel" — the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to provide salvation for us lost sinners.

You Can Receive Salvation and Eternal Life from Jesus Right Now

1 John 5:11  And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

If God has touched your heart today, come to Him now and receive what the Bible calls being "born again" into God's family. God the Father and Jesus His Son will receive you into life eternal in their presence. Here's a prayer that you can pray with sincerity in your heart. God will receive you and you'll be His son or daughter forever — “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).

A Prayer for Salvation:  Dear God, I know that I am a sinner, and I need Your forgiveness. I turn away from my sins and turn to You with a sincere heart. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, and that you raised Him from the dead. Today I place my trust in Jesus as my Savior, and I confess Him as my Lord. Come into my life, forgive my sins, and make me a new person through your grace. From this day forward, I want to live for You. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, the Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice. Now the best follow-up you can do is to seek out near where you live a Bible-preaching church that openly loves and serves Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God bless you in your new life in the Lord's grace.

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What the Cross of Christ Accomplishes (Summary)

Frequently Asked Questions About the Power of Jesus’ Cross

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about what the Bible teaches regarding the power of Jesus Christ’s cross, His death, and His resurrection.

What is the power of Jesus’ cross?

The power of Jesus’ cross is the saving, reconciling, and liberating power released through His sacrificial death for our sins. The Bible teaches that the message of the cross is the power of God to those who believe. Through the cross, Jesus bore sin, made peace with God possible, broke Satan’s power, and opened the way to eternal life. The cross is not merely a symbol of suffering, but the center of God’s redemptive work. Its power is fully revealed through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

How does the cross of Christ save sinners?

The cross saves sinners because Jesus died in our place, bearing the penalty for our sins so that we might be forgiven and made right with God. Scripture teaches that Christ, who knew no sin, became an offering for our sin. By repentance for sin and faith in His death and resurrection, sinners can receive forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life. Salvation does not come through human effort, but through what Jesus accomplished at the cross. That is why the Gospel centers on Christ crucified and risen again.

Does the Bible teach healing through Jesus’ cross?

Yes, Scripture reveals that healing is one of the blessings flowing from Christ’s suffering and death. In 1 Peter 2:24, Jesus not only bore our sins in His body on the cross, but also by His wounds believers have been healed. The cross therefore speaks not only of forgiveness, but also of God’s healing grace and restoring power. This healing is part of the redemptive work of Christ and reflects His compassion for His people. The same Savior who saves also heals.

How did Jesus’ death on the cross defeat Satan?

Jesus’ death on the cross defeated Satan by breaking his power over those who believe and freeing them from bondage, including the fear of death. Hebrews 2 teaches that by His death Jesus broke the power of the devil and delivered those who had been held in slavery by fear. The cross was not a defeat for Christ, but a decisive victory over the enemy. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over Satan’s claims against sinners. Believers can therefore live in Christ’s victory rather than in fear.

Why should “Christ crucified” remain central in preaching?

Christ crucified must remain central in preaching because the death and resurrection of Jesus are the very heart of the Gospel. The apostle Paul resolved to know nothing among his hearers except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, showing that the cross is not a side issue but the core message. Human wisdom, eloquence, and methods cannot save, but the Gospel of Christ can. Preaching the cross keeps the focus on God’s power rather than man’s ability. It remains the foundation for salvation, holy living, and lasting hope.

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For more insight on the power of God, see our Sermons on God's Power

Hungering for more of Jesus? See our "Varied, Illuminating Sermons About Our Lord Jesus Christ"

For sermons equipping for evangelism, see our "Powerful Evangelism Messages and Topics for Preaching - by Pastor Jim Feeney"

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Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.