There is a magnetism to the cross of Jesus Christ that cannot be explained apart from God. Jesus once said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [on a cross], will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). What is it that gives the cross such a universal and irresistible appeal?
1. It is the magnetism of love. In the cross of Christ we see the love of God as it can be seen nowhere else in all of creation. You cannot see the love of God in the stars, or the heavens, or the beautiful lakes, or the whispering pines. You cannot see the love of God in the rolling waves of the sea or the sparkling eyes of the child. The only place where the love of God can be seen in all of its dimensions is the cross of Calvary and that’s why people are drawn to it.
2. It is the magnetism of forgiveness. The greatest need we have is the need for forgiveness of sins. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is not a just person on the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. It's not that some are sinners and others are not. We are all sinners, and the difference among us is only in the degree of our sins. Jesus’ death on the cross is God’s answer to sin. In and through the death of Jesus, God offers us forgiveness and cleansing.
3. It is the magnetism of victory. The cross of Jesus marked the defeat of Satan and the ultimate victory of God in time and in eternity. The cross of Calvary was a struggle between God and Satan, between good and evil, between two rulers contending for world supremacy. Jesus Christ emerged the victor. It is when people see the cross as God’s ultimate victory that they are drawn to it. It represents victory over sin, victory over death, and victory over the devil. If you will look at the cross long enough and deeply enough, you too will be drawn to it and to the Savior who died upon it.