All through the Old Testament the cross is only dimly seen. Though a hundred historical characters and a hundred more Levitical sacrifices and rituals were typical of Christ and His finished work, not once does the Old Testament state this. The silence is profound. The clearest Old Testament prophecy of Christ’s death, Isaiah 53, does not even specify who the Sufferer would be, referring to Him as only “my righteous servant” (v11)

It was the same during our Lord’s stay on earth, for only toward the close of His ministry do we read: “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer… and be killed…” (Matt. 16:21).

And what was His disciple’s response? “Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him” (Ver. 22). Obviously Peter had no knowledge of the meaning of the Lord’s coming death.

Luke 18:34 states three times that they did not have the slightest idea that He would even die, much less did they understand all that His death would accomplish.

Even at Pentecost Peter blamed his hearers for the death of Christ, for “killing the prince of life” (Act 3:15). Peter said to them: “repent and be baptized every one of you… for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), not knowing sins are totally remitted by the shed blood of Christ alone. Peter had no concept of the meaning of the cross and the blessing it offered in terms of reconciliation, redemption, justification, etc.

“The twelve” Apostles were preaching “the gospel of the kingdom” and knew little about the cross and its purpose.

Some Christian teachers naively say the OT saints and “the twelve” Apostle must looked forward to the coming of the Cross. But this is not true at all. They had no concept of the cross and its meaning for believers. Yet we, in retrospect and having Paul’s epistles, now know the breadth of the meaning of the cross. It is a sad thing that today the mystery, the hidden secret truths of the cross is not preached in its clarity as presented by Paul. All that we have in Christ springs from His cross; from both His death and from His resurrected “Spirit of life” that now indwells our spirit.

Not until the Apostle Paul, that other apostle, do we have what is properly called “the preaching of the cross,” i.e., as good news. And in Paul’s great message our Lord is no longer seen as the Victim, but as the Victor, not merely after death, or over death, but in death. His death itself is seen as His greatest triumph.

In Heb. 10:12, 14 we read:

“…after He had offered one sacrifice for sins [He] sat down… for by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”

In Col. 2:14-15 Paul describes Christ at Calvary nailing the Law to the cross and utterly defeating Satan and his hosts, “triumphing over them in it (i.e., in the cross).” Little wonder the Apostle exclaimed;

“God forbid that I should boast, save (except in this) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Gal. 6:14).