7 Reasons Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross Can Silence Our Fear and Anxiety

Perhaps you have heard someone ask, “Why did Jesus have to die? Why did the Father require such a gory sacrifice to reconcile us back to him?” Jesus, the spotless lamb, had to die a sacrificial death to demonstrate that he was the fulfillment of Old Testament law. 

Like in the old days, the faithful would no longer be required to sacrifice repetitive burnt offerings before the Lord to be reconciled to him. 

Hebrews 10:10 reads, “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (NLT). 

Jesus replaces the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, which is sealed in Jesus’ blood and reconciles us to God. His once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross is that powerful! Further, it means we do not need to be anxious or strive; instead, Christ achieves our salvation, and we only have to believe.

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The power available to us through the cross is grounded in love. 

John 3:16 famously reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

God’s love for us caused him to send his Son to Earth. Jesus’ love for us and the Father inspired his sacrificial act. It is precisely the lengths that Christ goes to for us that demonstrate his love so profoundly. No sin is big enough to separate you from his immeasurable love—and no fear or anxiety is either. 

Romans 8:38 reads, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (NLT).

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Jesus was entirely God but also fully man, which is why the Garden of Gethsemane is so telling. His obedience to the Father was not done in a vacuum; Jesus was sorrowful and troubled. 

The Gospel of Luke says he was in anguish. Jesus is in the garden before he is betrayed and arrested, and he knows what’s coming. Not once, but three times, he asks the Father if there could be another way forward (Matt. 26:39-44). 

Jesus prays, “My Father, may this cup be taken from me if possible. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus chooses the will of the Father, and in doing so, he empowers us to do the same—even when trouble looms. Remember what Paul writes: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).

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Again, Jesus was troubled in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wanted his disciples to be with him, stay alert, and pray. 

Jesus tells them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matt. 26:38). 

Despite his request, the disciples kept falling asleep. The Gospel of Luke further highlights Jesus’ distress by describing Jesus sweating so much it’s like blood (22:44). Regardless, Jesus continued to pray and remained faithful. We can, too, as his disciples. 

Paul encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). We have access to Jesus’ peace through his victory over the cross.

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Jesus surmounted anxiety on his path to the cross, where he also conquered sin and death. Death is perhaps our greatest foe as humans, and Jesus grants believers total victory through his resurrection from the dead. 

Paul exclaims, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus conquers the power of sin and death on the cross. Paul concludes, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you” (1 Corinthians 15:55 and 58). 

The thing you might be most afraid of has been conquered, so you have nothing to fear! That’s why the Bible says “do not fear” and its derivatives more than any other phrase in scripture. That means when fear and anxiety strike, you have an antidote—a promise to stand on. No situation, no matter how distressing, is without the hope that Jesus offers—God’s power is always at work for good in our lives! (Romans 8:28).

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Because of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, we, too, have ultimate victory when we believe. Scripture tells us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil. 2:10). We are loved and protected by Victor, who allows us to enter into a personal relationship with the Author and Perfector of life. The gravity of that invitation might get lost to us sometimes, but it shouldn’t. 

The One who is above all and in all knows you by name. He will leave the other ninety-nine lambs searching for you when you’re lost. He will gather you in his arms and longs to delight in you. He is the One who tells you not to be anxious or afraid. 

The Psalmist proclaims, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:4-5). The One who will cover you with his feathers is the same God whom Jesus is the living expression of to us.

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The disciples followed Jesus and loved him. But it wasn’t until his death and resurrection that they grasped who he was. This realization propelled them to risk their lives for their love for him and their faith. It can also compel us to do amazing things in his name despite our fear or anxiety. When God poises us for his service, the question isn’t, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” 

Instead, the question is, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?” The cross of Christ is not only equipping—it’s also commissioning. It’s a promise to stand on and a call to participate in his glory. 

Paul writes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Jesus’ disciples had ample reason to grow weary and lose heart; at some point, we will, too. Fear and anxiety are natural responses to the pain and uncertainty around us. That’s what makes the transformative power of the cross just as relevant today. 

One of the characteristics of a woman in Proverbs 31, or faith-filled woman in scripture, is her ability to “laugh without fear of the future” (Proverbs 31:25, NLT). Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and victory over death also gives us reason to act confidently. This confidence is not rooted in the events around us but in the promise of God in our hearts. Further, the best way to express our gratitude for these varied, powerful blessings of the cross is to live them!

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