If Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in history, then, for all history past and all history future it is relevant because that is the very focal point for forgiveness and redemption.

Josh McDowell (b. 1939) is a prominent American evangelical apologist known for arguing that Christianity’s central claims can be assessed historically. This quotation reflects a recurring theme in his talks and writings from the late 20th century onward: that the crucifixion is not merely a private spiritual symbol but a datable event in public history. In McDowell’s apologetic framework, the identity claims of Jesus and the historicity of the cross and resurrection function as a hinge on which Christianity stands or falls. The statement is typically used to stress Christianity’s universal relevance across time because it is grounded, he argues, in a decisive historical act of atonement.

The quote is structured as a conditional argument: if Jesus truly is who he claimed and if the crucifixion occurred in history, then its significance cannot be confined to one culture or era. McDowell frames the cross as the “focal point” where forgiveness and redemption are made possible, implying that human moral and spiritual need is constant across history. The emphasis on “a point of time in history” underscores an apologetic insistence that Christian faith is anchored in verifiable events rather than myth or mere ethical teaching. Its significance lies in presenting the crucifixion as the interpretive center of history—past and future—because it addresses the problem of sin and reconciliation with God.