Take Comfort In The Cross

The slam against evangelists through the years has been that they only have three or four sermons that they keep repeating. Most of the time the criticism came from pastors who had to weekly crank out a sermon for their congregation. Some of the accusations have been true, but there are others of us who do study and do produce new material as the Lord works in our lives. However, I eagerly confess that there is one sermon I have been preaching for well over twenty years.

For those who have been a part of our ministry teams to various parts of the world, they have heard me preach on the cross of Christ from the Gospel of Matthew. Years ago I studied the crucifixion from a historical and medical point of view. I was so moved back then by the brutality of that Roman form of execution. When you combine the crucifixion with the scourging that Jesus received, it is correct in saying that Jesus was not even recognizable while He hung on the cross for my sin.

It is not my purpose today to preach that sermon to you, if you want to hear it then come with me one of our ministry trips. Better yet, go rent Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ which finally shows the Passion as it really was. I can well remember seeing the advertisements for that movie and thinking to myself, "Someone finally got it right."The cross was brutal. The cross was ugly. The cross was execution at its worst.

Today the cross has been sanitized for us. What I mean is that we see it so often that it has little impact on us. It has become an art form or a fashion accessory. People who do not have any intention of following Christ will wear the cross. That has certainly not always been the case. As we look back in history we find that for many years after the death of Christ the cross was not at all accepted as the sign for Christians. In the earliest years of the church the symbol for followers of Jesus was the fish, as the cross was repulsive to them.

As early as second century the Christians were known to have made a sign of the cross on their foreheads. It was a way that they could be identified by other believers. They would either use something like charcoal to make the sign or just trace it on their foreheads much like the Catholics do to this day. The cross soon became the symbol of Christ's suffering and desired physical expression of the believer's faith. As early as the third century we find that the body of Christ was added to the cross in what we would now call a crucifix (Latin for "to torture") and by the fifth century the crucifix was established as a reminder of the sufferings of Christ. These items were primarily used for personal devotions and private prayer.

I would encourage you even today to read Mark chapter 15 and the account of the crucifixion. Throughout much of Christian history bearing the cross would get one killed or worse, tortured. In our society it really costs us nothing to have a cross hanging on our necks or tattooed on our arms. (No, I don't have a tattoo). There is a store in San Diego down by the water that sells only crosses. It is a beautiful store, but no one will harass you or want to kill you because you go in there to buy a cross. My point is we have lost the power, majesty and awe of the cross of Christ.

Last year I was invited to go to a Catholic church for a service. Out of kindness I went, even though I kind of felt like I had to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure none of my friends saw me. As long as I live, I will never forget the first sight of going into that church. It literally made my knees buckle. There on the front wall behind the altar was an enormous cross, but not just a cross, a crucifix. It hit me full force, the reality of Jesus dying on that cross for me. As a protestant, I am not used to seeing a portrayal of Christ hanging on a cross. Seeing the representation of Christ's body on that cross made me want to drop to my knees, bow my head, and cry out, "My Lord and my Savior." It made me want to search every area of my heart and life to see if it all truly lined up with the ways of Christ. I can honestly say that seeing that crucifix some seven months ago is still impacting my behavior.

Jesus told us that in our lifetime that we are going to have deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. I have been recently struck by the fact that Christ mentioned our cross before He ever got to His. It must have seemed strange for His followers to hear those words, "Take up your cross." As time went on they understood those words quite well as following Christ cost so many all their earthy possessions and even their very lives. Christians that were martyred were often venerated or given "sainthood" as a way of brining courage to those who were about to enter a fiery trial. Today the church in America wants to hear nothing of denying self or taking up of the cross, and we no little of the hero's of our faith.

The question has always been the same, "Will you follow Jesus Christ if it cost you something?" As our economy sinks and our moral fiber slowly dissipates, will we still be joyful followers of Jesus Christ? As we are now paying close to $5.00 a gallon for gas here in California and our property values have plummeted, will we still raise our hands on Sunday morning to worship the King? We have to remember that you cannot have the crown without the cross.

Followers of Jesus down through history can agree on one thing, Jesus keeps His promises. Jesus has told us clearly that He "will never leave us nor forsake us" and that His love for us will never cease. We are Children of God, Children of the Cross and during these difficult days of job loss, dried up savings accounts and loss of homes, Jesus is HERE to help us bear the cross. We are never alone!

Be at peace,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries