Pastor’s Corner: “Cross-check”
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) – 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Most churches have a cross on the building and in their sanctuary. We have a cross outside and in our worship area that stands at the front by the altar. It represents the original cross where Jesus died—the place where our sin intersected with His holiness. There God allowed His perfect Son to die for the sake of every wrong thing we have ever done, said, or thought. On the cross, Jesus finished the work that was required to save us from the death we deserve.
What does the cross mean to you? Many people in the world today view it as a symbol of Christianity, but stop and think about what it represented in Christ’s day. Nobody wore a miniature cross around the neck or displayed one in a place of worship. The cross was a torturous means of execution, and the mere thought of it was repulsive. Yet believers throughout the ages have chosen this as the sign of their faith. In fact, to remove the cross from our teaching and theology would leave nothing but an empty, powerless religion. The subjects of death, blood, and sacrifice have become unpopular in many churches because they’re unpleasant and uncomfortable topics. We’d prefer to hear about the love of God, not the suffering of Jesus.
But let me ask you this: How could anyone be saved if Christ had not been crucified? Some people think all you have to do to receive God’s forgiveness is ask Him for it. But a sinner’s request can never be the basis for His forgiveness. God would cease to be holy and just if no penalty was imposed for sin. According to Scripture, there can be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22). Christ had to bear the punishment for our sin in order for God to grant us forgiveness. Every time you see a cross, remember what it really was — an instrument of execution. Then thank Jesus that He was willing to be crucified so the Father could forgive you of sin. Though the scene of your redemption was horrendous, Christ turned the cross into a place of great triumph.
I have to confess that sometimes when I look at the cross, or I walk by it, or when I drive by it, this truth is not at the forefront of my mind. It is not that I have forgotten about it or that I have amnesia. Sometimes the cross can blend in with the architecture and its meaning is drowned out by all the busyness and distractions around us. These distractions can be good things as well as bad things. We are called to look at our life and decisions all in light of what Jesus did on the cross. We need to Cross-check what we know, what we see, how we feel, what we say and what we do all through the filter of the Cross. It has an impact in every area of our life.
When I do this, the sight of a cross causes me to consider what Jesus endured for us. Before being crucified, He was flogged and spit on. The soldiers hit Him in the head with sticks and got down on their knees in mock worship. They tried to make Him carry His own cross to the place where He would die, but He was too weak from the brutal flogging. At Golgotha, they hammered nails through His flesh to keep Him on the cross when they turned it upright. Those wounds bore the weight of His body as He hung there. Six hours later, Jesus took His final breath (Mark 15:37). A centurion who witnessed Jesus’s death declared, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (v. 39).
The things that seemed so important before now look petty and small. Fear and worry disappear and I can start seeing my life and others lives through a heavenly perspective. It is easier to love, to forgive, to give mercy and grace in the light of what Jesus did on the cross. We all need to make a Cross-check of our lives on a regular basis to keep our heavenly perspective. The next time you see the symbol of the cross, consider what it means to you. God’s Son suffered and died there and then rose again to make eternal life possible. You are accepted, you are free, you are loved and you are a son and daughter of the King!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton