The Lessons of Lent: The Cross

The Lessons of Lent: The Cross

The cross means different things ro different people. To the Roman empire it was the ultimate weapon of fear and oppression for executions. To the thieves on the right and on the left of Jesus it was the reward of their disobedience and end of their onslaught on the innocent. To the crowd, a way of eliminating their public enemies, to the Jewish elders and priests, it was the end of their greatest rival they thought.
To our Lord Jesus, it was total salvation to mankind through His death and to Simon, the Cyrene, it was ministry fulfilled helping Jesus carry His cross to the place of fulfilment.

The truth is clear, the cross is a necessity to everyone. It is more than a pendant even if it's made of platinum overlaid with gold and studs of precious stones. It is more than a problem that can be solved by either the wisdom of men or the power of God. It is not the troublesome spouse or the unruly child, it isn't the terminal disease or the bedridden relation. The cross is our commitment to Christ and His eternal cause of man's salvation and his reconciliation to his Maker.

The cross is a place of death. Jesus was crucified on His even without an offence other than the message He brought. Every disciple must be ready to carry his own and be ready if and when it has to be used.

Definitely, the disciple is nailed to his cross. Nailed back to back with the world. And in that he rejoices and glories.

[My Offline Bible] Galatians 6
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Crucified back to back on the same cross of Christ, the disciple and the world remain separated eternally by the cross in between.

The believer is crucified with Christ so that Christ can live in him and he too living by faith in Christ.

[My Offline Bible] Galatians 2
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

And now the strength of Christ carries him on as his righteousness is secured by faith in the grace that's in Christ and not in the weakness or strength of himself now dead.

The ordinances and demands of religion that are contrary to the believer are nailed to the cross, forever blotted out by the blood of the cross. Never will those demands on the flesh be what grant access to the throne of God and of grace anymore but the blood of Christ that stained the cross and made us saints.
[My Offline Bible] Colossians 2
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Definitely, the passion of the cross would remind us that our destinies crisscrossed the path of the cross like that of Simon the Cyrene and we would have to carry it to make our mark in the realm of spiritual history.

The cross represents our crossing over from the dominion of sin, satan and religiosity to the liberty that is in Christ. The cross translates us to Christ's kingdom away from the world and its lusts.

Our cross is a sign of our conviction: we are ready to be nailed to it in our quest to make the salvation in Christ and conformity to His image real in the lives of men...no sacrifice will be too much to pay!

So let's joyfully embrace the cross again with understanding and faith knowing that the price for our total redemption was fully paid upon it and on it, the work was declared finished. Shallom!

The study and discussion on
THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

continues at

The Bible Class
Non denominational Bible Discussion cafe

83 Adeniyi Jones Avenue
Opposite TREVO office
Ikeja Lagos

6:00pm Thursday 26th March 2015

Faith only comes by hearing in the things being heard...faith doesn't come in the things you've not heard...meanwhile the basis of our faith is the resurrection of Christ...let's discuss and learn together, what that means and what it brings to the table!
Prepare towards being there...with loved ones!

As we gather today to worship, I pray our gatherings be unto the Lord. I pray our worship be acceptable before Him. I pray we received the fullness of the blessings of the gospel, I pray we go home rejoicing with the testimonies that we met Him.

Happy Sunday!