The Cross

On Tuesday mornings our church staff gathers together for prayer. Today we worked through the 8 stations of the cross. We dealt with Christ's condemnation all the way through to His burial, ending with communion.

As we approach Holy Week next week, I know that this experience will paint new perspectives for me. Often I feel like I gloss over the events leading up to the resurrection. We talk about the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, and then we hurriedly work through the trial, beatings, carrying of the cross, mocking, nailing, hanging, and death to the stone being rolled away. I love the fact that Jesus has risen but I wonder what I miss by not dealing with the cross, by not dealing with the messy hard stuff.

It was my sin that nailed Him to the cross. I can't lay the blame on anyone else. The weight of my sin caused His body to stumble as He carried that cross.

So often we are challenged to pick up our cross to feel the burden that Jesus did. But that is hard and dirty and do we really want to do that? I know that my first reaction is "no". But if I don't join in the suffering of His death, then how can I ever expect to fully embrace the power of the resurrection. (Philippians 3:10-11) Without death there can be no resurrection.

I challenge you to consider the entire story of Easter. Look at the cost of the cross. Look at the way those that were there treated Christ. Look at all the times when He could have shouted or even whispered who He was and called down angels and shaken everyone into believing in Him. Yet He remained quiet, even telling the "Daughters of Jerusalem...weep for yourselves and your children." (Luke 23:28) Look at your part in this story. View it from the standpoint that He did this all, because He loves you!