The cross.
The cross of our Lord is a beautiful thing.
The cross of Christ is the epitome of self-sacrifice and selfless love; it is the model for all time of what it looks like to love so much and so deep that there is no price you wouldn’t pay for that love.
In the cross is hope, and in the cross is peace. The cross of Christ is polished 18-karat gold set with brilliantly faceted diamonds, and is ushered in with a triumphal entry. It shines with the love of a Father who would pay a dear price now for a reward yet to come in eternity future; it glitters with the precious stones of a victor’s crown, and it twinkles with the faithfulness of a thousand promises fulfilled. The cross is the ultimate tool of reconciliation and of rebirth. The cross is a beautiful thing to behold.
“For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (Col 1:19,20)
The cross.
My cross.
The cross of self is a painful thing.
The cross of self is the epitome of death to self, of the separation of the flesh and the spirit. The cross of self is dying a thousand deaths upon the altar of Christ in order to be raised anew each time. The cross of self is death to the desires of the flesh and pride and ego.
“If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn
from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.
But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.” (Lk 9:23,24)
In my cross there is sorrow, and in my cross there is pain. The cross of self is held together with rusted iron nails driven through the splintered wood of pride with the precision of a surgeon’s knife. There is no shine or sparkle on the cross of self. There are no palm branches lain or shouts of 'Hosanna!' in the streets on the way to the cross of self.
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed
the passions and desires of their sinful nature
to his cross and crucified them there.” (Gal 5:24)
The cross of Christ was made of wood and iron and sat unmistakably atop the hill of Calvary. My cross is made of many different things, and is harder to recognize from a distance. But my cross is unflinchingly made with the same single-minded objective: Death. Before there can be resurrection, there must be death. Before my Father can resurrect a new and perfect species from within this fallen jar of clay, there must be a death to my flesh. This death happens slowly, it happens repeatedly, and it happens constantly. It happens in a hundred small ways a day and a handful of major ways in a lifetime.
“Whoever does not bear his own cross
and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Lk 14:27)
I am confronted with my cross whenever I’m faced with the choice of living from the flesh or living from the Spirit of Christ in me - and I cannot live through the Spirit of Christ until the flesh has died. I stare at the foot of my own cross when I’m faced with the decision of maintaining a relationship by the silence of my lips, or of surrendering the relationship by speaking the gospel. What is honey in one heart is bitter in another, and only the Lord can sort the two.
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.” (1 Pet 2:8)
I am faced with my own cross when anything in my life is more treasured in my heart than my Lord. Because the Lord knows my heart, He knows what it is I have put between Him and me, and He will find a way to bring it into light. And then, when I am faced with the choice between holding onto what is most precious to me and my Lord, I am at the foot of my own cross.
“If you love father or mother more than you love Me,
you are not worthy of being Mine;
or if you love son or daughter more than Me,
you are not worthy of being Mine.” (Mat 10:37)
I stare at the foot of my own cross when people insult me and say all matter of negative things about me because of Him, and when I am faced with the decision to defend my pride or surrender the outcome to the Judge who sees the heart and judges perfectly and fairly. I stand at the foot of my cross when I feel the pull of my flesh and yet yield to the Spirit.
“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the earth.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you
and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you
because you are My followers.
A great reward awaits you in heaven.” (Mat 5)
When we behold the cross of Christ, it is a beautiful sight. It is beautiful because we are looking back - through the lens of the resurrection - and behold the cross. When we behold the cross of self, we see the view from Calvary; we are surrounded with soldiers and thieves and weeping women, and our eyes have not yet beheld the glory of the incorruptible creation on the other side. Yet it is on this cross of self that God can do His most glorious work, which is creating something new and perfect in His image out of our fallen lump of clay. Surely God is present with us in that time of transformation.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
All this is from God..." (2 Cor 5:17)
The painful part, though, it that before the house can be rebuilt, the foundation has to be cleared; all of our fleshly desires must first be put to death. And yet, even in the midst of pain, torment and death, we can still hear the voice of our Savior whispering a promise to us that on the other side of this cross there is One who awaits us.
“You will be with Me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:43)
So when you look around and find yourself at the foot of your cross - where the skies are dark and your company is thieves - you might want to remove your shoes, for the place you are standing is holy ground.
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See this link for a great article about the cross by Frank Viola.
