Each month on the first Sunday evening of the month we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. Of all the many activities of the church (and our church has its fair share of activity!), the Lord’s Supper time is at the top of my list. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper as a church family provides us with the opportunity to “press the reset button” and refocus on the what is really important–the cross of Christ.

After preaching another message on Sunday morning in our current series entitled “Exodus–Let the Journey Begin,” I delivered a special message for the evening service entitled “What is the Cross?” Although they sang it in the morning service, the mixed trio’s song about the blood of Christ would have been a perfect introduction to the Sunday evening message.

To so many, the cross has become almost devoid of meaning. The average entertainer or sports celebrity often dons the cross as a gaudy piece of jewelry. Its image is amazingly prominent in society despite our government’s efforts to eradicate it. But its meaning has never been more obscured from the average man’s thinking. So what is the cross?

The cross was a place of death. Most are familiar with the process of crucifixion, and we must always appreciate the physical suffering our Lord endured on such a cruel instrument of torture and execution. But physical death on the cross is transcended by what Christ accomplished spiritually through that death. Christ’s death upon the cross was substitutionary–He died in my place! In the words of the songwriter, “I should have been crucified; I should have suffered and died.” The cross was sufficient. When Jesus uttered the immortal words, “It is finished,” He was literally saying that our sin debt had been paid in full. How comforting it is to know that the cross was not merely a down payment for our salvation on which I must continue to make payment through works or religion! When Jesus died on the cross, that death was satisfying to the Father. His righteous demands for our sins were propitiated (satisfied) in the valid offer of a spotless Lamb of God.  

Salvation costs the believer nothing. Although, with the Spirit of God as our empowerment, discipleship will cost the follower of Christ a dear price. No less than a cross is the price of discipleship. A true follower of Jesus will embrace it and all that comes along with it. Christ marched to the cross with an unwavering single-mindedness. From the cradle to the grave it would be his burden, focus, and compelling responsibility. It was His dedication to the Father’s business and the cup He was willing to drink. True disciples are single-minded in their mission as well. Interestingly, Jesus instructed the disciples to take up a cross before they ever realized that their Lord would die upon one. The cross was infamous to these first century people–it was the instrument of ultimate shame. Roman citizens could not by law be crucified; such was the nature of the shame of the cross. Yet Jesus, bleeding and naked, willingly identified with us by embracing such shame. Do we as readily identify with Him?  The price of discipleship includes singlemindedness, shame, and sacrifice–yes, the sacrifice of one’s life with all of its dreams and ambitions. A disciple places himself on the proverbial altar every day. Not my will, but thine be done.  

Finally, the cross provides for us a purpose for devotion. Paul declared that devotion in view of the cross was his only sensible alternative. “For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should henceforth not live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.” (2 Cor. 5:14-15) It just makes sense that we would be devoted to the One Who died for us! Our significance is in the cross alone. Paul touted no earthly attainments and refused to glory in any personal popularity. He chose to glory only in the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14). Perhaps these reasons–and many others no doubt–compel us to make the cross our sermon. Its proclamation simply must be our priority! “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18) 

Amen and amen! Consider the cross today…

admin Sunday Review cross, Preaching, sermon, Sunday Review

In a former life I had the opportunity to teach literature for a short time. While I readily admit that I am far from an authority, I will also admit to a love for classic literature and poetry. With David, Moses, and our Lord, I am in good company as a poet although, of course, somewhat inferior to them in my quality of writing!

Years ago I gave my students an assignment to write a Shakespearean sonnet, a specific kind of poem comprising exactly fourteen lines. For those of you who are real nerds, you’ll remember that each line is to be written in iambic pentameter (5 iambic feet per line), and that the rhyme scheme for the sonnet is to be in the “ABABCDCDEFEFGG” format. Along with my students, I gave it a whirl. Because the sonnet deals with the crucifixion, I thought this would be an appropriate time to share it with you.

 

“Before Thy Death”

Before Thy death a tree would also die,

Be cut and taken from the forest glen

To serve the evil purposes that lie

Well hidden in the hearts of sinful men. 

 

Before Thy death a tree its leaves had lost

When hewn down from the pleasant place it grew.

The shame of losing beauty was a cost

The pain of which You more distinctly knew.

   

Before Thy death a tree was stripped of all

It had to give. Degraded utterly,

A piece of wood it was, until Your call

To save our race transformed the worthless tree.

 

Upon that tree of death You bore our sins,

And in that death, ’tis true, new life begins!

admin Devotional Thoughts cross, devotion, Devotional Thoughts, poem, poetry, sonnet, tree