The way of the cross

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” (I. Corinthians 1:18)

“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-18)

The cross. We see it hung around peoples necks as jewelry. For others they have them hung in their homes. It has been a fad in stores who carry them in different shapes, sizes, and colors. But is the cross really something appealing? The truth is the cross was where our Lord suffered, hung, and bleed for the sins of the world. He was and is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world! That message, the cross, is what saves and transforms lives! For some churches it is still preached with passion but for others it is a faded teaching that is seldom heart anymore. The truth is the message of the cross is still as powerful today than when it was first preached! It still saves and transforms lives!

For centuries people have had a desire to know God or a “god”. Some cultures seek him in the moon, the sun, or in some other part of creation. Some people seek him in buddsim, islam, etc. But there has always been and always will be only one way to God-through Jesus Christ! So how do we get to Christ? By merley confessing? By just believing he exists? The truth is to come to Jesus you have to come by the way of the cross! There is no way around it! The cross represents death to sin and death to self!

In Mark 8:31-33, Jesus began to tell his disciples the terrible things that he would be faced with and even his death. In verse 32 it says, “As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.”
Verse 33 “Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Wow! That same voice still whispers in people’s minds and ears today, “You don’t have to go by the way of the Cross.” In other words Satan is saying, “You don’t’ have to die to your old way of life” “You don’t have to die to yourself.” “You don’t have to die to your sin!” You can confess Jesus and stil live how you want!” “You can still confess Jesus just don’t get radical and make changes.” “You don’t have to do what God’s word says, just do what feels good to you.” “Just don’t die!” “Don’t go to the cross”!

Satan was trying to distract Jesus and trying to get him to go another route but the truth is there was no other route! He had to go to the cross!

Jesus goes on to say in verse 34, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

People want to go to heaven but they don’t want to repent of their sins! People want to know Jesus they just don’t want to “die”. But if we truly want to know Christ the way He wants us to know Him we have to go by the way of the cross! It is the cross or the message behind it that transforms us! It is what stops us from living for ourselves and gives us the power to live for him!