The Message of the Cross - John 19:1-27

this post was taken from charles stanley's "in touch daily devotional", so don't think that i was able to come up with all this great stuff, but i wanted to share it with you. it reminded me of this sunday.

this sunday i had the great privilege to lead communion. along with that great honor, my wife told me that i did such a great job that it made her cry. some people might find that upsetting, but to me that was another great honor. "why?" do you ask. well ... it touched her, and it made her think of the sacrifice that God gave us through the giving of His Son.

i started it off by having a song played, and then i talked about what the song meant to me and why i used it. i didn't have the praise team sing it or song leader know this, because the intent was for the congregation to listen to it, and not think of anything else. i also had it played because i can never get through it without my eyes leaking. i can't read it, or sing it without that happening. the same goes for the song "come share the Lord", but that's another story. the song i am talking about is "how deep the Father's love for us". that song is just so appropriate for the situation to me:

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts no power no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

being a father myself, and no not to say i am like God, but for God to do this for me ... its beyond comprehension. this line says it well:

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away

God's love for us was/is so great that He could not bear to watch His Son die. that line gets me every time. this line finishes it well:

But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

for God to redeem me with the giving of His Son, its just amazing that He would do that for me.

well, anyway, that probably shoulda been another post, but here we go.

read this quoted article and please mention in the comments your thoughts.

Rome used the cross as a brutal method for executing criminals. Through Jesus'sacrificial act, its message became one of hope and life for those who believe in Him.

The cross meant various things to different people in the gospel account. To Pilate, Judea's governor, it was the place where an innocent man had died. The Pharisees and Sadducees, on the other hand, saw the cross as the way to eliminate a problem—it meant that the radical rabbi was finished, and their position and authority were no longer threatened.

When Judas Iscariot heard that Jesus was condemned to die, he became greatly distressed. I believe the betrayer thought his actions would force Jesus to declare His kingdom, with Judas taking a high position in the new government. Instead, his error in judgment crushed any personal ambition.

To Mary, who knew the perfection of her son's life and His identity as the Son of God, the cross represented shameful crime. It also meant the fulfillment of prophecy. When Jesus was eight days old, Simeon had prophesied that a sword would one day pierce Mary's soul. (Luke 2:34-35) The cross brought that about.

To Jesus' disciples, the Crucifixion was the time when their beloved friend and Messiah died. Their intimate friendship with Jesus seemed to end, as did their dream of being freed from Roman jurisdiction.

What response would you give to the question, "What does the cross mean to you?" Is it the place where a good man lost his life, a troublemaker was eliminated, or the Son of God died to save you?

one more thing that i thought of as i was finishing this post, did you know that there was not even a word to describe the pain that the person went through on the cross while being crucified? can you think of the word? the word is ... excruciating. so if/when you here that word you can think of the kind of pain Jesus went through on the cross. just thought you might like to know.