The Cross

John 19:23-24

For years I carried a cross in my pocket and with that cross came a poem that I put to memory back in my late twenties:

“The Cross In My Pocket”

By Mrs. Verna Mae Thomas

“I carry a cross in my pocket a simple reminder to me of the fact that I am a Christian No matter where I may be.

This little cross is not magic nor is it a good luck charm. It isn’t meant to protect me from every physical harm.

When I put my hand in my pocket to bring out a coin or key the cross is there to remind me of the price He paid for me.

It reminds me too, to be thankful for my blessings day by day and to strive to serve Him better in all that I do and say. It’s also a daily reminder of the peace and comfort I share with all who know my Master and give themselves to His care.

So, I carry a cross in my pocket reminding no one but me that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life If only I’ll let Him be.  If only I’ll let Him be.”

What a great truth, but has the cross-become common place to many of us, or is it just a symbol of a religious order?  It did not begin in that manner, it was the cruelest of deaths, and it was a sadistic disregard for the pain or suffering of others, in fact it was designed to produce the worst of deaths.  Hanging on a cross was purposely designed as an excruciating and slow form of death.

This is John’s account; “      When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture, which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”      

(John 19:23-24 ESV)  While Jesus was hanging on the cross we have a crap game going on near by for his garments, and what has happen up to the time of Jesus’ arrest and before the cross is beyond our emotional ability to grasp in a world where we think giving Ensure to prisoners is cruel and unjust.  In fact, it makes water-boarding a walk in the park in comparison.

So what does the cross mean to me?  Romans 5:6 explains my self-love, my desire to live life on my terms independent from God’s authority, I was ungodly.  And in Romans 5:8-10, it states this truth: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

God’s act of grace freed me from the control of sin and it was the blood of Jesus Christ that exploded grace; the forgiveness of my trespasses against God and His redemption has lavished the mind of Christ by my Helper the Spirit of Truth, and through Him we can understand the mystery of His will for us, and for a better understanding of the above paragraph look at Ephesians 1:7-10. 

Now let us engage Romans 6:5, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”  You must ask this question: What is that talking about, do we have to die on a cross to become united with Christ and the Father?  If Romans 6:6 and Galatians 2:20, are true and they are, then something got crucified in you when Christ went to the cross, so did you.  Bill Gillham states; “God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam).  The plan is to kill it and start over again.” 

The following are four truths about what happen to you on the Cross:

1.   When Christ went to the cross, you were in Him.

2.   When Christ was buried, you old self was buried in Him.

3.   When Christ was raised, you exploded from the grave a new person in Him.

4.   When Christ took His seat at the Father’s right hand, in Christ, you took your seat next to the Father.

From the Back Porch

Bob Rice