The Cross is a Great Thing

This guy showed up this week in my office with a box. He was a little dirty in the face, but shaven. His hair was greased back (probably not shampooed that day). He had a tie on, too. He was doing his very best to be presentable.

He said to me, "Would you like to buy something."

Now you got to know, I usually don't buy things from traveling salesman. And at first, I thought it was the enchilada man that often comes around at lunch time to the businesses in the area. So I was poised with my typical answer, "No."

But the young man went on.

"Would you like to buy something ... to help our ministry?"

My ears perked up.

"What ya got there?"

He showed me the two "cakes" that were left in the box.

I said, "What church do you go to?"

He went on to say how he'd been homeless and a drunk and some church people came by one day and gave him some clean clothes and took him in and were helping him to get free of alcohol and he hadn't had a drink for a whole month.

(I'm crying as I write this.)

The cross is a great thing.

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Weeping for the Wrong Thing (Women Bewailing Christ)

"But Jesus turning to them said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.'" (Luke 23:28)

What are you sad over? I'd like to suggest it's the wrong thing. Let me explain.

Jesus is journeying down the Via Dolorosa, that confined and narrow, stone path leading out of Jerusalem towards Golgotha, the place of the Skull, where He will be crucified. There is a large crowd following along, including many women. These ladies are "mourning" and "lamenting" our Lord. (Luke 23:27) They're "grief-stricken" (NLT) over what's taking place.

It's a depth of sorrow that captures Christ's attention and causes Him to stop and turn. (Luke 23:28) And beyond that to speak. He does it because of depth of sorrow. He does it because the grief of these women is misdirected.

(And sometimes we get sad/concerned over certain things while we should really be sad/concerned for something else.)

The ladies are heartbroken. And who can blame them? This isn't a good thing that's happening (Christ being killed). None of us likes to see tragedy played out before our very eyes, especially when it's an injustice.

And yet Jesus still stops in His tracks to speak to the ladies about what happens to be their misplaced grief. They ought to be grieving, but it ought not to be over Him.

He says, "[B]ut weep for yourselves and for your children." (Luke 23:28c) He says it because there is impending disaster in the future for the Jewish people that the ladies are missing. The days ahead are so terrible and awful that the words in everyone's mouth and on the tips of everyone's tongue will be that it's a good thing to have never had children. (Luke 23:29) The Romans will come in 70 A.D. to destroy the city with fire (Jerusalem) and Israel will be no more (for 1,900 years).

It is because of their rejection of the Messiah (the women have a front row seat watching it) that all these things will come upon them. (History records the events as happening just as Jesus said.)

And it's these future events (future for the women in the story) that they should be grieving over. "Judgment day." It's coming for Israel. It's coming! And that's what our Lord tries to get the ladies' eyes on and bewailing/lamenting. "[B]ut weep for yourselves and for your children."

And so it's coming upon our planet, too. (Luke 23:30) Judgment day! Shout it from the rooftops! God is being rejected by the world. We don't want Him! (Do you see that? Or are you blind, too?) And so the Lord will give us up to what we really want. A world without Him! We will have "hell on earth" by our own choosing. There is no good (peace, hope, joy, life, etc) apart from Christ. (Selah~pause to reflect)

So what are you concerned with (a slick car, a big house, lots of money, prestige, a name for yourself, treasures on earth) versus what should you be concerned with (a world that's dying, the souls of lost men and women, the nearness of Christ's return, treasures in heaven)?

Jesus, help us to not weep for the wrong thing! \o/ #HeIsRisen

(Picture above in the public domain: HERE.)

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Burden Bearer - The Conclusion

(The last in a series. For Part 1: click here. For Part 2: click here. For Part 3: click here.)

"And when they led [Jesus] away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus." (Luke 23:26)

In frontier times traveling companies practiced sending out scouts ahead of the group to tread the path and plot the course for the entire party. They might scout the trail as much as two or three days' journey ahead (Matthew 12:40) and then come back (Mark 16:6) bringing the proper directions for the others to follow.

Jesus has done the same thing for us. He's gone ahead like a scout and made the way. He's tread the path and plotted the course. You see, Jesus knows what it takes to get through the most horrifying and hopeless of situations imaginable. And He purposed long ago for Simon to come all the way from Cyrene to meet Him on Good Friday so that we might know it, too.

The secret to handling the tough times of life is this: Get behind Jesus and follow Him. (Read the the above verse again placing emphasis on the last two words.)

Get behind Jesus with whatever cross you've been forced to carry. (Yes, I'm speaking to you.) Place your complete focus on Christ (not the burden)! Observe the way He handled things. (Hebrews 12:2) And then do the same.

I've always been struck by the tale of Charles Spafford. He and his family were set to travel overseas. However, Spafford was detained at the last minute so his wife and two daughters went ahead without him. He followed later on the next possible ship. While at sea, the most terrible news met him. The vessel carrying his wife and daughters went down in rough seas. With such a grievous burden placed on his shoulders (Mark 15:21), Spafford penned these famous words...

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot, God has taught me to say:
"It is well, It is well with my soul."

"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." (Psalm 55:22)

"I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

(Picture above in the public domain: HERE.)

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Holy Week Alive (A New Believer's Story)

When I first became a Christian, everything changed. The trees seemed greener. The sky seemed bluer. The birds seemed to sing louder (and prettier). Everything was alive ~ including me! (Ephesians 2:1-4)

Then came Holy Week. That's the week that starts with Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate and remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. (Matthew 21:1-11) (The people worshiped Him!) Holy Week ends with Easter, the most fantastic day ever. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after having died on the cross for our sins. (Mark 16:1-8) Wow! (The single, most significant thing that sets Christianity apart from all other religions is the empty tomb.)

And just like the trees and the sky and the birds seemed more alive to me as a new believer, so Holy Week was, too! (I tear up as I think about it.)

Every day that week there was playing on TV an Easter movie. Remember those? (Boy, how things have changed in 27 years.) And every day I watched. And every day my heart rejoiced and was filled with joy. (I felt the Lord!)

You see, it wasn't quite alive like this (the message of Jesus, His death in my place and His resurrection) in prior times. Oh sure, I was a church-goer. Oh sure, I "celebrated" Easter before. But now it was totally different. It couldn't help but be. When you have Jesus in your heart and receive Him into your life and surrender to His plan and will with your entire being, His story becomes real. The Bible becomes understandable. You're no longer afraid of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15) (Who needed to hear that?) Everything changes!

Many people go to church, but they have no relationship with God. This is religion ~ a bunch of rules and repeated prayers, but there's no life in it. It was never meant to be that way.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

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Burden Bearer - Part 3

(The third in a series. For Part 1: click here. For Part 2: click here.)

[They] placed on [Simon of Cyrene] the cross to carry behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26d)

It's impossible to erase the affects of a true encounter with Jesus from the conciousness of an individual. Do you think that Simon ever forgot what happened to him (/Him) that day? There's just something about coming in contact with the God-Man. The meeting leaves its mark on your soul.

And I'm convinced Simon had heard of Jesus prior to this moment. It would have been close to impossible to suppress the news about the great things Christ had been doing in the region. Here was a Man performing incredible miracles, showing supreme understanding and treating others with extraordinary compassion. Jesus seemed to have a handle on how life should be lived. At least that's what others were telling Simon.

And now Simon gazed upon the Christ for himself!

He was able to observe just how Jesus dealt with life, up front and personal. Was Jesus all that He was made out to be?

I don't know how long Simon had to carry Christ's cross. I don't know if Simon stayed to watch much of the crucifixion. What I do know is that he certainly was afforded some time to observe the Lord. Take a second look and note the last two words of Luke's verse...

[They] placed on [Simon of Cyrene] the cross to carry behind Jesus." (Luke 23:26d)

Do you see that there? Behind Jesus. Simon had a front row seat!

And it was from that vantage point that he was able to see just how Jesus dealt with life's toughest of situations. It goes without saying that Simon saw the most supreme and victorious of examples.

Even the centurion who watched Jesus die (and had presided over hundreds of crucifixions prior to this to compare His to) couldn't help but say...

"Truly this Man was the Son of God." (Mark 15:39)

And there are crosses we all must bear. Sometimes they creep up on us in a moment's time just like Simon's did. The loss of a job. The loss of one's health. The death of a loved one. You can be going about your life minding your own business and then something comes along and stops you right in your tracks. Circumstances or situations can arise that press in on you, even to the point of forcing you to journey a much different path than you had planned.

Those times can be unbearable.

They can feel like weights impossible to carry.

Impossible, unless your companion is the Lord Jesus Christ...

...and you're following behind Him. \o/ #HeIsRisen

(Watch for "Burden Bearer - Part 4" to come soon.)

(Picture above under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license: HERE.)

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Christ’s Resurrection and The Hallucination Theory

Christ’s Resurrection and The Theft Theory

Christ’s Resurrection and The Swoon Theory

Recognizing the Risen Christ

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross (Part 1-7)

Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 1)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 2)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 3)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 4)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 5)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 6)


Seven Lasts Sayings of Jesus (Part 7)

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 7

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 6

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 5

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 4

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 3

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 2

Last Sayings of Jesus from the Cross - Part 1

Burden Bearer - Part 2

(The second in a series. For Part 1: click here.)

"[The Roman soldiers] pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene . . . to bear [Jesus'] cross." (Mark 15:21)

Simon encounters Christ. Wow.

And he's come along way for this unforeseen meeting - from as far as Cyrene - a place in the northern part of Africa. It's believed that Simon was a Jew - one of the many who were living in Cyrene at the time. His place of residence must have still remained there for the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all make sure to mention him as "Simon of Cyrene." But Simon finds himself in Jerusalem now, or at least near it for he ventures in from the country this day.

Simon is just passing through. Simon is just minding his own business. He's just going about his day as the commotion ahead catches his attention. Suddenly, he is gazing upon the most horrifying of sights. He sees a Man who has been abused beyond recognition. He's disfigured. (Isaiah 52:14) The brutal act of scourging had a way of doing that to a person. (John 19:1) The Romans used a three-thonged whip weighted with pieces of bone or metal as their method of beating condemned criminals. These whips created deep lacerations on the backs and shoulders of their victims. Most didn't survive the scourging. But this Man does. (Selah~pause to reflect) And now He's heading to the Place of the Skull (Mark 15:22) bearing His cross, the weight of which buckles the knees beneath Him.

Imagine Simon's perspective. Might he be thinking thoughts like: "What's this? The soldiers are scouring the crowd for a volunteer? To do what? To help carry this Man's cross? They're pointing my way. They're choosing me? But why me? I'm just a foreigner. I'm just passing through. I'm not even supposed to be here. I want no part of this." Scripture says that...

[They] found a man of Cyrene...whom they pressed into service. (Matthew 27:32)

[They] laid hold of [him]...and placed on him the cross to carry. (Luke 23:26)

So Simon of Cyrene encounters Christ as Jesus' cross is placed on Simon's shoulders.

And do you think that maybe - just maybe? - at some point during the time that it takes the Roman soldiers to remove the cross from our Lord and give it to Simon - that quite possibly during those few seconds both Simon and Jesus' eyes meet?

Simon is never the same.

(Watch for "Burden Bearer - Part 3" to come soon.)

(flickr picture by thefost)