“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2)
Greetings friend, it is wonderful to be with you again today. Please pray before you start this lesson for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the word of God in your heart and mind.
In previous lessons we have been seeing that the wondrous gospel power of God gives us a Divine inheritance, His light to erase the dark shadows weighing us down in our lives, and His forgiveness to wash our sins “as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (Isaiah 1:18b, ESV).
At the end of the last lesson, we started to contemplate what Jesus went through on the hill of Calvary so that we could be redeemed from the forces of sin, corruption and death, and from the power of Satan, in order to show His immense and extravagant love for us.
In today’s lesson we will pause and spend some time at this precious place where these amazing blessings reside - in the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ as described in 1 Corinthians 15:3b-4 (NIV): “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,(4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,”
So today you and I will be walking together to the precious and sacred ground at the foot of the cross of Jesus, where His blood flowed down to cover us, forgive us, make us right with God and fill our hearts with love.
You might know of the much loved Welsh pastor, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In the 1920’s a retired minister, after hearing him preach, said to him: “...the Cross and the work of Christ appear to have little place in your preaching”.
Perhaps you are surprised to read that a preacher of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ reputation did not understand the significance of the cross at the start of his ministry.
I was like Martin Lloyd-Jones. At one time, as a church-going Christian, I would have said that I knew about the cross as it was the wondrous event that changed me from a nonbeliever to a Christian, but my heart was desperately crying out for more of the power and love of Jesus. I was flattened by sadness and depression. The cross was not exercising its power in my heart nor changing my life. And no amount of self-effort (law keeping, promises to change, etc.) helped me to re-find and re-experience this special place of my first love, nor did any of it help relieve this deep sadness, darkness and burden bearing. Do you identify? Fully a Christian, yet not experiencing the power of the cross, and swallowed up in depression.
Or perhaps you may identify with a sister-in-Christ who told us that she was going through a long period of family grief and fear. She avoided going to Good Friday Easter services as they frightened her with the descriptions of the pain and suffering of Christ.
Or you may relate to another friend who said to me that he had ongoing relationship struggles and hurt. He said he could not get close to the cross but stayed at a ‘safe’ distance because he felt too unworthy and guilty to move any nearer.
He added that he wished he could be like those who said they ‘ran to the cross’ frequently in times of struggle as well as in joyful times in their lives and gained much comfort and strength from being there.
Question 1. What does the cross mean to you? Is it just a reminder of your salvation, or perhaps you feel fearful, or distant for some reason? Or is it a place that you run to with joy and expectation of being ravished by the love by Jesus?
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Carnell writes, "The cross is the foundation of my belief. The cross is my refuge and my place of refreshing. Being swallowed up in depression I lost my first love. Now as I gaze upon the cross I am refreshed renewed and revived. I am still trying to grasp the whole concept of the cross. I still have my struggles of the guilt and shame Jesus took for me but I look to the cross for the answer and God gives me His peace in my storms."
David writes, "The Cross is the basis for my belief in God. It is the extreme amazing love of God given away freely. I still have trouble grasping that fullness of love that is free. I struggle with that shame and guilt Jesus took for me. I'm hoping soon I can release that. Totally release that. To live free of shame and guilt, wow nothing could be better. Working on it!!"
Tori writes, "The meaning of the cross is definitely beginning to change. Prior, I was very distant from Christ and felt the cross was just the place of salvation and nothing more, that after realizing he died for our sins, we could look elsewhere in our Christian walk. Yet, through these lessons and insight of the Holy Spirit it is changing completely. I am realizing there is power in the cross, there is so much love at the cross, there is strength and rescue at the cross and victory. To look at the cross it helps put everything else into perspective. I can see my fears, anxieties melting away and God with time helping me learn to know Christ and come to the cross with joy, expectation and gratitude."