Daily devotion – The Cross!
The Necessity of the Cross
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Matthew 16:21–23
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
People sometimes think Jesus was a little harsh with Peter on this occasion, especially when Peter declared that he was not going to allow Jesus to die. Yet Peter’s response, though emotionally driven and well-meaning, revealed a mindset completely opposed to God’s redemptive plan.
When you or I attempt, in our own way, to come to God—apart from the Cross—we make the death of Christ something unnecessary. Likewise, each time we as Christians continue in a sinful lifestyle, we belittle Christ’s sacrifice and suffering on the Cross.
The horrific and painful death that Jesus endured reveals two profound truths: the true horror of our sin, and the immeasurable magnitude of God’s love. God allowed Himself to suffer a cruel and shameful death so that sinners could be forgiven and reconciled to Him.
The Apostle Paul captured this perfectly when he wrote:
Galatians 6:14
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
This coming Sunday morning, we here at CCSH will celebrate the wonder of Communion—a table of thanksgiving established by Jesus Himself—so that we would never forget His death on the Cross. A death that paid for our salvation and removed our sins from our account before God.
Every time we worship Christ, every time we gather in His name, let us remember with awe and praise the Cross that Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to, so that we could be called the children of God.
The Cross is central to our walk in faith with God – this Sunday before you walk through the doors at Calvary, stop for a moment and look up, there on top of the chapel you will see a huge white cross, a symbol of God’s love for each of us!
Let us never forget the Cross of Christ!