Easter Reflections: What Is Your Cross?

If you define yourself as a Christ follower, then the Cross and all it symbolizes are central to your system of beliefs. It is both at the core of Christianity and what we celebrate at Easter: Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, came to Earth as a man to reconcile us to God. He died on a cross and rose back to life three days later as the perfect sacrifice and atonement for our sins. It was a free gift  that came at a great price. That is why we celebrate Easter. We recognize that our Savior is alive. Because of what He did, we too can defeat death and have eternal life with God.

But Jesus had this to say about the cross in Matthew 10:38, "If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine." Also in Matthew 16:24, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me." These statements tell us there is more to being a true Christ follower than celebration. These statements point to a change of heart that indicate it may cost you something. To understand what Jesus meant by this, I believe we have to ask ourselves three basic questions.

The first question to ask is: What is a Cross? Quite frankly, at the time that Jesus walked the Earth, the cross was a method of execution. It was a form of capital punishment where the victim was nailed or tied to a wooden stake and left to hang, often for several days, until they died from exhaustion or asphyxiation. Due to the weight of the hanging body, in order to breathe, the victim had to push themselves up with their legs, which caused excruciating pain. Eventually fatigue set in and they could no longer do so, and they would asphyxiate.  Often the legs of the victim were broken to hasten their death. The cross was also meant to be humiliating; the purpose was to dissuade others from perpetrating similar acts. Typically the victim was made to carry the crossbeam to the place of execution which could easily weigh over 300 pounds. To magnify their shame, they were  stripped naked as they were nailed to the crossbeam. So to recount, the Cross had three aims: it was meant to kill, shame, and publicly discourage.

This leads us to our second question: What is your Cross? Jesus told us in no uncertain terms we would be asked at some point in our walk of faith to carry a cross. After better understanding what the cross signified for Jesus, I think the 'cross' for every believer is whatever life events have the potential to destroy you, cause the death of your dreams, shame you or steal your happiness. We know this because scripture tells us what the enemy of your soul aims for: "the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy." (John 10:10) For many people this is a stumbling block. Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people? But the truth is, that really only happened once (at Calvary)! None of us measure up when compared to Jesus. So the first purpose of your cross is bring you to the realization of what Jesus did  to reconcile us to God. It is your acceptance of this gift that leads to your own salvation. How you choose to deal with those life events, or your walk of faith, is what conforms you to look like Christ. God does not cause bad things to happen. But He will work through them for your good.  For most of my life, my cross has looked like rejection. When one of the biggest challenges in my adult life came, I chose to press into the Word of God like I had never done before. Oh, I had read my Bible before then, but I had never read it as if my life depended on it. I looked for the promises of God over my situation, and in the process he showed me just how faithful, loving and good He really is. Had I not replaced the fear, anxiety and lies with the word of God, I couldn't have walked out fully the calling God has for me. Many of us know the scripture from Romans 8:28 that tells us that God can cause everything to eventually work for our good. But the next scripture in verse 29 more importantly tells us why; "to become like his Son."  Your cross is meant to help you work out your own personal salvation. Ultimately God will not protect us from anything that will make us more like Jesus.

Lastly, this leads to our final question: What are you willing to carry to save others? Trust me when I say that when you are dealing with life's challenges, the world is definitely watching. Many of our struggles are personal, but in God's economy they always have the potential for a larger impact.
I think that is in part why Jesus says specifically, "pick up your cross." He did not say drag it behind you or complain and leave it on the side of the road. How you deal with the challenge and how you carry it matters greatly. What you do when you walk out your challenges broadcasts far more loudly what you believe (about God) more than anything you can say. I say this with all humility. Part of maturing in our faith involves getting better at this; and I've probably failed more times than I can count. But I have come to realize through my profession that difficult circumstances can bring others to Christ. My own testimony started when a patient who was about to potentially lose their child showed me a kindness I had never experienced; it led to me to accepting Christ.  Don't underestimate the ability of your difficulties to save others. Knowing this, what burden are you willing to carry to ensure salvation for others?

Elizabeth Elliot was the wife of a missionary killed by the very tribe he was attempting to minister to. After his death, Elizabeth went back and continued to work with that same tribe bringing many to salvation in Christ. Their story is chronicled in the movie, "End of the Spear." Elizabeth understood what Christ meant by suffering being part of our calling in order to save others when she said, "The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."

This Easter let us reflect both on the magnificence of the saving that happened at the cross, but also the challenge that it presents to us who truly follow Christ. Just like at Calvary, life's challenges present a manifold of opportunities to display Christ. What was intended for harm, "God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20.
Happy Easter!