The Cross, Are We Bearing Ours?
Easter, a time of recognizing the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus by the shedding of his blood as an atonement for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice preceded by the carrying of a cross up to a hill to Calvary, the place of the skull, a garbage dump. This was preceded by a prayer at Gethsemane. A prayer in which Jesus had the authority and the power to say: I don’t want to go through with this. This is beneath the dignity ofmy position, to be treated like a common thief. Jesus could have said many things at Gethsemane. However, what Jesus did say was: “not my will, but thy Will”.
Gethsemane was not the only place at which Jesus could have called it all off. While being beaten at Pilate’s court, Jesus could’ve said: that’s enough. But he went on.
He was so weak, he couldn’t carry his cross all the way up Calvary, so the soldiers ordered another to carry it for him. This man had no choice. He was ordered by the soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross.
We do have a choice. When the going gets rough, we listen to all of the encouragement of others who may say, you don’t have to go through all of this; God doesn’t want you to go through this; so pray and he will deliver you out of it. This is true. Jesus also prayed, he could’ve gotten out of it.
We’re told in this Scripture; “I would above all things to be in health and prosper”. Yes it is true, God did say that. It is also said in the Bible, that the servant is not greater than his master. Jesus said; “they persecuted me, they will persecute you”.
When things get rough, we look to God to deliver us out of it. He said he would. Jesus promised; “whatsoever you ask the father in my name, it shall be given unto you”. This is also true. So, if all these things are true, then what is all of this talk about bearing our cross. God is there to deliver us, isn’t he?
God was there to deliver Jesus also. Remember the song: “he could’ve called 10,000 angels”. Just as Jesus had the power and the authority to call upon God to deliver him, we also have that power and authority. Jesus said; “greater things than these should you do in my name”. Yes, Jesus had the power. We have the power.
Jesus knew He must go through the trials and punishment, and the agony of the cross. If He did not know this, we would all perish in our sins and be doomed to hell with the only way out, a sacrifice for the atonement of our sins annually. The sacrifice of atonement by the priest only pushed the sins ahead to the next year never forget this. They were not forgiven, they were pushed ahead.
Man lost his relationship with God through the sins of Adam. The only way he could regain that relationship was through Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of his blood on Calvary.
This is why Jesus said; “not my will, but thine”. Jesus didn’t really want to go, he said; “let this cup pass from me”. But he went anyway because he knew the plan of his father.
When our trials come, James says; “the trials will make you strong”. But we are weak. Without the Holy Spirit to give us strength and sometimes even with that strength we feel we cannot go through this trial. We ask God to get us out. We say as Jesus did; “let this cup pass from me”. We do not always go to the next step as Jesus did. We do not always say; “thy will be done”.
It is Easter time. We celebrate with Easter eggs, we have chocolate Easter bunnies, Easter baskets. We are not celebrating these things, these are symbols of a pagan religion. Easter already existed. It was worship of the goddess Ishtar. It was a celebration of fertility.
