“Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed his last. Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves broke open, and many of God's people who had died were raised to life. They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them. When the army officer, and the soldiers with him, who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, ‘He really was the Son of God!’”(Matthew 27:50-54).
Literally, a cross is an upright post with a transverse bar – an
instrument that was used in antiquity for the crucifixion of criminals. Jesus,
too, died on the cross as a “criminal” condemned by the Jews. The thought,
mention or symbol of the cross, therefore, evokes the fear of suffering, pain,
shame and death. That is why in both secular and religious lives the tendency
for many is to flee from the cross. But the irony is that the treasures and
splendors that we dream of, and seek for, in life are all found only behind the
cross. Follow me - you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).
1.
What
is the Cross?
In the figurative sense, a across is the burden that one has
to carry, the suffering that one has to endure, the sacrifice that one has to
make or the thing that one has to forego; in order to achieve a desired goal.
In other words the Cross of someone is the personal
sacrifice which that one must make in order to get what thy desire. Someone can also
make a personal sacrifice to make another person or other people achieve what
they desire. This is why Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice to save all
those who believe in him (John 3:16).
In reality, no one can honestly achieve in life: education, career, business, marriage,
leadership or whatever; without making personal sacrifices or other people
sacrificing for them. That is why those who deny their cross often tend to
failure in life or to sacrifice other people (name, dignity, blood etc.) to
get what they desire (wealth, relationship, promotion, power etc.). This is why
the ways of life in the world are becoming more and more satanic and immoral. There
are four categories of the cross – the pagan crosses (sacrifices made following
the ways of the world), the satanic crosses (sacrifices made following the ways
of Satan), and the holy crosses (sacrifices made following the ways of Christ).
Bur among these, only the holy crosses can lead anyone to glory.
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2. THE Benefits of the Cross
If people were to know the enormous and lasting benefits of
their crosses they would discard all fear and shame, to bear them. First of
all, taking up the cross is a show of humility which invites God to give one the
grace to endure and the privilege to rise (James 4:6, 10; Philippians
2:8-9). Also the cross helps people to give
up their bad habits and attitudes (John 15:2), in order to obtain deliverance, uplift
and breakthrough (Matthew 27:50-54); as well as healing and restoration to new life (Isaiah 53:3-5). Furthermore, the cross is an amazing instrument for the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fortification and stability of the
human person. As the scriptures say, “But after you have suffered for a little
while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union
with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a
sure foundation.” (1 Peter 5:10). Moreover,
the vicissitudes of the cross always lead to a deeper and better understanding
of one’s life and its purpose; and of God and his will (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Finally, through the cross God gives one
the power to overcome and to achieve (1
Corinthians 1:18); as well as the grace to love God and the privilege to enter
into his supreme blessedness or beatitudes (Matthew
5:3-12). In summary, the benefits of the cross are growth, strength, promotion,
maturity and blessedness of God..
3.
The
Cross of Jesus CHRIST
Everyone’s cross is a function of their mission, vocation or
goal in life. The mission of Jesus was to redeem and to save the world from sin (John 3:16-17; Colossians
2:13-14). That is why he bore the sins of humanity in his body and carried
them on his Cross (1 Peter 2: 24-25).
And in order to save the world he humbled himself; to accept accusation,
humiliation and mockery; and to suffer condemnation, crucifixion and death on
the Cross (Matthew 27:27-50).
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GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER |
4.
The
Rewards of the Redeemer
The reward of the cross is also a function of one’s mission,
vocation or goal in life. On the cross Jesus accomplished his mission to redeem
the sins of the world and to defeat Satan and all the evil spiritual rules and
authorities (Colossians 2:12-15). As
Jesus took up his cross to fulfill his mission so did God the Father raise him
up and highly exalted him in heaven (Philippians
2:8-11). Thus, Jesus was restored to his original glory with the Father (John 17:5; Matthew 16:27). There he
lives and reigns as the eternal High Priest, and as the King and the Ruler of
the universe (Hebrews 4:14; Ephesians
1:21-22).
5.
The
Cross of THE BELIEVER
In the Gospel Jesus exhorts his disciples to take up their
own crosses and to follow him (Matthew
16:24-27). What, then, is the cross of the believer? The cross of the believer is
a function of their call from God. The mission, vocation, goal of the believer
are to know God; to love him, to fellowship with him, to serve him, and to come
to live with him forever in heaven (Hosea
6:5-6). Thus, the cross of the believer is the sacrifice they make in order to know
and to serve God, the things they give up in order to love God and to obey him,
the sufferings, rejections, insults, mockeries, and the pains and humiliations they
accept for the sake of Christ - just as Christ offered himself for the sake of
the believer (1 Peter 2: 19-23). That
is why the believer is called to live a life of testimony for Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9; Acts 1:8). And it is in
the course of bearing witness for Jesus that God’s plan for the prosperity and
the fulfillment of the believer unfolds to them (Jeremiah
29:11-13).
6.
The
Rejection of the Cross
The tendency for people to reject the cross is conditioned by
three main factors – ignorance, fear and pride. Firstly, there is a gross misunderstanding
of the Cross. In its true meaning, the Cross is not a punishment that one
suffers for doing something gad, but the pains that one suffers to do something
good. For example, Jesus carried his Cross (John
19:17), not as a punishment for anything that he did wrong (Luke 23:41; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But,
rather, Jesus suffered and died on the Cross in order to fulfill his mission of
salvation to the world (John 3; 16;
Romans 8:32; 1 Corinthians 15:3). That is why by the authority of the Word (Matthew 27:50-54; Colossians 2:15), it
is said that by his death on the Cross, Jesus turned it from an instrument of bondage,
disgrace, condemnation, death, defeat and shame into an instrument of liberation, grace,
justification, victory, life and glory.
Unfortunately, this
misconception of the Cross is actually promoted by the fake pastors and the
false prophets of our time (Matthew 24:23-25) - in order to
achieve their selfish objectives of misleading and exploiting believers. Thus those who misunderstand the Cross tend to leave the Church, and to
follow the false prophets and the occult societies.
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Secondly, there is the fear of the Cross – and this is inherent
in the human nature which Jesus himself portrayed on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:42). But he gave to believers his
grace and the Holy Spirit, as the Helper, to overcome this fear (John 14: 16-17; Acts 2:1-4). In the Church those who fear the cross tend
to resign in their faith and to return to the world – Just as in the desert many
Israelites longed to return to slavery in Egypt instead of struggling to enter
the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-4). In
the world those who fear the cross often engage in crimes and vices like theft,
scamming, corruption, prostitution, and copy work in order to earn their living.
Finally, there is pride that makes many people to regard the Cross with contempt, because of
the shame it brings. But as it is written (Philippians 2:5-9) Jesus’s humility was the path to his greatness
– and is also the model for all Christians. So those who deny the Cross out of pride
often turn to Satan to offer human and blood sacrifices in return for what they
desire to have in life.
It should be noted that the imperative to take up the Cross and to follow (Matthew 16:24-27) is not applicable only
in spiritual life but also in secular affairs. For as it is written (Genesis 3:17-19) God commanded that
human beings must work in order to earn a living. And Jesus came to fulfill
this law of God; not to abolish it (Matthew
5:17-18). Thus Jesus’s death on the Cross was to cancel the debt of sins (Colossians 2:12-14), and not to
free human beings of their duty to work for their living (Genesis 3:17-19). That is why it is written that those who confess
their sins will be forgiven (1 John 1:9),
but that everyone must work to earn a living (2
Thessalonians 3:12). So the concept of religion without a Cross or of life
without pain is one that is very dangerous. It diverts believers from the path
of salvation and encourages people to reap without sowing - by sacrificing
innocent lives or their own souls to the Devil, to get what they want in this
life.
7.
The
Rewards of the Believer
As Jesus was lifted up to eternal glory as a reward for his
love of his Father; shown by his humility, obedience and sacrifice (Philippians 2: 6-11); so also God
lifts up the faithful believers to share his glory on earth and in heaven (Romans 8:29-30). Therefore, as a
reward for their cross the believer is given power, victory and dominion over
Satan and all evil spirits (Luke 10: 19;
Mark 16:17). And with that power they are able to rule on earth (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10) and also to
exercise possession of, and dominion over, all the resources and all other
creatures on the earth (Genesis 1:26;
Revelation 5: 10). Finally, the believer is restored to their eternal glory
with God in heaven; as it was in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26; Romans 8:30).
Therefore, you must never be scared of your cross; especially,
when you have great dreams like Joseph (Genesis
37:5-11). Instead, embrace your cross with faith and courage - rejoice in your accusations,
trials, humiliations, mockeries and even condemnations. For God alone knows the
plan he has to fulfill your dreams (Jeremiah
29:11). The ways of God are mysterious (Isaiah
55:8) – and so he chose the Cross as the means to show his power and his
glory (1 Corinthians 1:18). If it
worked for Joseph, Daniel; and for Jesus, it would also work for you – if only you
believe in him (John 3:15-16). Remember that God will not test you beyond your
ability to withstand (1 Corinthians
10:13). That is why at the end of your breath - i.e. when you have
exhausted your human strength (Matthew
27:50); God would do his miracles to accomplish your dreams for you and to show
the world that he is with you. (Matthew
27:54).
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GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER |
Contact GODMAN AYING by Email: ayinggodman@gmail.com
The wisdom of the Cross is that when your enemies accuse,
oppose, oppress, insult and humiliate you; do not retaliate (Isaiah 55:8). Instead, offer all the sufferings
and humiliations they give you as a sacrifice to God – in union with Christ (Colossians 1:24). It is this sacrifice
that moves God to turn all things around for your good and for his glory (Romans 8:28). And so the Scriptures
say: “You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you
welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim” (Psalm 23:5). This is what happened, and Joseph
testified to his brothers: “The evil you plotted against me, God turned it for
good” (Genesis 50:20). It is also written that the soldiers who tortured Jesus, nailed him to the cross and insulted him, came to
testify about him: “He really was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:50). Surely, your
own testimony is near; if you live by the Word (Matthew 4:4). Happy feast of the exaltation of the Cross of Jesus
- the source and the summit of our salvation!
Author:
Godman Aying; Catechist, Writer & Evangelist;
Copyright
(c) Catholic Front Media (2023); All rights reserved
Contact GODMAN AYING by Email: ayinggodman@gmail.com
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