Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Message of the Cross


In this article, I would like to address two groups of people:
1.   You are a Christian but have not experienced and understood Christ’s love on the cross.
2.   You are not a Christian but are struggling in a particular situation or perhaps searching for perfect love.

This is the message of the cross. The truth is that it is for anybody and everybody because Christ died for all, not just the Christians. Many of you reading this article might have asked questions like, “Why the cross? How significant can an ordinary cross be?”

Ephesians 3: 17 – 19 writes that we being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

The Width
The width of the cross symbolizes God’s invitation to you as of a father welcoming his lost son with open arms.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
-Matthew 11:28-

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows? Are you tired of spinning round and round? Then pack up all the shattered dreams or your life, and give them all to Jesus, for He promises that He will turn your mourning into joy. Jesus loves you so much, more than you ever know. People around you may expect you to give your best even when you’re exhausted and sometimes they are oblivious to how you feel. But Jesus understands, He feels how you feel and He cares. And He is inviting you to go to Him, and He will surely give you rest.

The Length
The length of the cross symbolizes the extent and period of God’s love for you. Bible says God’s love is eternal. And because God is love, His love never fails.

How long have you been searching for a man or woman who would give you all of their love, all of their life? How many times have you been hurting inside because people’s love fails you? Are you at the point of giving up hope in believing that perfect and true love exists?

Jesus stands at the door of your heart, knocking. He won’t barge in. He is a gentleman. He will wait, patiently – and only He will – for you to open the door and let Him love you with His unconditional love. I urge you to be brave, open that door, because you will experience His love in such tangible ways that you can never imagine. He wants to be the lover of your soul. Then can you learn to love – unconditionally.

Jesus never said that there’d be no sunshine or rain in your life. He promises however that He will be there for you through eternity. God’s promises are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’, nothing less. God says:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away.”
-Matthew 24:35-

The Height
The height of the cross symbolizes the omnipotence of God’s love for you. The love of Jesus overcomes.

You might be living in guilt and shame or self-condemnation right now. It could have been a past wrong, a past relationship, or a mistake. Jesus died for you just so that you can be free from these, free from your past, free from every guilt and shame. The love Jesus poured out for you overcomes:

“…Love covers a multitude of sins.”
-1 Peter 4:8-

Perhaps, you have a hidden fear in your heart that no one knows about. And this fear, it comes and it goes away and then it comes back again to haunt you. Whatever this fear may be, Jesus’ love on the cross has the power to break it. Believe, trust and know that He is God Almighty. He holds the world in His hands. And because only His love is perfect:

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
-1 John 4:18-

Be assured in the love of Jesus because the Bible says that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Romans 8:37-39-

The depth
Finally, the depth of the cross signifies how Jesus humbled himself to earth and lived among us (John 1:14). Is there any god in the entire universe that portrays such humility? Is there a god who became sin, died for you, suffered the pain and shame, yet was blameless and perfect, because he loves you so much and wants to have a relationship with you?

The depth of the cross symbolizes the gravity and downward direction of God’s initiation. God is always the one who initiates:

“We love because God first loved us”
-1 John 1:19-

“You did not choose me but I chose you…”
-John 15:16-

He came. He pursued. He initiated; All because He loves us. No other gods have I known to possess such amazing love. Neither have I heard of any gods who would tell me “I am yours and you are mine.” There is but one; His Name is Jesus.

The message of the cross, which is His unconditional and amazing love, the width, the length, the height and the depth of His love has been given to you. It is a gift that has always been there and it will always be there until you respond to open the gift. And in the gift box, you’d find fullness of His love – that of eternal joy and pleasure.

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
-Psalm 16:11-


Got it? Or rather, done it?