The cross

In the Good News version of the Bible we read ‘And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on His Cross, in order that that power of the sinful self might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin’ (Romans 6:6). There’s also an artist’s illustration which always speaks very powerfully to me. It shows a man in three stages: the first carrying a heavy burden on his back and dressed in grey clothes; the second shows him laying his burden at the foot of the Cross and the third walking away from the Cross, upright and in white clothing.

This is an amazing picture of what Jesus has done for us on the Cross and at this time of year it’s good to reflect on what it means for us. I don’t think we shall ever fully understand the magnitude of His sacrifice for us, but we can grasp at least a part of its meaning.

So many of us carry hurts and pains from the past, wounding that goes deep, often way back into our childhood, but Jesus took all that into Himself, along with our sinful behaviour, our unforgiveness and our bitterness. I remember praying with a lady who had been severely abused by her father and brothers and found it hard to bear the shameful memory of them seeing her in her nakedness. She felt that Jesus couldn’t possibly understand that until I pointed out to her that He had been strung up on the Cross, naked, for all to see. It was a turning point for her, as she was able to release all her feelings of shame to Him and feel free of it for the first time.

What we so often do is thank Jesus for taking all our pain and sin and we lay it down at the Cross temporarily, but then pick it up again and walk off with it! Of course it isn’t as easy as it sounds and it may take some time, but may this be a time when we really let go of the wounding and allow Jesus to bear it for us.

Prayer: Precious Jesus, Thank You so much for what You’ve done for me on the Cross. Thank You that You understand everything about me. I don’t understand fully what the Cross means, but I give You my hurt and pain, and all my sinful behaviour, and ask that You would help me to remember that You’ve paid for it all. I’m so grateful, Amen.