The Cross

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed so hard that he sweat blood. He asked for the prophecy to be fulfilled another way. He asked that this cup pass his hands, but also added that it be the Father's will, not his. Yet God knew that the only way to bring salvation to his people was by allowing his son to bear the horror, pain, suffering and weight of the cross. To allow his son to die such a horrific death, God felt, was best for his son.

Only God can transform death into eternal life. Only God can transform the crucifixion of his son into salvation for his people. Jesus loves us so much that he wants us to experience the suffering of the cross in the same way; not only the pain and suffering, but the salvation and eternal life that comes after. 

Those who are perishing, see the cross as foolish. Yet those who are with Christ see the cross as a symbol of power and a symbol of uniting with God. It's the meeting place between the physical world and the eternal afterlife. 

Throughout our life on Earth, we are called to bear or crosses time and time again. It's very difficult, burdensome and at times painful. God does this because he wants to experience our suffering with us. He wants to use it as a time of transformation for us and a time to come closer to God. 

So every time we experience a moment of bearing our cross, we look up to Jesus and say, "For you!" We recognize that Jesus loved us so much that he accepted the suffering on the cross to the point of death. Now we gladly accept the suffering on our personal crosses to unite with Christ.