5. JESUS IS GIVEN HIS CROSS

Verses

“And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”
— John 3:14–15 (NLT)

Questions

If you could remove some aspect of your life, what would it be?
What do you think Jesus’ face looked like when he was given his cross?

Meditation

The moment comes when Jesus is given the cross He must carry.

The cross was not only an instrument of execution; it was meant to display power. It warned the surrounding world what happened to those who challenged Rome.

Yet in the mystery of God’s redemption, the very symbol meant for terror becomes the means of salvation.

Jesus receives the cross placed upon Him.

Jesus partook in being given something He did not want.

In the garden He prayed that the cup might pass from Him. Yet He entrusted Himself to the will of the Father and accepted the path set before Him.

Jesus had already prepared His disciples for this moment. He taught them that the way of His kingdom would not be the way of power or control, but the way of surrender.

To follow Him would mean walking the same road.

Maybe our offering today — and every day — is to practice faithfulness in the face of what we cannot control.

That which will happen in a human life…

Aging.
Death.
Loss.
Illness.
Wrinkles.
Infection.
Swelling.
Exhaustion.
Brokenheartedness.
Weeping.

These realities remind us of our limits and vulnerabilities.

Yet the cross also calls believers to something deeper than simply enduring life’s hardships. It calls them to surrender their lives to Christ and to follow Him in obedience.

Jesus said it this way:

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”
— Mark 8:35 (NLT)

In the life of Christ believers see the example of trust — the willingness to place even the hardest moments into the hands of God and to follow wherever He leads.

The Church responds in prayer:

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”
— Book of Common Prayer, p. 281