Skip the Cross

Spring

Tomorrow, March 20th, is the official first day of Spring.

Anyone excited for that? Of course, in Colorado that means much (if not most) of the snow is still coming.

I love the seasons. Growing up in Southern California we didn’t have them. It was just sunshine all the time. So annoying. :D.

Spring is coming, and for the Christian what does that mean?

Brace yourselves...

Easter is Coming

Or “resurrection Sunday”.

You may notice I say “Easter” still even knowing all the historical weirdness of the origins of that name: the goddess Isis, etc… You know why I still say Easter? So people know what I am talking about.

And this is the primary, the central holiday of the Christian faith. It is (or should be) bigger than Christmas, more important that Christmas.

What is Easter all about? Obviously not bunnies and eggs.

Because it’s all about Jesus.

But like… what aspect of Jesus?

Jesus-Centered

In the three years of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus did a lot. He taught about the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and it’s present radical availability to all.

Jesus corrected the abuses and misunderstandings of the law of God. This is what Sabbath keeping should look like, what love of neighbor should look like.

What the law should look like: love God and love others.

Jesus modeled for us what perfect humanity looks like, a new Adam in loving obedience to his Father, filled with the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus is more than that, isn’t He? He is the triumphant Christ, the Messiah, the Risen Son of God.

Christ-Centered

Being “Christ-Centered”, then is a little different, or at least a little more specific than being “Jesus-Centered.” There are people who may claim “Jesus” but maybe aren’t even Christians.

Jesus as the “Christ”… Christ means “Messiah”, which in turns means “Anointed One.” Jesus as the Christ sees the Mission of Jesus, Jesus revealed as the Son of God, Risen and justified in his resurrection, as the triumphant Savior.

Isn’t this what Easter is all about? Celebrating the Risen Lord?!!!

It is.

Nothing I am going to say over the next few weeks stops us from fully celebrating the “Risen” Lord, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

You’ll remember this back from our time in 1 Corinthians last year.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

There’s an odd note in here:

1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Isn’t this written after Jesus’ resurrection?

Why not “know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him resurrected?” Or at least “crucified and resurrected?”

Why does the Bible keep focusing on the Cross over the Tomb?

And another one that sums it all up:

Galatians 6:14 ESV

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Isn’t it odd that the focus is most often on Jesus’ cross… not on the empty tomb? I’ve preached on this before, it is weird.

102 verses on the cross or crucifixion.

It is weird that we don’t wear empty tombs around our necks, we wear crosses. The symbol on every church is the cross (either with or without Jesus’ body on it).

Really? Boasting in “nothing else?”

What about the miracles… and the miracles we can look forward to?

What about resurrection and glory, eternity and heaven, angels and hallelujahs and worship???

What about great churches? Great ministries? Successful evangelism and missions?

Isn’t that stuff worth boasting about?

Boasting in the cross…

I get that the cross was necessary… but it’s like celebrating the means of death and suffering. It’s like wearing an electric chair, a lethal injection, a noose around our neck. I guillotine on top of our churches.

Why such a focus on the cross, even after the resurrection?

The world has been “crucified to me?” and “I to the world?”

I get the last part as a kind of “in Christ” thing… but that isn’t quite the way Paul uses it here to the Galatians. It is an accomplished aspect in his discipleship.

He is dead - shamefully murdered - to the world.

The world is dead - shamefully murdered - to him.

There is a radical separation there, a forever separation, a division. And he is thankful for it, he boasts in it.

You see this, YASSSS, that’s why I am dead to the world and it to me, isn’t that awesome!!!

Boasting in the cross, even here it seems above the tomb.

Paul is a cross-centered disciple.

and of course Jesus taught his disciples that they would follow him on the cross.

Matthew 16:24 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Did he also promise resurrection? Yes.

Resurrection is coming. Jesus is alive. And the resurrection is what validates the cross, it is what tells us everything Jesus claimed is true and true forever, it is the defeat of death, it is the firstfruits, it is a promise to all of us.

Resurrection is good and the Bible is clear, that’s a promise and you should be excited.

But we don’t get to skip past the cross to get to resurrection.

In this life we have the sure hope of resurrection, but we then take up our cross, eagerly, honored to do it, boasting in it.

We don’t skip past the cross to get to resurrection.

That’s what I really want to do.

And I think this is where Paul is going.

We have a tendency to want to skip right on past the cross. Of course we do. The cross is hard, it is offensive, it is painful, it is humble and humiliating.

We don’t always (or maybe even often) see the point of the cross.

And yet, Jesus told us to take up our cross… not the empty tomb.

Jesus commanded and the early disciples modeled a cross-centered discipleship. A focus on the “crucified Jesus” and not just the Risen Christ.

We are to be:

Cross-Centered

It is possible to be Christ-centered but not cross-centered. To be Christ-centered is to be captivated by Jesus as a triumphant Savior who offers us an abundant life with greater sense of power and influence in our lives. To be cross-centered is to follow Jesus as a Savior who embraced the cross, making that the pattern of our lives and leadership.

Super inspired in this by “Emotionally Healthy Discipleship” by Peter Scazzero

What does that mean? Exactly?

Of course we should be “Jesus-centered” and “Christ-centered” but if that doesn’t mean we are “cross-centered” we have twisted the image and life and ministry and mission of Jesus. Because everything He did in his time on earth was on the road to the cross.

The Road to the Cross

We are one month to Passover. One month to the Cross. One month (a little less) to Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter).

This is the time where Jesus starts to reveal the whole plan, for he knows his time is nearing. He starts revealing all the things to the disciples… and they don’t get it yet.

We are a people of resurrection, and we eagerly anticipate the Risen Jesus. We are commanded to be people of the cross first. Jesus’ cross comes before resurrection. Our cross comes first. To follow the crucified Jesus is to reject popularity, greatness, and success and embrace failure and suffering… to be popular, great and successful with Jesus.

In the coming weeks we are going to unpack this idea of being “cross centered.” Determined to know nothing but Jesus and him crucified. Boasting in nothing but the cross.

Where do I skip past the cross?

Why does this hit me so hard?

When I am just looking to receive the miracles and blessings of God, rather than walking in the footsteps of God. Walking with Jesus.

When I am focused on people liking me… and for me, this isn’t about the “adulation of the masses...” It’s more about do you all like me? Do my co-workers like me? Respect me? Maybe even admire me?

I want to be great, to be great at my job, to be a great pastor, to do great things for God...

When I am striving for success...

When I avoid suffering, when I am surprised by it, or I’m even angry about it… instead of honored to suffer with my Savior.

Any of that, all of that, can so easily slip into Greatness-ism, Success-ism… they can be ends of their own. And I forget, I am called to take up my cross and follow.

And where did that end for Jesus?

And where do I expect that to end for me?

Where do we skip past the cross?

We do this in the church

We skip past the cross.

When we want our church or ministry to make the right impression, to please the people, when we want great services or great churches, when we want success at any price...

When we shy away as a people from grief and loss and suffering.

We are meant to be a people of the cross.

We are meant to “know nothing but the cross.”

We are to “boast in nothing but the cross.”

Behold the crucified Jesus, let’s hear and remember… and worship.

Luke 23:26–34 ESV

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

To lift my cross and give everything This is the time you gave to me This is the time you gave to me