Sermons

May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit!

The Christian and the Cross
I. Remember Christ's cross
II. Realize your own cross

INTRODUCTION

What is the single most recognizable symbol of the Christian faith? I believe that without even thinking about it, you would answer "the cross". By Christians and non-Christians alike across the world the cross is the single most universally recognized symbol of the Christian faith. But do you understand everything that the cross stands for? If I were to ask some of the younger children here what the cross is all about, they would be able to say "that is where Jesus died". That is true, but that is only part of understanding what the cross means for us as Christians. For that reason we turn our attention to the words of Jesus in our Gospel lesson from Mark chapter 8 and listen as our Savior teaches us the full understanding of The Christian and the Cross. Jesus teaches us that this first of all begins with 1) remembering Christ's cross, but that leads to 2) realizing your own cross. I invite you to listen for those thoughts as we again read vv. 34,35 & 38.

I. Remember Christ's cross

In order to understand what Jesus is talking about in these verses, we need to set the context. On several occasions before this, Jesus had very clearly spelled out for his disciples that he wasn't going to be around forever, but as true God, Jesus saw that his disciples just didn't get it. So once more he spells out in unmistakable language that very soon he was going to suffer and die a horrible death "The Son of man must suffer many thingsÉand he mist be killed". Did you notice the words that our Savior used? He says this must happen. This wasn't just because his heavenly Father told him that had to do this. There was an even more compelling reason that lead Jesus to the cross. As he ministered in our world price for sins, so that we wouldn't have to - out of love for us he did those things and went to the cross.

But not only does our Savior point us to his cross to see the reason, he also wants to help us understand the result. Just a few minutes ago we joined together to confess "Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, words and actions". We came before the throne and the cross of our heavenly Father and confessed that not only are we by nature sinful, but also we have acted out on that sinful inclination daily and even in the last minutes in our thoughts, words and actions. But because of the cross of Jesus, we are able to come before God our Father and ask that each one of those sins be forgiven and we are assured that no matter how many times we have committed the same sin, no matter who we have sinned against and no matter whether it was a seemingly insignificant sin or a sin which Satan continues to plague our conscience with, we can be assured each sin is forgiven, forgotten and paid in full before God.

But that is only the first part of the Christian and the cross. Jesus wants us to understand that if that is what we want to do - if we want to be able to lay our many sins at the foot of the cross and call ourselves a Christian, then Jesus reminds us "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"

II. Realize your own cross

If I were to ask you what it means to carry a cross as a Christian, I would imagine that our answers collectively would be something like "that means that there will be times when I will have trials or test or temptations to my faith". That is part of it. Did you listen carefully to what we just sang in v. 3 of the hymn? "with meekness overflowing, my heart, my mind, my strength, my all to God I yield". Are we willing to do that? Part of carrying a cross as a Christian also means that there will be times when our Lord will ask us face difficulties as part of our life as a Christian. He might ask to be willing to give up some earthly blessing or privilege. Perhaps he might ask us to serve in a new or even challenging position. Maybe even he will ask us to stand up and do what is right and sometimes difficult instead of always doing what is easy and popular.

Are we willing to do that in whatever way the Lord asks us to? Are we willing to carry that cross for as long as he asks us to, no matter what the shape or the weight; no matter what the loss or the burden.

We must remember that once again, our Savior never asks us to do more than he himself first did. We were reminded earlier how he was willing to give up everything - his power and glory as God and even his life - for us.

Sometimes that cross may come in the form of a test or trial which our Lord asks us to undergo to bring us to our knees in humility and realize that he is the only thing we can rely on. These crosses are meant to draw us closer to him, to strengthen our faith and our commitment to him who was and still is totally committed to us.

But this cross, our cross, doesn't come alone - it also comes with a promise that God will give us the strength to bear whatever cross he places on our shoulders.

CONCLUSION

So, are you willing? Are you willing to take up your cross or crosses? To carry them for as long as God gives them to you, in whatever way or form he gives them to you. Remember this all begins with the cross of Christ - the one who willingly, lovingly, humbly went to the cross and did whatever his Father asked him. Are you willing, for his sake and in his name, to carry your cross?
Amen