March
24
2010
Hollywood star and director Mel Gibson felt called by God to make his film The Passion of the Christ, a portrayal of the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life on earth. Although the film has been criticized for being anti-Semitic, Gibson has never pointed a finger at the Jews. Instead, he says all of us are responsible for Christ’s death.
In the movie, Gibson portrays this in a remarkable way. While Gibson’s face never crosses the screen, we do see his hands once. They are the ones, with spike and hammer, nailing Jesus to the cross.*
Too often we think of the Cross of Christ as an ancient historical event. We think of those who nailed Jesus to the cross as calloused soldiers following orders. Yet, when we finally realize that it was our hands that held the hammer and the nails, we can begin to understand the power of the cross.
When we realize that it was our sins that put Jesus on the cross. It was for our crimes against God that He went through all that He suffered. When we see that there is not any difference between us and those soldiers, then we can experience the joy of the cross. That He did it for us, for me. That He did it because He loved us.
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ” (Isaiah 53:4–5, NIV)
February
25
2010
Thomas checking the scars.
In The Odyssey, there is a scene that takes place near the end of the story. Odysseus returns home after many years of wandering. He is in disguise as an old man. At first nobody recognizes him, not even his wife and child. One night before bed, Odysseus’ aged nurse bathes him. At first, she thinks he is just a stranger; but while bathing him, she recognizes a scar on his leg. She remembers the scar from his infancy. She did not recognize him until she saw his scar.
Jesus had a similar experience. When first told about the risen Lord, Thomas refused to believe. But when he saw the scars, he knew the resurrected One was the crucified One. He knew it was Jesus. He recognized Him by His scars. (John 20:24-29)
It is the scars that make the difference. Because a savior without scars is not a savior. We like to picture Jesus meek and mild. We see Him teaching the crowds or blessing the little children or even healing the sick, but until we see His scars we could confuse Him with somebody else. It is His scars that identify Him. It is by His scars that we know He died for us.
“But he was pierced for our rebellion,crushed for our sins.He was beaten so we could be whole.He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)
February
24
2010
Fort McHenry Flag Pole Anchor
Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” in 1814. The original flag measured 42 by 30 feet. It was the immense size of the flag that allowed Key to see it from his position 10 miles out to sea, following a night of gunfire.
How could that large a flag fly on a pole 189 feet in the air. The answer is on display at Fort McHenry on Baltimore’s inner harbor. There, in one of the barracks, are two oak timbers, 8 foot by 8 foot, joined as a cross.
National Park Service personnel discovered this cross-shaped support near the entrance to Fort McHenry in 1958, buried nine feet below ground. Not only did the cross help rangers locate the original site from which the star spangled banner flew, but it answered the mystery of how such a large flag could fly in stormy weather without snapping the pole. This unseen wooden cross provided a firm foundation for the symbol of our national freedom.
In our lives we struggle with storms and battles. We wonder if we can remain standing in the midst of it all. The answer lies in the foundation. Just as the cross foundation for the flagpole at Fort McHenry enabled the flag to stand firm. Our lives can withstand the turmoil and struggles of life if we have a strong foundation.
When we have the cross of Christ deep in our hearts, we can stand. When we make the cross more than an ornament for our faith, but the foundation, we can not only survive but prevail in our lives.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
February
23
2010
Some years ago, a 14-foot bronze crucifix was stolen from Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had stood at the entrance to that cemetery for more than 50 years. The cross was put there in 1930 by a Catholic bishop and had been valued at the time at $10,000. The thieves apparently cut it off at its base and hauled it off in a pick-up. Police speculate that they cut it into small pieces and sold it for scrap.
Cutting up the 900-pound cross probably brought the thieves about $450. They obviously didn’t realize the value of that cross.
We are much the same. We often underestimate the value of the cross. We like to cut the cross up in manageable and palatable pieces. We like to use it for a nice Easter decoration or a beautiful piece of jewelry. We enjoy hearing how much the cross proves God’s love for us. So, we cut out the parts about suffering and shame. We cut out any remote connection our sin might have with the cross of Christ. We chop away any responsibility our sin might have for Jesus’ death. When that happens we lose the full power of the gospel message.
Yet, when the gospel writers relate the story of the cross, the theme that runs through all the details is one of rejection. When Jesus took our sins upon himself, he was rejected by God. (Matthew 27:46)
We must be careful not to cut up the cross. We must not make scraps out of the cross’ message. If we do, we miss the true value of the cross. We fail to experience it’s power.
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ” (Isaiah 53:3–4, NIV)
February
21
2010
His full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, but most people refer to him only by his first name, Rembrandt. He lived between 1606 and 1669 and during those brief years, he became one of the greatest artists in history.
If you were to look at Rembrandt’s painting of “The Three Crosses,” your eyes would be drawn to the center cross on which Jesus died. Then as you would look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross, you would be impressed by the various facial expressions and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. Finally, your eyes would drift to the edge of the painting and catch sight of another figure, almost hidden in the shadows. This figure is Rembrandt himself. The painting was not only a work of art but a statement of his faith. He was telling the world that it was not only the sins of the world that nailed Jesus to the cross, but his sins too.
Rembrandt realized a very important truth. It is easy to get so focused on the cross that we forget that we had a part in this divine drama. We must see ourselves at the cross. We must realize our part in the crucifixion of our savior. Because until we do, we will never experience the joy of the resurrection.
As we go through this time of Lent, let us remember that we are in the painting as well. We each had a part. But we must also remember that is good news because it means our sins are paid in full.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. ” (1 Peter 2:24–25, NIV)
February
19
2010
German composer Felix Mendelssohn’s grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, was not a handsome man. In addition to his short stature, he also had a hunched back. When he met a young lady named Frumtje, Moses fell madly in love, but Frumtje was repulsed by his appearance.
Finally getting the courage to talk to her, Moses asked, “Do you believe marriages are made in heaven?”
When she said yes, Moses said, “In heaven at the birth of each boy, the Lord announces which girl he will marry. When I was born, my future bride was pointed out to me. Then the Lord said, ‘But your wife will be humpbacked.’ Right then and there I called out, ‘Oh Lord, a humpbacked woman would be a tragedy. Please, Lord, give me the hump and let her be beautiful.’”
Frumtje reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand, and later became his devoted wife.
When Jesus carried the cross to Calvary, He carried the sins of all of us on His back. He did this because God knew that for us to carry our own sins would be a tragedy. God loves us so that he could not bear the thought of this so He sent His Son to take our sins away from us and put them on Himself. There can be no greater love than this. Let us devote our lives to the One who took our sin, our pain, and our suffering and put it on Himself.
“How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (The Message)
