The Sign of the Cross

*The following is from Charles Stanley's Pathways to His Presence Devotional series*

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Crosses.  We see them dangling from people's necklaces, on car bumpers, and printed on T-shirts and coffee cups.  Crosses are everywhere.  The Christian cross is such a familiar symbol that we can easily trivialize its significance.  But it's what took place there--the death of Jesus--that lays the foundation for the Christian faith.

At the center of our faith is the cross.  It is symbolic of the place where Jesus forever changed history, the place where our sin was forgiven.  The cross and the death that occurred there bring life, joy, and hope.  In Mark 10:45, Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served.  Jesus' death on the cross was the place in history where the debt for sin was paid in full.  God demanded retribution for the sins of the world, and Jesus paid for them in one act with His own life.  

For all the signs and wonders that Jesus did while He walked on earth, it was what He did hanging from the cross that brought about the beautiful gift of salvation, which isn't limited to just a few, but is available to all.

When we think upon the Cross, we should do so with great awe and reverence.  It is the heartbeat of our faith, the place where our sins were paid in full by the most sacrificial act ever done by one man.

"Sweetly Broken" by Jeremy riddle

To the cross I look, and to the cross I cling

Of its suffering I do drink

Of its work I do sing

for on it my Savior both bruised and crushed

Showed that God is love

And God is just

At the cross You beckon me

You draw me gently to my knees, and I am

Lost for words, so lost in love,

I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life

Have I been given

Through Christ crucified

You've called me out of death

You've called me into life

And I was under Your wrath

Now though the cross I'm reconciled

At the cross you beckon me

Draw me gently to my knees, and I'm

Lost for words, so lost in love

Sweetly broken, Holy surrendered

In awe of the cross I must confess

How wondrous Your redeeming love and

How great is Your faithfulness