COV LIFE BLOG

Mark 8:31-9:1 – The Necessity of the Cross

Those who think that if they were present the day Jesus was crucified, they could have somehow prevented his death, speak out of ignorance. I often rehearse the following words to my congregation, which I am sure to have borrowed from someone else: “The cross was not an atrocity; it was a necessity.” As I write this, my goal is not to impart any new knowledge to you, but to cause you to meditate on that very event in which our redemption was purchased, our sins were forgiven, and peace was made between God and man. If you would take a few moments to just close your eyes and put yourself in the vicinity of the cross, what would you think? What would you say? Would your heart be broken or would you be among the masses who were celebrating the death of Christ?

That last question might throw you for a loop in that most people in their right frame of mind would never admit to cheering the death of Jesus. However, as we look at the many times we have failed him, does our attitude indicate that we don’t value the cross? Does it manifest the idea of us not even caring at all? What I am presenting to you today does not deal with denominations or personal preferences; in fact, it transcends those things. The topic at hand today is the foundation of what Christians believe, for without the cross, one cannot truly believe on the Savior. To those who are perishing, the cross is foolishness, but to those of us who are saved, the cross is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
 
The cross of Christ is crucial, for without it, we would have no Savior! It is no small matter, but it is the heart of the matter—it does matter. If you take away the cross from Christianity, you have nothing more than a dead religion. But Jesus did not come to give us religion—that has been around since the beginning of time—he came to save us and to give us abundant life (John 10:10).
 
Do I like the thought of hateful soldiers and wicked religious leaders beating and killing my Lord? Of course not! But when I think about all that the cross stands for, the necessity of it, and the plan of God to save us, it causes me to stand in awe of who he is and how he loves me!

John Mallonee

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SCRIPTURES FOR THIS SUNDAY
Read Mark 8:31-9:1. Do you understand the necessity of the cross? Do you really understand the fact that you had no other means of being reconciled back to God and having the wrath of God appeased in your favor? If so, does your life and worship reflect those proclamations?

SONG FOR THE WEEK
My Worth is Not in What I Own by Keith & Kristyn Getty