Preschool
Have faith in God. Mark 11:22
The Way of The Cross
Memory Verses
Primary
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Mark 11:22
Junior
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:23
Background Scripture: Luke 9
Lesson Scripture: Luke 9:22-27; 1 Corinthians 1:17-19; Philippians 2:7-11
Introduction
“The Way of the Cross Leads Home” 1 is a poem penned many years ago. What a beautiful thought that the way of the cross is not a dead-end road but the way that leads to eternal life, victorious life, a happy and rewarding life—and home. However, the way of the cross requires faith, self-denial, humility, and obedience to God. Let us consider the cruel sufferings of Jesus on the cross and appreciate the tremendous price He paid for our salvation. May this lesson help us understand God’s will better and inspire us to humbly follow Him.
Key Verse
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2).
Lesson Scripture
Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or he be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Studying the Lesson
Jesus instructed his disciples about the cost of their redemption. That cost included criticism, rejection, false accusation, shame, pain, and death. Added to all this was the weight of the sin of the whole world and the knowledge that his Father would turn his face away because He could not look upon sin. The cross was an instrument of death used to inflict excruciating pain. No vital organ was pierced, causing the convicted person to die a slow, tortuous death. Jesus would hang on a cross suspended between heaven and earth with his arms stretched out over humanity.
This was not the end. Jesus would rise again to bring hope and salvation for fallen man. He is the One “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). Those who repent need not endure greater suffering then Jesus experienced. However, the price He paid to secure eternal life must be precious enough to the believer that nothing in this world is esteemed to be of greater value. To be a follower of Jesus requires that we turn our life over to Him. No one can find eternal life while trying to save himself.
Though the cross is despised, the apostle Paul had the vision of the cross being the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). Jesus dying on the cross shows humility to be the power in the believer’s life. Jesus made Himself a servant who was severely criticized by the Jewish leaders; He submitted to the penalty of a criminal’s death on the cruel cross. In his love, Jesus saw that through this submission He would redeem fallen man. This was the nature that Jesus’s followers saw as they walked and talked with their Master and beheld Him on the cross.
One day when we see Jesus face to face, we will see Him in his divine and glorious nature exalted by God. Every knee that has ever walked this earth and every tongue that has ever moved will acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and the glory of God.
Practical Truths for Today
Though the cross as an instrument of torture and death has no attraction to the carnal man, we turn to Jesus in desperation when our burden of sin becomes too heavy to bear, finding the cross our only hope of redemption. When we feel the need of salvation, we get willing for the cross. It is the means by which Jesus secured our atonement, making it possible for us to be forgiven. At the foot of the cross we meet Jesus, lay down our will, lose our self-life, and commit our life to Him. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise (Ps. 51:17). The vision of Jesus cruelly and shamefully suffering on the cross for our sins brings us to appreciate the cross.
Although we do not worship the cross as a symbol, it becomes a place of sweet release. There a new life begins. We are free from sin and have a living hope of Heaven and an assurance that Jesus will keep us in his care. It may seem a contradiction that suffering and death bring freedom and life, but when the old flesh is crucified, eternal life begins. We love Jesus and are inspired to follow his example. Jesus’s joy of seeing us saved is mixed with our joy of being saved. This radiates from our hearts to those around us. The way of the cross does not promote social rank, financial gain, or spiritual arrogance—our connection with God is all we need.
As followers of a crucified, suffering Savior, we do not manufacture our own cross but patiently accept the cross He gives us. We willingly accept whatever cross He has for us to bear. Taking up our cross is like signing a pledge of commitment to God that we will do his will however He directs. By human reasoning we may think that more and more self-denial will win God’s favor; however, our self-denial does not secure our salvation. It is a result of Christ living in our heart by the Holy Ghost.
The cross divides between worldly philosophy and spiritual understanding. The wisdom of the world selfishly defends those who acquire things for their own advantage, even at the expense of others. With spiritual understanding, the decisions we make, the things we allow in our life, and the thoughts we pursue are all subject to the will of God.
To follow the way of the cross, we must have a renewed mind. Romans 12:1-2 explains: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and prefect, will of God.”
When we live a transformed life, we see life’s circumstances in the context of the cross rather than through our own intellect or according to the wisdom of the world. We see our present situation as well as things of the past in the light that shines from the cross. We no longer focus on ourselves but on Christ and what He has done for us. As we remember our Savior’s suffering to secure our salvation, we willingly bear our cross. By the power of God, we bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Troubling events, memories, and hurts from the past are cast away. The things that would drag us down lose their influence on us. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
The way of the cross is a walk of communion with Jesus our Redeemer. Even though the world shuns this way and does not care to understand self-denial, our Christian life is not lonely. We have fellowship with other Christians who are also carrying their cross, willingly living a self-denied life. With the love of God enlarging our heart and warming our spirit, we relate to others in kindness. The salvation and happiness of others is so important to us that we gladly deny ourselves for their benefit. The way of the cross leads home.
Questions
- Being nailed to the cross left scars in Jesus’s hands and feet. Are cross-bearing scars on a Christian a positive thing?
- What are ways to make the way of the cross desirable to others?
- How much time should we spend at the cross, meditating on Christ’s suffering, and when is it time to move on to the resurrection and its power?
- 1 Jesse Brown Pounds (1861-1921), “The Way of the Cross Leads Home”
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).