Last night, I shared with the students at the Bridge some of my feelings about Christ laying down his life for us on the cross. I spoke about God's love for us that he would be willing to put into motion a plan that would include emptying himself to become a man and paying the price for our iniquities. He chose to stand in the gap and pave the way where we could not. I continued on speaking about the fact that Christ paid back our disrespect toward him (sin) with kindness as he laid down his life on our behalf. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, still disrespectful to God, still people of disobedience, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
But as I left the church last night, I continued to ponder the act of Christ's death upon the cross. I thought about the act of laying down one's life for another. Of course, my mind immediately begins to scroll through every movie scene where someone jumps in front of a bullet for the one that they love. The only logical next step in my mind then becomes the Batman movies. I watched the newest one this weekend and my mind began to camp out on the scene where Bruce Wayne is in the prison and is watching his city being destroyed. His heart aches for his city so he begins to do the only thing that he knows how to do, he begins to build his body back up. He pushes day and night through great pains to become stronger. His motivation is his desire to overcome and rescue his city. This is often the picture that I think of when I think about those who are willing to lay down their lives for another. It is those who strengthen themselves physically to overcome a physical threat.
This was not Jesus though. Jesus did not come to overcome a physical power, even though many had hoped that this was the reason for his coming. Jesus came to lay down his life for that which is unseen, the darkness that lies within us all. Jesus came to lay down his life that the darkness would no longer have a hold on us. Jesus came to overcome both the physical and the spiritual hold of sin on our lives. He came to set us free. He gave up his physical body so that by the strength of his spirit we would have life.
While I have come to realize this truth, that Christ died that we might have life abundantly, I have often struggled with the cross. Why did he die on the cross? Why choose the symbol of a criminal to represent the way to life? In these last several months, I have seen how in so many ways in my life, God has redeemed the worst moments of my life for his glory. The most embarrassing moments have become the foundation for helping students through similar situations. The most painful and darkest moments of my life have helped build bonds between students who are feeling the same things and need help rising out of it. I believe that Jesus hung on that cross to do that exact same thing. The cross, the symbol for death and darkness, has become the symbol for life. The cross was a symbol for all to see. Everyone around saw Jesus lay down his life for the world. The cross has become a beacon of hope and light in the darkness of the world. It has become a tangible symbol of healing that which can not be seen. The cross...really the cross.
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