"Mighty is the Power of the CROSS."

This began on Thursday night. I attended a bible study hosted by one of my closest friends, and we have been reading "25 Days to Coming Alive at Christmas" for the past few weeks. (It's actually wrote by a hilarious friend of ours, Jenn Hand. Go look her up and read her stuff. It's both entertaining and filled with God!) We read each day's chapter on our own and then basically recap our personal highlights whenever we get together. Day 15 is named "Mighty God," and I knew instantly by the title that I would probably love it. And I did. The whole word for the day was drenched in reminders of His ultimate power over EVERYTHING. Reminders of Him defeating death and the cross. Reminders that He came knowing that He would have to give His life for us. There was a portion that stated that He would take the sins of the world in His nail-pierced hands. The very ones that hung the stars in the sky would be scarred for us. That's a powerful statement. The very hands that stretched out on the cross were the same ones that created the tree it was made from. He chose to die so He could breathe life into us.

A girl in the bible study brought up watching "The Passion of the Christ" when she was younger. The movie left an imprint on her. When she saw the words "nail-pierced hands" in the chapter, she had goosebumps because just those words alone put the vision from the movie in her mind. She was so emotionally moved by the thought of His hands being scarred. It sparked a conversation among the rest of us about that image. Him crucified, beaten, bloody. Dying for us.

I purposely avoided this movie because I knew I couldn't handle it. Just watching snippets of it led me to hysterical crying, and I don't just do that. The cross has always hit me so hard, and that's why I try not to linger on it. I want to picture Jesus as the man who rose from the dead or the baby in the manger, but I'm doing Him a disservice by not acknowledging one of the most significant parts of His story: He voluntarily chose to suffer and die so He could spend eternity with the very ones who led Him to the cross. 

We don't want to see Jesus like that because we see the reflection of our sin in His blood. In His scars. In His pain. I hate to think of what Jesus went through. I definitely hate to think He did that for ME. I did that to Him. My sins nailed Him to that tree. Do you understand that if you were the only soul He had to go to the cross for, He would? HE WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. A countless amount of times. Because for some reason, even in all of our failure and mayhem, He still loves us. And He never will stop. Isn't that wonderful to think about?

Last night (Day 19) covered the cross, ironically or not, and reminded me that from His very first cry, He knew His last cry would be suffering on a cross. HE KNEW THAT. Can you imagine what it would be like to live life knowing how you were going to die, and on top of that, knowing you would be tortured to save the people torturing you? What kind of love does that take? When I sat and rehashed the story of the cross, I began to cry out to my Lord. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I was overwhelmed with guilt. There I remained for a while just apologizing to Him for having to do that for me, but also thanking Him because He chose me over His own life. He thought I was worth dying for, and if that doesn't make you feel loved, I don't know what will.

Someone DIED for you so you may LIVE forever with Him.

Someone SUFFERED for you so that when your battles arise, He can take them off your shoulders.

Someone CHOSE spending His eternity with you over His own life.

The PURPOSE of remembering the cross is simple: We need to be reminded that someone gave it all for us. When we don't feel like worshipping, remember WHY and WHO you're worshipping. What you are worshipping Him for. And if that doesn't make you want to praise His name, I don't think anything will. When we get caught up in our tiny daily issues, we need to remember that this man lived every day of His life in misery knowing that it would eventually end in the most painful way possible. And on top of that, He knew that He was dying for people that wouldn't follow Him, hated Him, would mock Him, and He still did it! NOBODY ON EARTH HAS DONE ANY OF US THAT HORRIBLY. I REPEAT NOBODY. Before we allow things of this world to cloud our vision, remember eternity and the price it cost Him. Don't let His spilled blood go in vain. "If Jesus can die for you, the least you can do is live." And the least we can all do is recognize Him for just who He is: our redeemer, our strong tower, our shield, our defense, our conqueror, our savior, our God, and best of all, our eternity. Remember He gave it all for you like nobody else ever has and ever will. Remember that He is a MIGHTY GOD that has the ability to save us, if only we will let Him do it. Remember the cross. And Him. And His unconditional love for us. 

In conclusion, two songs are lingering in my mind. Sing them to your king. Look them up and spend some time thanking Jesus for the cross and the love we never deserved. Thank Him for all He's done because He is worthy to be praised! Here:

"I'm forgiven because You were forsaken.

I'm accepted; You were condemned.

I'm alive and well, Your spirit is with me

because You died and rose again.

Amazing love, how can it be,

that You, my king, would die for me?

Amazing love, I know it's true,

and it's my joy to honor You

in all I do, I honor You."

-You Are My King

"What can take a dying man
And raise him up to life again?
What can heal the wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness? Brokenness?

Mighty, awesome, wonderful,
is the Holy cross.
Where the Lamb lay down His life
to lift us from the fall.
Mighty is the power of the cross."

-Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross