DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
WHY SO CROSSED? | DAY 39 OF 40 (LENT)
The cross is offensive.
It was 2,000 years ago.
It is today.
Wasn’t pretty then.
Ain’t pretty now.
Well, not exactly.
Except when it’s blinged out with diamonds across our necks or mosaic-tiled and stain-glassed in our churches. That’s when we try to beautify it and make it, well, less offensive.
But if we are honest and truly ponder its real meaning and what happened on that “Good” Friday long ago, we’d all be crossed with the Cross.
We wouldn’t get defensive when others react negatively to the mere mention of it. We’d agree. Yes, it was awful. It was atrocious. Nobody deserved that kind of death, especially not the Maker of the world. Where were the human rights groups? Where was PETA and their red paint? Why were people alright with the Roman empire nailing folks to a cross and hanging them in public until they died?
Are you crossed yet?
If not, read what happened to Jesus.
Yes, the cross was meant for criminals and was to serve as a warning to people not to break the law. But, Jesus was innocent. He was the culmination of the Law. Technically speaking, He should’ve never been on that cross.
Day 39:
READ: JOHN 19
The Crucifixion of Jesus
Good Friday is the day when the church mourns and grieves and covers art with black sheets and fasts and prays and laments over the crucifixion. And we should. It was horrible.
But I also submit that we should be outraged and ask the question, Why did God the Father allow His Son Jesus to die like that? Why did Jesus, God the Son, lovingly submit, and agree to such a humiliating and painful experience? Let’s be clear, this was ALLOWED. No one could do anything to harm Jesus that He did not allow to happen. He’s God. So WHY was this allowed?
Why?
Why?!
For us, Fam.
There was no other way to get things right between us, the creation who are born sinful, and our Creator, who is sinless. God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus, who is perfect in every way and lived a completely sinless life, is the only One who could die in our stead and conquer death in the process. And I believe He choose something as ugly as the cross because it symbolizes the death within us that He conquers.
THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS
Most medieval-type paintings have a comely, fairly clean, malnutritioned-looking Jesus gently placed on the cross. That’s not how it went down. Jesus was a bloody mess – flesh ripped, temples busted, blood coming down his face. He had been beaten and whipped and nailed.
Mel Gibson has gotten a lot of things wrong, but he got right that flogging scene in The Passion of the Christ. I have only been able to sit through it once in my life. There is no way that I could re-live that again and again. I feel the lashes. I smell the blood. It’s visceral.
It’s offensive.
Remember how Jesus told His followers that if they wanted to be His disciples they would have to deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow Him? Luke 9:22-24
Offensive.
Who wants to take up a cross and die?
But that is the way of this walk. And that death is not the end of the story. Jesus says in the same verse in Luke that whoever loses their life for Him, saves it. We can deal with the crucifixion and Good Friday because of the resurrection and Easter Sunday!
We can “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
We can endure our offensive crosses because they are not the end of the story!
WHY SO CROSSED?
So, if people ask why we’re so crossed on this Good Friday, tell them about the offense of the cross. We should be crossed with the cross, and crossed with our sin that put our perfect, sinless Savior there.
But also tell them Easter’s coming and there are no cross-i-tudes on Easter.
All offenses are retired and we will shake the heavens with praise for a Savior who’s risen!
Crossed-Over-But-Not-Out,
Naima
DAILY PRAYER (LENT):
1) Confession & Repentance – Let’s confess our wrongs and ask forgiveness
2) Complete transparency – Let our guard down and talk to God about our lives.
3) Listen – Let’s quiet and listen to God’s Spirit re: the scriptures, etc.
4) Intercession for others – Let’s pray for our family, friends, coworkers, church, etc.