This morning as I was in prayer, I opened my eyes and began to look up.

There directly before me was the large cross that hangs on the wall of my church. As I surveyed it the details of this cross became evident. I envisioned the hands of skilled craftsmen as they painstakingly cut and crafted the wood.

I saw the multiple times it had been sanded down until it was completely smooth. It was measured carefully and cut precisely. It was stained to bring out the richness of the wood grain. Finally one of our elders hung a beautiful purple sash across it.

Then I realized, the cross that I was looking upon is nothing like the cross on which our LORD and Savior died.

This cross on our wall was made from the finest of wood. It was painstakingly crafted. It was sanded and smoothed. The cross on which Jesus died had none of these traits.

It was made of the wood that no one desired. It was not precisely cut. It was not finely sanded. It was coarse and covered with splinters.

t was no one’s masterpiece, save God’s. He alone saw the completeness of the beauty and the horror that unfolded on that day.

He alone saw the aftermath of this sacrifice. He alone saw the vision of redeem hearts, hearts completely sold out to Jesus.

There was nothing smooth or elegant about the place where our LORD and Savior died. In the physical there was nothing beautiful about it.

Yet as I am reminded on this day of His sacrifice on our behalf, I picture the multitude of knees that have bent and the heads have bowed before Him because of what He did on that day.

God’s love was manifest in the physical. He laid all His cards on the table. He held nothing back. He demonstrated just how far He was willing to go for the redemption of mankind.

You may be reading this and thinking to yourself, “He died for someone else but not for me.”

My friend, this is where you are wrong. If you were the only person on the face of the earth, Jesus would have died on that cross for you.

You say, “But I am not worthy.” This is where we can agree, because I am not worthy either.

Yet Jesus suffered on that rugged, splinter-ridden, roughshod cross for me.

Is His sacrifice worthy for you?

Does it demonstrate to you just how deep His love goes?

Step away from the symbolism of the cross to see the utter brutality that occurred on that day. Forget the shiny gold crosses that hang around peoples necks. Forget that well-crafted cross hanging on the wall of your home or your church and remember the cross on which our LORD and Savior died.

It is written that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is LORD. So it is written, so it shall be.

The only question that remains is will you bow your knee on this day or will you wait until that fearsome and terrible day which is to come?

Prayer

LORD, on this day I am reminded of the cross. I am reminded of the price paid so that I could be set free.

I am reminded of just how far You were willing to go. You poured out Your love. You held nothing back. On this day, I pour my heart out before You.

I am holding nothing back. I surrender. I give You my heart and my life. I give You every fiber of my being. I belong to You.

LORD, I repent of my sins. I repent of the times I have trampled all over the sacrifice that was made for me.

I turn my eyes upon You, Jesus. I ask that You be the LORD of my life.

I ask that You lead and guide me through this life You have blessed me with. Because of Your sacrifice, today is the day of repentance. Because of Your sacrifice, today is the day of redemption. Because of Your sacrifice, today is the day of transformation.

Thank you, LORD for hearing my cries. You have stood at the door of my heart and knocked for far too long.

On this day I open the door of my heart unto You and invite You in. In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN.”

 

~ Mitch Salmon

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Mitch Salmon is the founder of Fisher of Men Productions and a follower of Jesus Christ and proclaimer of the Good News – The Gospel of Christ Jesus!

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