Hallelujah! Thank God For The Cross

A few years ago the pastor of a little congregation in Manitoba Canada erected a thirty foot high cross made out of heavy timber to honor his sanctuary — the “Church of the Cross.” The pastor lamented that despite the size of the massive cross, which took six strong men to raise, it is often ignored by passersby and visitors who attend the church for weddings or funerals. So someone suggested that the pastor illuminate the cross. But the cross was too large for ordinary spotlights, and neon was too costly. “So it stands there,” the pastor bemoaned, “quite massive, and quite ignored.”

No matter how large, or bright or well-crafted, perhaps many overlook the cross because of what it represents. The cross reminds us that Jesus Christ has freed us from our sins by His blood. The cross reminds us that the only true righteousness we have comes from God. And that great exchange, where Christ carries our sin and we receive His forgiveness,…