Week 7: The Shadow of the Cross

contributed by Mark Carnes,
Director of Worship and Arts

Monday, 3/17

"What The Rock Says!"

Luke 19:28-40

After Jesus had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34They replied, "The Lord needs it." 35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"[a]
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" 40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

I have to confess...as a child growing up, I was a professional wrestling fan. Nowadays, it’s not something I would necessarily recommend to anyone to watch because it has gotten so filthy and offensive.
Nonetheless, along with Ric Flair and a few others, one of my favorite wrestlers was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (now of Hollywood fame). I liked “The Rock” mostly because of his commanding presence in the ring when he spoke. I think he would have made a great preacher! He would always enter the arena to a song whose lyrics contained the words, “What The Rock says, what The Rock says!”. The crowd would go wild as he stood cock-eyed in the middle of the wrestling ring. They would hang on every word as they tuned in each week to see what indeed “The Rock” would say. Call me crazy, but for the wrestling fan, it was an electrifying moment!
That being said, there is a part of my life where I don’t want to know what The Rock would say, nor do I want to give The Rock any opportunity to speak on my behalf. Of course, I’m not talking about a professional wrestler in this case.
In today’s passage we meet Jesus as He has just ridden into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. The crowd is going wild cheering for Him and praising Him for all His miracles. All of a sudden, some self-righteous Pharisees chime in and tell Jesus to shut His fans down. Jesus brilliantly responds by saying, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the rocks will cry out.” In my own paraphrase, I would interpret that as, “you can’t contain me or my worshippers. I will get the glory one way or the other!” It would have made for great wrestling theater!
It’s amazing to think God’s glory is so profound and enormous that even if we don’t give Him our own worship (which is what He desires most), He will get it from even the most unusual place...a rock! Can you imagine seeing or hearing a rock rising up and singing “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High?!” I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any rocks doing my praising for me. God has been too good to me for that. So this Lenten season, let’s open our mouths and give praise to the only one who’s worthy...Jesus Christ, the true Champion of the Universe! They’ll be no rocks talking around here!

Tuesday, 3/18

“Where Are Your Credentials?”

Mark 11:27-28 (The Message)
27-28Then when they were back in Jerusalem once again, as they were walking through the Temple, the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders came up and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?"

The atmosphere in the arena was electric that night! The lights were turning and blinking, the music was loud and blaring, and close to 2,000 youth and adults had just finished singing their hearts out to God as they awaited my arrival on stage. I was the keynote speaker at a large Youth Conference. The noise was deafening, my heart was pounding as I stood on the stairs just off-stage waiting to go on. My adrenaline was flowing so unbelievably that I could not remain still. I was jumping side to side just as a prize fighter would do.
Finally, the moment arrived and just before the emcee went out on stage to introduce me, he came to me and let flow a group of words that hit me like a ton of bricks. He leaned forward and asked, “Now, how shall I introduce you, what are your credentials?” In my mind I thought, “you’ve got to be kidding me, you’re asking me this now, seconds before I’m to go and deliver the message I hope will change lives!?!?”
As anyone would do, I fumbled through words and thoughts trying to come up with enough positive adjectives to make myself look good and give myself more credibility than I probably deserved. It was an awkward thing trying to qualify myself seconds before speaking to 2,000 teens and adults. But somehow, saying, “well, I’m a balding, just past-his-athletic prime, struggling with everyday issues, in his middle thirties, normal guy” just didn’t seem to fit the bill for the occasion. Finally, I just stopped, got real and said, “Just tell them I’m a servant of Jesus who is answering God’s call on my life. Truthfully, that’s the only qualification I have right now.”
Strangely enough, in today’s passage we find that Jesus encountered a similar situation when He was teaching in the Temple. Even though He had more credentials or authority than any of us would ever hope to have, He didn’t feel the need to rest on those titles. Jesus knew the real motive of the Pharisees’ question was to try and trick him so they could find a pretense to get rid of him, so he turned the question around on them. But He was also secure enough in God’s call on His life and His authority that He didn’t feel the need to qualify Himself, for He knew His actions and ministry more than validated His work.
We live in a world where many people find their value in credentials, even to the point of requiring others to call them by those titles or to list those titles by their name when introduced. Now granted, there is value in education and those who have worked hard for those credentials deserve the respect to be recognized for their achievement. The problem is when we begin to attach our self-worth to those earthly titles. I’m not sure Heaven will be divided into parts such as “College Graduates” & “Just High-School Graduates” (and this is coming from a college graduate!).
In India, the Church has experienced a remarkable revival in recent years. I’m reminded of a letter written to America from a Pastor in India while praying for the same revival to come to America. It went something like this (and I’m paraphrasing), “In India, we have no Christian celebrities or name-brand attractive persons to attract people to our worship gatherings. We have no one with great credentials to be advertised on posters and pamphlets. We have only the power of God’s Spirit, prayer, and Jesus, and we find that to be sufficient for the thousands who come.” Striking words don’t you think?
Feeling like you don’t qualify for God to do something great in and through you for the sake of His fame and Kingdom? Think again, He’s given you some amazing credentials in His Word in I Peter 2:9-10...”chosen by God, royal priest, holy, God’s special possession, person of God.” And of course the best of all from Ephesians 1:7...”redeemed!” Now those are credentials to live by!!

Wednesday, 3/19

“The Black Beast!”

Luke 22:54-62
54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." 57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. 59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." 60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Furiously I ran ‘round and ‘round, trying to escape the black beast that was pursuing me close behind! No matter how fast I ran I could not outrun the black beast. Crack! Wham! Boom! Each time it seemed to hit me harder and harder as I turned the corner! There was no escape....
This is a true story, and it actually happened to me as a young boy. But before you begin to think I was the principle character in a horror movie, allow me to explain. The so-called “black beast” I was trying to escape was a black belt held by my mom as she was spanking me for something bad I had really done. The corners I turned were the corners of her hips as I ran circles around her trying to escape the impending doom of a spanking. As a child, I certainly committed my share of menacing acts resulting in some type of justified discipline from my parents.
Even as an adult, I still find that I struggle at times with trying to do the “right” thing rather than the “wrong” thing. The struggle with personal sin is one we all deal with as we grow in our relationship with Christ. Perhaps this is why we can relate to Peter in this passage today. At the end of the passage, we find him physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken over his personal sin. The Bible says he “wept bitterly” realizing he had just denied his Lord not once, but three times.
I used to read this story and think, “How could anyone do such a terrible thing as to deny Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!?” But I have now realized that any act of personal sin on my part is at its roots nothing more than a momentary denial of the Lordship of Christ in my life. Sin, is a refusal to deny my flesh its lustful pleasure and desire. When I make a choice to sin, I make provision for my flesh to have its way, which is basically refusing the Holy Spirit the right to have His way by helping me walk in holiness. It’s basically like saying, “Excuse me Jesus, I’m going to pretend I don’t know You for just a moment, while I assume control of my life in this area and fulfill my own desire, rather than your desire for me.”
I have a lot more sympathy for Peter these days, given my own personal track record with mistakes. I know all too well the feeling of weeping bitterly over my sin, and I don’t want to ever forget that.
One more thing, notice v.54 which says, “Peter followed at a distance.” Many of us spend our Christian lives following Christ “at a distance.” But Christ wants to know us intimately. Besides, it’s a lot more difficult to deny Him when you’re walking right beside Him rather than “following at a distance.” Peter had contradicted his own words, failed as a disciple and friend, and denied his Lord. Even so, as a result of this experience, he would change from a half-hearted follower of Christ to a disciple that Christ used to build His church. Peter finally outran the “black beast”! May we all seek to do the same.

Thursday, 3/20

“When Is The Cross Going Back Up?”

Luke 9:23-Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
John 19:16-18-16Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

I am always astonished at the comments I get regarding the cross hanging in our Worship Center at Crossroads Church. This particular cross is one of the more beautiful ones I have ever seen and serves as a focal point for many of our worship experiences at Crossroads. It was also made by one of our members, which makes it very special as well.
The comments regarding this cross over the years have been as wide-ranging as there are types of rice and chicken on a Chinese buffet line. Most people love the cross and its location, as it serves as a source of inspiration for their worship. For some, it is a disturbing and uncomfortable reminder of the brutal death and sacrifice of Christ for our sin. Surprisingly, there are those for whom the cross has been a distraction, likening it to a graven image. While still, others have found it surprising that a so-called “modern” church like Crossroads would have such a “traditional” center-piece in its Worship Center, especially if it wants to attract non-believers and the rest of the world.
If the cross comes down for a particular reason, you can bet the question will soon be asked, “When is it going back up?” If we change a lighting hue or design around it, no doubt someone will ask, “When will the cross return to its original form?” The varied opinions about this cross have been amazing to me. Nonetheless, I am thankful for the diversity represented in these opinions because it would get really boring if everyone liked everything the same way all the time. This diversity keeps us on our toes and challenges us to maintain excellence for God’s glory.
While I am thankful for the cross in our Worship Center, I am much more concerned about another cross in my life. That is the one Jesus told me to carry on a daily basis as I follow Him. In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Though Jesus was speaking figuratively here, it was no coincidence he would later literally carry his own cross to his death at Calvary.
To “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus”, simply means that we identify with His work in our lives and we walk as He walked. We lay down the rights to our priority and our agenda and completely surrender to His priority and His agenda in our lives by making Him Lord. We take on the very nature and character of Christ. This is no easy task, but He gave us His Holy Spirit to equip and enable us.
The cross in our Worship Center remains up and continues to inspire. But may we be known more by the cross we bear in our everyday lives for Christ than the one we fly by the rafters. This is what will convince a dying world that Jesus really is the Savior of the world! On this day, let us examine the cross we are called to “take up” in our own lives. Perhaps Jesus would ask us, “When is the cross going back up?”

Good Friday, 3/21

"Striking The Nails"

Galatians 5:24-“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

Today is Good Friday. Let us once again turn our hearts toward the cross.
I walked nervously down the aisle looking and gazing ferociously for what I needed. I did not have much experience in this matter. It had to be sharp, it had to be strong, and it had to penetrate well. Simply put, it had to do the job. I was not looking for a murder weapon, I was simply looking to purchase some nails. I was moving into my first home, and so now, being a homeowner, I knew I would need some nails. Every guy has nails lying around…right? Wasn’t that a pre-requisite for being a male homeowner? The only thing is that I had no idea there were so many different types of nails. I was lost…I was confused. All I wanted were regular nails, so I just bought two yellow boxes of what I thought were regular nails.
One must understand, I am not very much of a carpenter. My skills are limited, not to mention I have absolutely no interest in it. So needless to say, I am not the greatest nail-driver in the world! As a matter of fact, two houses and eight years later, I still have those two yellow boxes of nails…completely unopened! Because I am not a great nail-driver (driving the nail into the wood), I have actually become a very good nail-striker (taking the nail out of the wood). I have become a good nail-striker because I am not a good nail-driver. It seems I always put the nail in crooked, or the wrong way. Sadly, metaphorically speaking, on this Good Friday, I must admit I am too good a “nail-striker” in my walk with Christ as well…much better than I would care to admit. Allow me to explain.
In Galatians 2:20, we are told that we “have been crucified with Christ…”. Through faith-union with Christ, this is something He has done for us. Our identity is in Him as a result. In today’s passage of Galatians 5:24 it is we who are to take the action by “crucifying” our old sin-nature, that is to say we “put to death” our sin patterns by nailing them to the cross of Christ. This is the graphic meaning of the Apostle Paul’s description of repentance, turning our back on selfishness and sin. Crucifixion is to be the fate of our sinful desires. In the New Testament, crucifixion was meant to be without pity, painful, and decisive. This is how we are to approach and deal with sinful patterns in our life.
Herein lies the problem for many of us. Through salvation, with the help of Christ, we have nailed our old nature to the cross. But we so easily and often return to the scene of the execution. At the crime scene we gaze upon our sin on the cross. We then begin to fondle it, caress it. Our flesh demands to be fed and we begin to long for its release. We then begin the utterly insane act of trying to take it down from the cross, if only for a moment’s pleasure. We pick up the hammer of selfishness and begin to “strike the nails.” Do you hear them being ripped out of the wood and clanking to the floor? Can you hear it yet? Nail after nail we strike, hammer in hand, until we are left standing in a pool full of shame, guilt, and regret…and of course, a hand full of rusty nails. Can you hear the wood…can you hear the nail…ever been there? Sadly, I’ve been there more often than I care to admit.
We need to learn to leave our sin crucified and nailed to the cross. It is usually fatal to examine the sinful thoughts that enter our mind and demand full-birth. We must kick them out at once. We cannot resume negotiations with sinful patterns. We cannot pick up the hammer and consider whether or not we will strike the nail for momentary pleasure, for the issue has been settled for good through the work of Christ on the cross. We have crucified the flesh, we are not going to strike the nails. It is not easy, but it wasn’t meant to be.
So on this day, let us each drop the hammer. We will not strike the nails any longer, for the price paid was too great. Our sins have been nailed to cross forever and they are forgiven…washed away. They are meant to stay there. Do you hear the hammer hitting the nail…driving it into the wood? If you listen closely, if you remain still, you will hear it, no doubt. This is how love sounds. This is how grace sounds. This is what it means to have a second chance. This is what it means to be redeemed. Thank God for Good Friday and thank God for the Resurrection!