Enduring Death

 “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

“Jesus died for your sins.” How does that make you feel? If you’re like most believers, you’ve heard it so often, you are no longer affected by it.

We’ve all seen the movies and heard the horrific explanations of the excruciating death Christ endured for us. We know He did it because of love. We know the Father provided His Son as a sinless sacrifice. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” (Romans 8:32). We know He did it for us because we could not do it for ourselves.

But what if we DID have to do it for ourselves? What if the only ticket to heaven was for us each to individually die on the cross? What if that was God’s requirement? What if the only acceptable proof of our sincere love and devotion was the evidence we gave by willingly dying on a cross? Or what if our own death on the cross was the only way for our own children to be saved, the only way to prove our love and devotion to them?

If we knew we faced death on the cross, would we follow Christ? Who would choose to sacrifice herself? Who would go willingly, for the joy set before her, as Christ did?

Do you think Jesus, because He was God’s Son, did not have these feelings of, “Is this the ONLY WAY?” “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Believe it—He felt it all. He knew what was coming.

I confess that for a long time I did not have a proper appreciation of what it cost Christ to go to that cross. It wasn’t until I considered having to do it myself that I could picture the terror He may have felt, the pain, the shame, and the knowledge that THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY. No bargaining, no prayers, no plan B. He knew I could not save myself, and He willingly went in my place.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

We don’t have to die on the cross. We only have to carry it. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

Lord, thank You for going to the cross for me. Show me how to carry mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.