Matthew 21:1-11 (NIV)
As we look at the scene at the foot of the cross, we have to wonder. How did it go from Palm Sunday to this? Jesus, the Son of God, hanging on a cross. Hanging between two criminals. How does that happen?
When God sent Jesus, He wasn’t here as a celebration but to save us. Jesus said things the chief priests and the elders didn’t want to hear, so they plotted to kill him. They knew not to try and capture him during the feast because they feared an uproar.
It’s hard to imagine the foot of the cross. Now over 2,000 years later we still remember. But, do we remain at the foot of the cross, no matter where we are or no matter our circumstances. Experiencing the foot of the cross puts the holiness of it into perspective.
The ground at the foot of the cross is level ground. How significant is that? It’s significant because it means that anyone can come to the cross. The ground is level. There’s no special status or position you must have in order to come to Jesus. There’s an old hymn that says: “The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Anyone may come, for there is no cost. Rich man or poor man, bonded or free, the ground was leveled that day at Calvary.” So powerful.
When we look at the cross, we see a symbol that points to a God who loves us. On the cross, we focus on suffering. A God who suffers with us. Emanuel means God is with us. The cross offers us the knowledge that God is always with us and knows our sufferings but never abandons us. Jesus suffered so we will understand that with suffering comes the knowledge that He is with us. In suffering, we find a connection with God. We are one with him. When we look at the word atonement, we know it to mean that we are sorry for any wrongdoing or injury we might have caused. As Christians, we also know atonement to mean a reparation for sin. We confess our sins to God and because of Jesus, we know God will forgive our sins.
When Jesus was about to breathe his last the curtain was torn in half. It was a curtain behind which people thought God lived and only on the Day of Atonement were the high priests allowed to go behind the curtain to pray with a rope on his leg in case he saw the face of God and died they could pull him out. The crucifixion tore the curtain and removed the barrier so we can be one with Christ.
The trust that Jesus placed in God saying, Into Your hands I commit my spirit. These became his final words. Praying that prayer for our kids, for our family, for our friends, for our country. Turning it all over to God and putting it into his hands. On the cross, Jesus trusted God still even in death.
Whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. Entrusting our life to God fully. Jesus taught us that on the cross. The cross is part of the church’s story. You can’t have a church without a cross. On the cross, Jesus showed how he suffers with us so that we might trust him. So that we might know that God is with us.
Imagine. I love that word. It’s a lot of who I am. I wear a bracelet that has the word Imagine on it. It’s a simple bracelet. Not worth much money at all. It means the world to me. My granddaughter, Haylie, gave it to me.
She knows the word and knows its meaning. Our days together are spent in a world of imagination. We have tea parties and luncheons. We put together plays. Then, of course, we mustn’t forget our friends, George (the dog), Mr. Owl, and Bert (the koala bear). Many a conversation are had with these friends. Who, by the way, are real!
When you allow yourself to imagine, what things come to mind? Is your imagination healthy? Do you feed it each day? Maybe it’s time to imagine great things through God. Maybe it’s simply time to imagine.
And that’s what I learned in Church……see ya next time!
