At the Foot of the Cross

Since it is coming to the time of Easter I thought it would be appropriate to write a post about Easter.  This is one of the most important times for Christians.  A lot of the focus has been on Christmas, but the real focus is on the cross.  N. T. Wright, a theologian in England, says that without the focus on the cross and the resurrection, Christianity loses everything.  Everything that Christianity is about is the new life given by Christ who died for our very sins.

I had the privilege to go to Israel this January.  It was such an amazing and eye opening experience that words cannot describe it.  One of the main focuses for me was the Road to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Being there for me was very heart wrenching because of all the gold that is around in the building that really took away the awe from what it already means to Christianity.
 
I do not wish to criticize the church for making this image idolatrous.  I do appreciate that Queen Helen, Constantin's mother, built the church so that the historic land mark would not be lost to the pagans.  This image of Christ's death is so powerful for it meets humanity at it's deepest struggle.  Christ comes to die and to suffer with all creation by dieing for all.

Knowing all of this myself, I remember being one of the few that went up to see the whole where the cross is believed to have been.  I began to ask myself what will I say when I am at the foot of the cross of the Christ who died for me.  No words came to my mind except to thank Jesus for His death and new life.

At the foot of the cross, people mocked and scolded Jesus for not miraculously taking himself off the cross (Luke 23:35-37).  Yet, another man that was also crucified asked forgiveness next to Christ.  Jesus welcomes those into the very Kingdom that he brings to all creation.  When Jesus breathed his last, the Roman guard even saw how this man was the Son of God, and I imagine even worshiped Him after he saw Him die.

A question that I thought would be a good one to ask for Easter is what would you say?  The cross is where we, as God's people, speak and are welcomed into the very family of God.  This may either be a profession of faith for the first time, or something that you have not had the chance to really think about.

If you would like to leave a comment on Facebook to share what you would say I would love to hear it.  Or, if you wish to tweet it, you may say what you would say with #atthefootofthecross.  If you do not wish to do either, but you would like to write this in a personal journal I encourage you to write and think of what you would say.