We sing a lot of songs about the cross of
Christ, as we should. Jesus Christ is the
absolute center of our lives as Christians, and
the cross of Christ was the culmination of
Jesus’s work in this world. The climax of
everything that Jesus did and that Jesus was
occurred at the cross.
One song that we sing—have not heard it in
a while, though—is “At the Cross.” The chorus
goes like this, “At the cross, at the cross/Where
I first saw the light/And the burden of my heart
rolled away (rolled away)/It was there by faith I
received my sight/And now I am happy all the
day.” The truth of the cross brings clarity. The
truth of the cross brings joy. In Jesus, there is
truth. In Jesus there is clear vision. In Jesus
there is gladness.
Christian writer Josh McDowell once said, “If
Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He
did die on a cross at a point of time in history,
then, for all history past and all history future it
is relevant because that is the very focal point
for forgiveness and redemption.” McDowell is
right. By way of a perfect life and the ultimate
sacrifice, Jesus changed everything. His life,
death, burial, and resurrection are the true
hinge of all history. Through the suffering and
completed work of Jesus Christ, we have
everything we need. We have forgiveness. We
have redemption. We have peace. We have joy.
We have community. We have life. Abundant
life.
Every Sunday gathering, we celebrate the
work of Jesus in our lives and in our world. We
believe Jesus is who he claimed to be. We
believe that Jesus was crucified, is risen, and is
reigning. We have “seen the light” at the cross.
Therefore, we have clarity, joy, and truth.
–Ricky
