The Cross of Christ

There’s a bridge I’m reflecting on this Lenten Season and it’s one that we can’t do without.  It’s the cross of Christ.

I can do without bridges.  I have a deathly fear of them.  It manifested itself long ago.  My sister and I took my two young children on a summer vacation.  The oldest really wanted to ride over the Mackinac Bridge aka “The Mighty Mac.”  Every day she asked me, and every day I waffled. The bridge was enormous, and I knew it was a suspension bridge so it sways.  (I know it’s for a purpose but it was not a comforting thought for me!)

Towards the end of our trip, my daughter resorted to begging me to drive across it.  She wore me down.  We all piled in the car and off we went.  This bridge is 4 lanes and almost 5 miles long.  I discovered that the inside lane is a grate that could collapse at any time, so I didn’t want to drive there.  But the outside lane is so close to the edge and what if I suddenly veered off and flew over the edge?  I had a cheap foreign-made car. What if a big wind gust came up and blew me off the bridge?? (I know… extreme and irrational.)

Having no good options, I just death-gripped that steering wheel until my knuckles were white, stared straight ahead, and tried not to panic.  I heard my sister say, “Are you OK?”  I squeaked out a “No.” After we got across, I turned into the first parking lot, spun that car around, and drove right back across.

It was horrible.

But the biggest and most important bridge we must cross in life has a whole different meaning.

Jesus is Our Bridge to God

It is a generous and loving God that creates us with free will. He wanted our love for him to be genuine in return.  Unfortunately, our free will gets us into trouble when we rebel and go against God’s ways and we choose our own paths.  That sin creates a giant chasm between us and God.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

We know our sin separates us from God.  He is pure and without sin and cannot let it go unchecked.  Sin does not exist in heaven, and he wants us there with him.

“Your sins have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.”  Isaiah 59:2

Lent is a time to focus on our problem of going our own way. Good works, a fine character, church attendance, and Bible study are all great, but they don’t take away our sin. They don’t bridge the gap between ourselves and our holy God.

God provided that bridge, however, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Jesus paid the price.  His death on the cross and resurrection forever erases the consequences of our sin.

The Bridge of Life

We just need to cross that bridge.

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Romans 10:9

We resolve our separation problem with this heartfelt confession.  We have a new life and a promise of forgiveness.  That brings peace and the assurance of eternal life with him.

I remember when I first studied the book of Matthew and read about the tearing of the temple curtain at the time of Jesus’ death.  How could a massive curtain tear in two?  It took 300 priests to manage it, was 60 feet long and 20 ft high and as thick as a man’s hand!  What a mighty visual from God.  It symbolized the remedy to the barrier that existed between God and his people, created by sin.

Jesus’ sacrifice wipes away our sin.  His death on the cross is the answer to the enormous gap between us.  The cross of Christ is the bridge we need for reconciliation with God.

Now that’s one bridge I can cross without fear!

Lent is such a good time to reflect on the bridge God graciously supplied. 

He lovingly holds out his hand and invites us to walk across to him.

The cross of Christ is a bridge of pardon we certainly don’t deserve.

The cross of Christ is a bridge of grace and love.

This bridge is forgiveness and assurance of salvation.

Assurance of Salvation

Someone recently asked me to name verses that assure me of my salvation.  What verse(s) come to your mind?  I think it’s a great question to have an answer to!  Scripture is rich with encouragement for us regarding salvation.  When I thought about the subject, I wanted to go beyond John 3:16.

These are some of my favorites.  What are yours?

John 10:28-29  “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else, so no one can take them from me.”

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Ephesians 2: 8-9  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

Romans 5:8  “But God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 5:24  “I assure you those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

Revelation 3:20  “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Blessings,

AnnMarie