7/07/25 The Cross at the Center

Takeaway: To truly know Jesus is to see Him embrace the sacrifice of the cross.

Opening Prayer (Monday)

Heavenly Father, as a new week begins, I seek Your presence. Fill me with Your Spirit, renew my mind, and guide my steps. May I walk in faith and purpose today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

The cross is the defining symbol and center of Christ’s identity. In a world that prizes strength, status, and success, the idea of a crucified Savior seems backward, even offensive. For many, the cross represents weakness and defeat. But Paul boldly declares that this message, Christ crucified, is the very power of God. If we try to understand Jesus without the cross, we will inevitably reshape Him into something more palatable, and ultimately less true. His wisdom, His teachings, even His miracles cannot be fully grasped apart from the cross. It is in His sacrificial death that His mission, His love, and His teachings are revealed most clearly.

The importance of the cross is found in the reason Jesus came. Jesus did not come simply to enlighten or to reform; He came to redeem. And redemption requires sacrifice. The cross was not a detour in Jesus’ ministry, it was the final destination. Everything He taught and every miracle He performed pointed to the ultimate act of love He would accomplish on that rough, splintery wood. In this single act, the world’s values are turned upside down: victory through surrender, glory through shame, life through death. What appears as foolishness to the world is, in reality, the clearest picture of God’s love and grace.

The centrality of the cross also redefines how we live as followers of Christ. If His identity is defined by sacrificial love, then so is ours. We do not follow a Savior who climbed to power, but one who stooped in humility. The cross calls us to die to ourselves, not to earn salvation, but as a response to it. It exposes the lie that our worth comes from achievement, and instead anchors us in the unshakable truth that we are loved because He gave Himself for us.

To truly know Jesus is to stand before the cross and recognize it not only as the place of His death, but also the throne of His glory. This is the message we cling to when we feel weak, and when the world feels chaotic: Christ crucified is our hope, our strength, and our peace. The cross is not just the starting point of our faith, it is the crown of our faith.

Questions

When you think of Jesus, do you focus more on His teachings and miracles or on His sacrificial death? Why do you think that is?

How does the message of the cross challenge the values of success, power, and status that are so prevalent in the world today?

Application

Look for ways today to live out Christ’s upside-down vision of power: choose humility over recognition, service over status, and love over self-interest.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross. Thank You for choosing sacrifice over status, love over comfort. Let me never move beyond the wonder of what You’ve done. Keep the cross at the center of my life—shaping how I see You, and how I live each day. Direct my steps, and deepen my gratitude. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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