Thank God For The Cross

Thank God For The Cross.

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his wit-nesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

This is my favorite time of the year because, you can see new life springing up all over with Easter just over a week away. Can't think of anything more precious than the new life we have in Christ Jesus. Many of you can join me in raising your hand and say, hallelujah, praise Him, thank you Jesus for saving me!

Sometimes we need to be reminded the reality of horror our Lord went through to pay the debt of sin for you and me. We need to be reminded it wasn't a pretty cross sawed out to perfection like the ones you see on TV or in pictures or art. It wasn't a gold cross like the ones so many of us wear. It was a tree. It was a tree cut in the rough, placed on a hill and our Saviour nailed to it for a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

I remember growing up my Mom told me the story of the Dogwood tree. She said that the cross Jesus died on was made from a Dogwood tree. Mom also said that's the reason they don't get much size anymore and the flowers have four pedals and each one has a blood stain nail hole that stands for the Lords hands and feet being driven to it by Roman soldiers.

So, this time of the year I always think about the story of the Dogwood tree that my Mom told me many years ago.

There is nothing in the Bible about what kind of tree our Lord was nailed to but, it has always been a special story because my Mom was so special and she is living that eternal life that Jesus paid for on that tree.

I ran across a poem that I would like to share with you and I found it quite amazing that the author is unknown. It goes as follows.

When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew to a towering size with a lovely hue. Its branches were strong and interwoven and for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen.

Being distressed at the use of the wood Christ made a promise which still holds good: "Not ever again shall the dogwood grow to be large enough for a tree... and so slender and twisted it shall always be with cross-shaped blossoms for all to see. The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown and in the blossom's center a thorny crown.

All who see it will think of Me, nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree. Protected and cherished this tree shall be a reflection to all of My agony."

That poem is the legend that my Mom and others carried down over the years I suppose but, it is still a great reminder of the gruesome price of how Jesus paid for our sins on a tree.

We also need to be reminded that the early Christians paid a price so that we could hear the good news today. Of course God preserved it in a supernatural way but, it was also the obedience of those disciples and others down through the years and some paying with their life so that we could hear, believe and be saved by the bloodshed of our Saviour on the cross of Calvary made from a tree. Even more, we will be raised just like God raised Jesus to never die again

.

That cross is where I came and laid down my life and ask Him to take what was left and use it for His glory. It was at that cross made from a tree where my old life forgotten and my sins were forgiven.

Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller wwwthemillersbiblestudy.com

03/29/2012