Christmas and the Cross

Each year as Christmas approaches I ask God to show me something new about the Christmas story. Not the "story" itself, but something new about comeing of the Christ - our Messiah. It is so easy for us to get lost in the "story" - the characters, the places, the people - and forget the purpose behind the story.

This year God keeps reminding me that while Jesus came as a child, he didn't remain a child. In other words, he came to grow up into the most influential and controversial man in the history of the world. He came and went from the cradle to the cross. He came as a child and left as a broken, tortured, bloodied mess of a man. You know the funny thing about all this - Christ chose to do this. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us he chose to empty himself of all his eternally divine rights and priveleges to come to earth to die a cross-like death.

Another "funny" thing about the story is that as Jesus was growing up he knew about a cross-like death. It was all around him. As he walked along the road he may very well see men hanging on crosses, dieing slow, horrendous deaths. Yes, he knew one day he would be one of those men.

His disciples also knew about crucifiction. They, too, saw it as they lived their lives alongside Jesus'. So when he said something like, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me," they probably stood with their lower jaw dragging the ground. If they were anything like me they probably smiled on the outside while on the inside they struggled to fully grasp what Jesus really meant.

In his book, A Call to Die, David Nasser challenges the reader to come to grips with this reality. To deny self, to take up the cross of Christ, and to follow him. There are things in my life that I definitely struggle with letting go. I have selfish wants, desires, and wishes that get in the way of hoisting the cross of Christ on my shoulders and following him - willingly. I even told God today that as much as I know the answer and I want to follow him it is difficult for me at times.

How about you? What is it you're struggling to let go of? What are you toting around instead of the cross of Christ? Have you shared this with God today? Are you willing to share it with him? I would encourage you to be honest with him. He already knows your struggles and what's getting in the way of allowing him to have full and complete access to your life.

Take time right now and ask God to show you what it is that is getting in the way. You may already know. Confess it to him and ask him to help you overcome, to turn aside, to remove whatever it is that is getting in the way of giving God full control and choosing Christ over your selfish desires and wants.

I'm right alongside you. . .

Man! That cross looks heavy!

Mike