THE BACK side of THE CROSS April 2024
Scripture References:
Isaiah 53: 3-5
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Psalm 103: 1-10 (NKJV)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems
your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according
to our iniquities.
In Exodus, we read of Moses being destined to free the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. While he was on the backside of the desert, God spoke to him. There, away from human interaction, God got his attention by a fire and an Angel. That could not be ignored, so Moses had a meeting with Yahweh. Although he was busy on his job, God intervened in his affairs and gave him a directive.
So, the backside of the desert was a good place for Moses to be.
Similarly, the back side of the Cross brought conviction to the Centurion and those who mocked and crucified Jesus. They concluded that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Did their belief end there? We do not know, but we do know that believers should develop a detailed perspective of the events that followed the Cross.
Jesus traveled an arduous road because of what it would produce. We have become accustomed to facing the cross with/without Jesus’ body, so much so that, we forget the aftereffects of the Crucifixion. Since cause and effect go hand in hand, let us examine some causes why Jesus endured the Cross.
Often, we hear people make the request of God, “Hide me behind the Cross.” Do we stop and realize that there is where one receives power to begin the Christian journey, (John 1:12)? Many believers repeat those words without thinking about what they entail. Let us take timeout and explore the depth of those words.
We may visualize the trial, agony, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus, but there is so much more on the back side of the Cross. The process toward redemption was accomplished on the Cross, but our salvation encompasses far more than the death on the Cross.
Firstly, two Mary’s visited Jesus’ tomb and conversed with an Angel. They received the message for the hope of our salvation: Jesus was risen, and He would be seen alive as unmistakable proof that His body had not been stolen. For us, the resurrection is the hinge on which our salvation hangs, (1 Corinthians 15: 19).
Then the women were to share that good news with the emotionally- disturbed disciples. What an honor! Not only was Jesus alive again, but also, He would meet them in a town that they frequented. Because of this, believers also have a hope to be resurrected.
In Matthew 28:10, Jesus’ famous words should resound in every believer’s ear, “Go tell…” Isn’t that another of the causes behind the Cross? We have been commissioned to share the gospel everywhere. Should we fail to participate in evangelizing and training our soul to bless God, we will find ourselves in a prison of our own making. Knowledge produces enlightenment.
Just in case we are unaware of some other benefits that we possess after the Cross, David reminds us in Psalm 103, that we should speak to our soul (emotion, will, and intellect) and command it to bless the Lord. This was an opportune time for David to reflect on some benefits that are available to everyone who views the heritage we have because of the Cross.
Knowing that humans tend to forget, David speaks to his intellect, will, emotion, every organ system and function of his body to bless the Lord. Because we are fearfully and wonderfully made, every intricate design must be reminded of its Maker. The Manufacturer’s manual (the Bible) lists things that have been deposited in our divine account.
Forgiveness has been provided for our unrighteousness (iniquities), if at all we would see Jesus. That provision for our forgiveness, has been made because of the Cross, (Ephesians 1: 7-10). Thanks be to God that our old account has been settled. Who are our debtors? Do we also need to extend the Olive Branch?
Beyond the Cross, is not only the pardon for sin, but also healing for all diseases. (Jeremiah 17: 14). We know that there is one whose primary focus is to steal, kill, and destroy. Some of his targets are our worship, peace, joy, strength, and confidence in God. Contrarily, Jesus died so that on the other side of the Cross we can declare His promises for abundant living. Joshua 1: 8, tells us how
to experience such a life.
Then there is redemption. In the beginning of Time, Eve decided that she had a better insight into the enemy’s motive. She did not realize that friendship with Satan was enmity with God, (James 4: 4). This resulted in mankind’s doom to physical death and the loss of fellowship with God. Since our allegiance to God was stolen, we had to be redeemed from the grip of sin. David told his soul
to remember that, and we should, also.
If that were not enough, the icing on the cake was lovingkindness. Sometimes, we do kind acts out of a sense of duty and not because of the commandment to love our neighbor. Our greatest example, Jesus, mingles love with His kindness and tender mercies. Another look at the Cross helps us to dismiss retaliation towards others and instead bless God for His unconditional favor, (Psalm 103: 10). The compassion that God shows us is so vast, we can only bask in the knowledge that it extends to our future, distant generations. That enviable legacy makes us anticipate that crowning glory.
Whenever someone is crowned, the crown is our focus. It cannot be hidden since it stands prominently on the head. We admire the details that enhance its beauty. That is what God’s lovingkindness does for us. It adorns us with such grace that the resulting focus is adoration for the work of the Cross.
When we are propelled to remember the majesty of Christ the Holy Spirit prompts us to speak, life-giving words that foster positivity to our brain, thus relieving stress. Our bodies then release chemicals (endorphins) that create a happy mood. They may be classified as natural pain relievers so; David speaks to his soul.
We are also reminded that good things coming from our mouth, trigger those chemicals thus causing our strength to be renewed like the eagle’s, king of the birds. They are particularly known for soaring above the hustle and bustle of the animal Kingdom. Strength and swiftness are two of their character traits. They are fearless of the size and strength of their intended prey. Whenever there is a storm, eagles use their wingspan to glide to a higher altitude.
When eagles retreat to a mountaintop, they lose their feathers, then regrow them. We can also extend our life by eliminating negativity and believing that God’s love, depicted by the Cross, plans for us to have long and satisfying lives, (Psalm 91: 15-16).
Finally, it is God’s responsibility to exact vengeance on our oppressors. However, when we decide to divvy up punishment, we become judge, jury, and executioner. God sees us in light of who we should become. Therefore, the provision He made via the Cross, shows His patience and mercy towards us, (Romans 5: 8). To emulate Jesus then, is to see and treat others graciously.
As we reflect on looking at the Cross from a different angle, we are afforded the privilege of worshiping God, approaching the throne of grace, and receiving benefits via Jesus’ intercession for us. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He equipped and empowered us to impact God’s Kingdom by using the gifts that we have been given. Therefore, we can appreciate the objectivity of the
Cross and comprehend what it means to hide behind the Cross.
Dr O. A. James
REFLECTION
How does viewing the cross from the back side, redirect us.?