keep me close to the cross
Website design By BotEap.comThe death of Jesus on the cross has fascinated a large number of people. But what is the nature of the attraction? Is it a morbid interest in the macabre, a fascination you find hard to pin down, a deep curiosity to understand why Jesus died, or perhaps you fervently want to kindle your faltering love for your personal Saviour? in a warmer flame? You want to stay close to the cross in your thought and devotion.
Website design By BotEap.com• CROWDS
Crucifixions in general and the death of Jesus on a cross were no different, drawing large crowds. People came to see the terrifying spectacle. In the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus we see at least three groups of people who were watching. There are the professional Roman soldiers who were tasked with keeping watch. They were hardened to emotional and anguished screams – they had already overseen hundreds, even thousands of crucifixions. Website design By BotEap.comThen there are the casual day trippers, often large crowds would head out for the day looking for a bit of ancient world entertainment. In some ways, seeing others far less fortunate than themselves, perhaps gave a boost to an otherwise dull existence. And, of course, the deterrent value of public capital punishment was always present. Website design By BotEap.com• COURAGE
But the most overwhelmed people there were Jesus’ own family, his mother, and close followers who had been so sure that he was the real Christ, the mighty Messiah, the Davidic warrior-king, come from God to free them from the iron grip of the roman government. And now all the anticipated glory was in tatters and tatters: they had serious, desperate darkness, if there ever was. Hope had faded, and instead despair and raw emotions hit them with a violence like a gale. Website design By BotEap.comThen on the third day, what a glory! He gradually got the word out, and it was so wonderful that, in the cold light of Jesus’ death, it took him some time to sink in to his truly triumphant bodily resurrection from the grave. Thereafter, and especially after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came with such life-giving, convincing, and encouraging power, the disciples of Jesus entered a new world. Now we find them proclaiming the message of his cross as a mighty work of divine saving power. From then on, they would give their lives to reach the ends of the earth with the great salvation of God. Website design By BotEap.com• CALVARY
Thus, we find the apostle Paul exclaiming: ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21) and ‘I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2: 2). Then to the Galatians, he tells them that it was, ‘before their eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly presented as crucified’ (Galatians 3:1). Website design By BotEap.comWhat was it about Jesus’ death that made it a focal point? Because throughout the centuries, people have found that the message of the cross brought them the love of God, that filled their hearts, caught them and awed them. And today, people continue to describe the crucifixion, continue to amplify the meaning and power of the cross of Christ through careful explanation of Scripture, still praying, ‘Jesus, keep me close to the cross, there a precious source, free. for all – a healing current, springs from the mount of Calvary’. Website design By BotEap.comWhat do you see when you look at the crucifixion of Jesus: a sad and pitiful end to a young man’s life, or the great revelation of God’s saving power and love? Do you see something done by heaven’s best for us broken and miserable, God-defying rebels; Do you see unlimited divine love and mercy there? Website design By BotEap.com• CLEAR
Some of the most radical and challenging words ever uttered by Jesus are: “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Do you believe this?’ (John 11:25-26). Jesus shared these words during his conversation with Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus. In that conversation, Jesus made his momentous affirmation: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’, which was followed by the words already quoted. Website design By BotEap.comFrom the clear statements of the New Testament Scriptures, none other than Jesus Christ has ever died carrying divine judicial sentence for a multitude of guilty moral rebels, as we all are by nature. And the record is just as clear that Jesus rose bodily to eternal life in glory (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is why we must continue to denounce the gravest and darkest error that claims to teach that someone else was crucified instead of Jesus. Website design By BotEap.com• CONQUERED
He alone entered the darkness of death and defeated its dark power. That is why the truth of Christ is the most wonderful and final answer given by God to the terrible death. For to all who carefully weigh the evidence and turn from their own ways to entrust everything to Jesus Christ, receive God’s great salvation. All of them can thank God that Christ took his death for them. He became my death so that I could receive life from him! Now that is a great transaction. Only in the death of Christ do we find death completely broken and conquered; there on the cross and in the resurrection of Jesus we see the death of death itself. Website design By BotEap.comThat should be reason enough to reflect and rejoice in the glory of that final devastating death. Because only in Jesus I have life; life that will never end. Jesus made it very clear that ‘everyone who lives and believes in me will never die’ (John 11:26), that is, whoever is raised now to a new life in Christ will never endure the endless hell of separation. of God. . Website design By BotEap.comAnd you, do you believe this? Will you pray today, ‘Jesus, keep me close to the cross, there is a precious spring, free for all – a healing stream, flows from Calvary’s mountain’?
Crucifixions in general and the death of Jesus on a cross were no different, drawing large crowds. People came to see the terrifying spectacle. In the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus we see at least three groups of people who were watching. There are the professional Roman soldiers who were tasked with keeping watch. They were hardened to emotional and anguished screams – they had already overseen hundreds, even thousands of crucifixions. Website design By BotEap.comThen there are the casual day trippers, often large crowds would head out for the day looking for a bit of ancient world entertainment. In some ways, seeing others far less fortunate than themselves, perhaps gave a boost to an otherwise dull existence. And, of course, the deterrent value of public capital punishment was always present. Website design By BotEap.com• COURAGE
But the most overwhelmed people there were Jesus’ own family, his mother, and close followers who had been so sure that he was the real Christ, the mighty Messiah, the Davidic warrior-king, come from God to free them from the iron grip of the roman government. And now all the anticipated glory was in tatters and tatters: they had serious, desperate darkness, if there ever was. Hope had faded, and instead despair and raw emotions hit them with a violence like a gale. Website design By BotEap.comThen on the third day, what a glory! He gradually got the word out, and it was so wonderful that, in the cold light of Jesus’ death, it took him some time to sink in to his truly triumphant bodily resurrection from the grave. Thereafter, and especially after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came with such life-giving, convincing, and encouraging power, the disciples of Jesus entered a new world. Now we find them proclaiming the message of his cross as a mighty work of divine saving power. From then on, they would give their lives to reach the ends of the earth with the great salvation of God. Website design By BotEap.com• CALVARY
Thus, we find the apostle Paul exclaiming: ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21) and ‘I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified’ (1 Corinthians 2: 2). Then to the Galatians, he tells them that it was, ‘before their eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly presented as crucified’ (Galatians 3:1). Website design By BotEap.comWhat was it about Jesus’ death that made it a focal point? Because throughout the centuries, people have found that the message of the cross brought them the love of God, that filled their hearts, caught them and awed them. And today, people continue to describe the crucifixion, continue to amplify the meaning and power of the cross of Christ through careful explanation of Scripture, still praying, ‘Jesus, keep me close to the cross, there a precious source, free. for all – a healing current, springs from the mount of Calvary’. Website design By BotEap.comWhat do you see when you look at the crucifixion of Jesus: a sad and pitiful end to a young man’s life, or the great revelation of God’s saving power and love? Do you see something done by heaven’s best for us broken and miserable, God-defying rebels; Do you see unlimited divine love and mercy there? Website design By BotEap.com• CLEAR
Some of the most radical and challenging words ever uttered by Jesus are: “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Do you believe this?’ (John 11:25-26). Jesus shared these words during his conversation with Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus. In that conversation, Jesus made his momentous affirmation: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’, which was followed by the words already quoted. Website design By BotEap.comFrom the clear statements of the New Testament Scriptures, none other than Jesus Christ has ever died carrying divine judicial sentence for a multitude of guilty moral rebels, as we all are by nature. And the record is just as clear that Jesus rose bodily to eternal life in glory (see 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is why we must continue to denounce the gravest and darkest error that claims to teach that someone else was crucified instead of Jesus. Website design By BotEap.com• CONQUERED
He alone entered the darkness of death and defeated its dark power. That is why the truth of Christ is the most wonderful and final answer given by God to the terrible death. For to all who carefully weigh the evidence and turn from their own ways to entrust everything to Jesus Christ, receive God’s great salvation. All of them can thank God that Christ took his death for them. He became my death so that I could receive life from him! Now that is a great transaction. Only in the death of Christ do we find death completely broken and conquered; there on the cross and in the resurrection of Jesus we see the death of death itself. Website design By BotEap.comThat should be reason enough to reflect and rejoice in the glory of that final devastating death. Because only in Jesus I have life; life that will never end. Jesus made it very clear that ‘everyone who lives and believes in me will never die’ (John 11:26), that is, whoever is raised now to a new life in Christ will never endure the endless hell of separation. of God. . Website design By BotEap.comAnd you, do you believe this? Will you pray today, ‘Jesus, keep me close to the cross, there is a precious spring, free for all – a healing stream, flows from Calvary’s mountain’?