Message of the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:18‬

Take Up Your Cross

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
~ Jesus (Matthew 16:24)

Jesus Canceled the Debt...

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ~ Colossians 2:14 (NLT)

HE Bore Our Sins...

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” ~ 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV 1984)

Take Up Your Cross

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ~ Luke 9:23 (NIV)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. ~ Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 

~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NLT)

Have the Attitude of Jesus

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

⁶ Though He was God,
    He did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;

    He took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When He appeared in human form,
⁸     He humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

~ Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)

HIS Follower...

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? ~ Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT)

The Message of the Cross

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NLT)

Healed by HIS Wounds

He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. ~ 1 Peter 2:24 (AMP)

Take Up Your Cross

²³ Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. ~ Luke 9:23-24 (NLT)

He Is LORD!

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

~ Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

He Humbled Himself

And being found in appearance as a man,
    He humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!
~ Philippians 2:8 (NIV)

This Man...

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ~ Acts 2:23 (NIV)

Take Up Your Cross

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ~ Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)

Cloud of Witnesses

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

He Bore Our Sins

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ~ 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

Cloud of Witnesses

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NASB)