God challenged me on August 5, 2015 to look more closely at the cross of Christ – as a symbol of something to be taken up and carried in loyalty to Christ, and also as a symbol of His great accomplishments on our behalf – effected in His 33-year journey to the cross, in His ordeal on the cross, in the emptying of the cross and tomb, and in the 40-day demonstration to the disciples of His victory over Roman brutality: being alive and well after having been impaled to “death” on their execution-stake. God’s challenge to me to review these matters came just before a challenge from a human source to deny the legitimacy of the cross as a Christian symbol. That is why my last few posts have examined the significance of the cross/ execution-stake/ post/ wood, all cut from a tree, on which Yeshua paid the price for our sins.

In every debate God has the last word. To those with ears to hear spiritually, it can be instructive for their life ahead. To those with spiritually deafened ears, the “last word” may just be that which foretells their fate. Here are some Biblical “last words” on the matter of the cross (execution-stake) of Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah/Christ). Having previously shared about the words rendered “cross” and relating to the “cross”, I will now simply quote from the NIV since that is a very widely used translation.

Matthew 10:37-39 [context: conflict with loved ones, caused by attitudes to Messiah]. “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Luke 14:25-27 [context: God’s invitation to the wedding feast, spurned with excuses including financial and family considerations]. “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ^{26 ‘}If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.‘ ”

Luke 9:21-24 [context: Yeshua had just questioned His disciples about whom they and other people thought He really was. The last response, from Peter, was “God’s Messiah.”]  “Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. ²² And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ 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.’ “

Matthew 16:24-25 [Yeshua had just told the disciples of His impending death, Peter had strongly objected, and Yeshua had rebuked the satanic inspiration in Peter for setting his mind on earthly priorities rather than divine priorities.]  “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’ ”  Mark 8:34-35 says practically the same thing, in the same context.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 [context: dissension in the kehila (community/congregation) with different leaders drawing disciples after themselves, but Paul rejoicing that he had not baptized any of them in his own name, and asking, did any of these others die for you, or was it Yeshua Who died for you?]  “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.¹⁸ 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.”

Ephesians 2:13-16 [context: explaining the status of Gentile believers and their relationship to Jewish believers]  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

Philippians 3:17-19 [context: Paul’s exhortation to Godly living, in pursuit of the “goal” for the “prize for which God has called (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus.”]  “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.“

Colossians 1:18-22  [context: general teaching on how to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.”]  “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.²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Colossians 2:13-17  [context: general teaching about new life in Messiah/Christ, and the spiritual circumcision done by Him]  “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Hebrews 12:1-4 [context: encouragement to persevere in the faith, despite persecution]  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (Biblical patriarchs and martyred saints), 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. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

Philippians 2:5-11 [context: encouragement to be humble, esteeming and serving each other]  “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place     and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In my four posts dating from September 26 to October 14, 2015, I have shared from other scriptures: John 3:14-15 and Numbers 21:7-9 regarding the cross as a “pole”; Galatians 3:13 and 1 Peter 2:23-24 regarding the cross as a “tree”; and Galatians 6:12-14 examining the cross as an execution-stake.

SUMMARY: Four of the passages quoted above contain the same exhortation, that believers must be prepared to take up their cross and follow Yeshua, in order to be counted as true disciples. In case you hadn’t noticed before, God has no reservations about repeating Himself! He knows that we are often forgetful and that we have selective memories, so He repeats and repeats things that are crucial. Having reviewed all that I have shared in these five posts, I can now make better sense of a personal incident of August 5, 2015. I was wrestling with a decision to take a stand that I knew could bring me into conflict with someone against whom I would not be able to adequatey defend myself, and who might utilize slander against me. I was also resisting a flu attack, so I felt both emotionally and physically drained. Sitting in the car feeling very weary, I was suddenly made to look up, and there across the parking lot was a “big box” store with a very strange “apparition” in an upstairs window. It was dusk, and the horizontal flourescent light fixture in that upstairs room was on. Set behind one vertical side of the window frame, it formed an illuminated cross!  The instant I saw it, I received in my spirit the following comfort and encouragement from God: (1) His cross had gone before me and He was leading me still. (2) Despite my realistic analysis of the possible repercussions of taking the particular stand I was contemplating, Yeshua had gone that way before, and the outcome was unprecedented victory!  (3) I needed to review everything about the cross of Yeshua to see what else there was to be grasped.

The excitement that stirred in my spirit was fortifying and healing. God had supplied in that very instant the resolve to take up this particular “cross” at this particular time and carry it, following in His footsteps.