Pride In The Cross

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Galatians 6:14

Today’s key verse amazes me coming from a man who had a lot to brag about. When he was alive, he was the greatest preacher in the world, the greatest missionary in the church, the greatest teacher of the faith, the greatest theologian, and the greatest religious author. He wrote more books than anyone else in the New Testament.

He had a lot to brag about. Yet, Paul said, “There is only one thing I’ll brag about. There is only one thing I will ever show pride in. There is only one thing that will make my heart swell, and it is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul is saying that, as believers, our lives should be lived in the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ. Over the next couple of days, we’re going to see exactly what it means to live in the shadow of the cross. Let’s dive in together.

The first thing we must do is take pride in the cross. I want you to realize that it is not the cross that makes Jesus Christ so special, but it is Jesus Christ that makes the cross so special. We are not to just be proud of a cross. Our pride should be in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Crucifixion was actually a very common form of execution in biblical times, especially in the days of the Roman Empire. There were over 30,000 Jews who were put to death by crucifixion. But do you know what is really strange? Nobody in this world, for all the money in the world, could name 29,999 of those Jews. The only Jew we can name who was crucified was Jesus Christ.

It is not the cross that makes Jesus so special. It is Jesus that makes the cross so special. It is Jesus Christ that makes the cross so unique. It is Jesus Christ that makes the cross a reason for us to live a life every day praising God.

Dear Lord, thank you for the pride we can have in the cross because of the victory you claimed from it. Thank you for dying for my sins and giving me a way to have eternal life in heaven with you. Help me to never forget what you did for me on the cross. In Jesus’ name, amen.