Two Pieces of Wood

~~~ Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ~~~

~~~ Numbers 21:4B-9 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~~~ Philippians 2:6-11 ~~~ 

~~~ John 3:13-17 ~~~

Today we remember and honor in a special way
 the cross upon which Jesus died for us.
If do an historical search on the true cross
 you will find that is had quite a journey.
It was buried, excavated several years later,
captured after a battle, and finally returned to Jerusalem.

The person who carried it to its original location was dressed
in his finest garments lavishly decorated in jewels.
He was accompanied with a great procession.
When he arrived at the gate of Jerusalem which led to Calvary
he became unable to take another step.
It was not until he removed his fine robes
 and put on a simple cloak that he was able to walk again.

The cross was bare, there was nothing regal about the two pieces of wood.
What made them special was whose body was nailed upon the wood.

Normally we would consider the cross to be a burden,
but for Emperor it was his regal clothing...
the evidence of his materialism...his connection to the world.

What is the message here for us?
It it the cross we carry that burdens us or is it our worldliness?
What is it that you consider your cross to bear?

Have you ever wondered what happened to the cross
 the day they removed the body of Jesus?
His body was laid to rest in an empty donated tomb.
The last thing the apostles of Mary was
thinking about was the cross.
Perhaps they could not even bear
 to look upon it for one more minute.
It represented what they believed
was the end of their best friend and beloved son.

Tradition says the cross was thrown into
 a ditch or well and covered with dirt.
The cross was recovered, this inanimate object
 became the very symbol we identify ourselves with as Christians.
The cross is a reminder to us that Jesus gave up everything.
The cross is a reminder that Jesus completely
 surrendered to the will of the Father.
Jesus never considered himself to be equal to God.
He came down to Earth to do the will of the Father;
the cross gives us something tangible and visible as proof.

The Cross is the ultimate symbol of God's unconditional love for us.
Jesus died upon the cross because his desire for us to be with him
 in heaven someday was to great to ignore.
There is nothing more sacred than the cross
upon which the blood of Jesus was shed for you and for me.

Let us often look to the cross with love, compassion, and humility.
The cross...two pieces of wood made sacred and holy by the blood of Jesus.
For without the cross we could never have been
Blessed by such a heart as that of Jesus.
~~~ Peace ~~~