Focus on the cross

‘[Jesus] 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).

Have you ever wondered why a cross is used as a symbol of our beliefs? A cross stands central in our churches, stating the hope we have in Jesus our Saviour. How can the cross be a symbol of hope? Wasn’t it on the cross that Jesus died – an instrument of cruel and inhumane torture reserved by the Romans for the most violent of criminals? So, why a cross?

It is on the cross that God meets us. God, in Jesus, was left on the cross in weakness, vulnerable, suffering, forsaken and left to die. It is in this same state of our loneliness, weaknesses, darkness and pain that God comes to us. The cross can be seen as an instrument of torture, but in Christ, it is seen as our way and access to our Heavenly Father and eternal home. God does not expect us to be perfect before we can come to him; he accepts us as we are … then forgives and washes us clean through the blood of his Son, Jesus. As the verse from 1 Peter says, ‘… by his wounds you have been healed’. That includes you and me!

Lutheran Tract Mission has many resources to help you understand the season of Lent, what Jesus has done for you, and how the cross relates to our salvation.

Visit the Lutheran Tract Mission website at www.ltm.org.au, search for Lent/Holy Week, and see what you can do to ponder this season of Lent. Don’t forget to download the Lenten Devotional to help you get into a devotional routine.

We do not find God. God finds us! Continue on your journey, walking with Jesus to the cross.

Anne Hansen is Lutheran Tract Mission’s Tract Development Officer.