title cross
Contents
Text Mark 8:34
Preacher Se-won Oh
Sermon Day 2006-04-09
He called the crowd and his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Bible: Mark 8:34 Palm Sunday - Holy Communion 06.4.9
Title: Cross
An ornithologist caught a young parrot from deep in the woods, put it in a cage, and hung it on a tree in one side of the yard. And every morning I woke up to the sound of the parrot singing. But a few days later, the parrot mother appeared and diligently asked for food for the young. He was moved by the mother bird's motherhood. But a few days later, the parrot in the cage became a dead body. When the ornithologist analyzed the cause of death, he was astonished. The mother bird feeds her young with poisonous fruit. He was unable to open his eyes and see his pup, who had been locked up in a cage and crying desperately.
Sometimes when we are locked in a fence, Jesus gives us poisonous fruit. Those who deeply believe and trust in Jesus do not reject this poisonous fruit, but receive it and eat it. And die. My pride, my stubbornness, my lies, my possessions, my pride, my money, my career, my knowledge, etc. I die because of the lusts of the flesh. When these things die, I experience true freedom.
When I die, Jesus works in me.
When my thoughts die, the thoughts and will of the Lord can be revealed through me.
The almighty power of the Lord is revealed only when my knowledge and power die.
Jesus willingly took up the cross knowing that he had to die for all mankind to be saved. Jesus referred to this cross as a “cup.” With the cross in front of him, he cried out to the Father in heaven. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; but not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The cup here means the crucifixion. Let's meditate on this cross once more as we receive the Holy Communion as we begin Holy Week on Palm Sunday.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the cross?
The cross shows forgiveness and salvation, healing and eternal life. The bell ringing from the bell tower of the cross always remains deep inside. The church and the cross are icons of hope. Shall we take a look at the poem ‘十字架 (Cross)’ written by poet Yun Dong-ju during the dark times during the Japanese colonial period?
It's the sunlight that chases me,
now at the top of the church
hung on the cross.
The spire is so high,
how can i go up
I can't even hear the bell
Whistling and whistling,
the troubled man,
like happy jesus christ
If the cross is allowed
throw a hat
blood that blooms like a flower
under the darkening sky
I'll be quiet
It was a message that the hope that had been left behind was now shining on the cross. The cross means hope. Teacher Yun Dong-ju said that he also wants to live like Jesus, who died on the cross of hope. for the sake of the country. The cross is always hope. Jesus suffered on the cross and was resurrected “for the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus says: The word spoken through the text we read today is, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Those who believe in Jesus and want to enjoy the glory of salvation, eternal life, and resurrection that Jesus accomplished must first take up their cross and follow Him. What is your cross? Does anyone feel that your cross is too heavy?
“It is said that a member of a church who lived a religious life always complained in his heart, “The cross I carried is too heavy, I wish it was a lighter cross.” Then one day, in a dream, I carried my heavy cross and went up the hill, but as I was going too hard, there were several crosses in one place. From where the voice came in, it was saying, "If the cross you are carrying is that heavy, don't complain about it and choose one of the many crosses here and carry it."
Excitedly, the man looked at this and found a little cross that was shining brightly and picked it out. But for some reason this golden cross was so heavy that it was difficult to even stand up. From the outside it looked nice and flashy, but when I lost it, it wasn't like that at all. He was disappointed and had to put it down.
When I heard the voice again, I said, "Try again." Again, what caught my eye this time was a small cross with beautiful roses in full bloom. It was very pretty, and it smelled beautiful, so I lost.
This cross was not as heavy as the golden cross, but it could not be carried. It was so painful that the thorns pierced my back. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I had to put it down again.
After all, the cross he was carrying was the lightest and the best among the many crosses.
It seems so. We complain about the burden that others carry because it looks much lighter and more beautiful, but if we take it all off and put it all in one place, we find that the burden we have is the lightest and most bearable.
The Lord also said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” I hope that you will cherish the cross that has been placed on you and become cross soldiers who follow the Lord.
There are many people who long for Jesus and his kingdom, but very few take up his cross.
But one thing is clear. Don't forget that there are times when you can't go and reach your goal without the cross you would like to take off if you feel heavy.
When crossing a river with strong currents, you must have a load on your back to avoid being swept away by the water. When a truck is going up a hill, it needs to be loaded so that the wheel does not spin. Likewise, there is no denying the fact that the burden on my back has kept me from being swept away by waves of injustice and complacency, and has managed to overcome every hurdle in life. The burden of my country, the burden of my family, the burden of work, the burden of neighbors, the burden of poverty, the burden of a sickly disease, the burden of a sad breakup became the strength to bear my life and let me live my best life today. need to know
You cannot become a disciple of Jesus without taking up the cross.
Luke 14:27 “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
The one who throws off the cross does not win, but in the end, the one who silently carries the cross wins.
Colossians 2:15 “He made powerless rulers and authorities and made them a public spectacle, and overcame them by the cross.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 “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.”
The bell tower of the Temple Church in Chicago is said to be the tallest in the world. But one day, so many people were writing on the street and staring at the bell tower to the point where the traffic was paralyzed. The reason is that there is a cross on the bell tower, and a person was hanging on it to repair the cross. The cross has been there for decades, but no one has ever looked at it. The reason why such a huge crowd was gathered was because people were hanging on the cross. It teaches us the truth that only a cross on which a person is hung can attract people's attention. The cross without Jesus paid no attention to anyone. In fact, it was the cross as a tool for the death penalty in Rome, but it was because of Christ on it that all mankind became interested. Today, you can make any number of crosses. But people are interested when we hang on that cross. That's why Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him. He is asking us to live a life that was hung on the cross like Jesus on the cross.
Therefore, the faith we should be proud of must be our faith in the cross. To bear the cross is to become a disciple of Christ. The fact that you are carrying the cross is proof that you are the object of attention of many people. Therefore, the apostle Paul lived only by the merits of the cross, he lived to carry the cross, and he was proud of the life of carrying the cross and lived to boast that he carried the cross.
Galatians 6:14 “But I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I have determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Does the world fluctuate and your life feels so painful and too hard? Is there anyone who hates living in the world and feels that it is a hardship that only me suffers? Does anyone think you are the only one who carries the heaviest cross?
When I was young, there was no running water. In the countryside, everyone went to the well to draw water and drank it. When I went to draw water, the mothers carried water jars, or men carried water jars and carried them. However, if the water sloshed when bringing or carrying a bucket or bucket of water, the water overflowed, wet all the clothes, and the water from raising children overflowed. So, the methods used by adults to keep the water from sloshing are far less common if you put a gourd in the water or other large leaves or small pieces of wood floating in the water.
How often don't we have a bucket of mind shaken A heart shaken with fear, a heart shaken with pain, a heart broken with despair, it is like a bucket of water that shakes violently and shakes. But throw a stick called the cross there. It means to hold onto the cross when your heart is crushed and shaken with fear. The cross calms the fluctuations of the heart.
That's right. There are difficult and difficult problems in everyone's life. Sometimes pain and frustration, fear and hopelessness stand in the way. Then, seek Jesus. He will give you stability and peace to your trembling and tossing heart. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. What I give to you is not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”