I am a Jesus pusher!!! As the early believers gathered together for the breaking of bread they shared “The Lord’s Supper” (Acts 2:42). They ate together in light of the cross of Jesus. This involved PROVISION. In other words, I must meet your needs in the same manner that Jesus met your needs on the cross. There seemed to be an undisputable principle displayed from the cross. Your needs had priority over Jesus’ needs. Your concerns took priority over His concerns. The difficulty in embracing the cross is the lack of personal advantage. There is no angle, no hidden agenda. There is no sales pitch. It is a call to lose your life as He did. In fact, it is His call, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Matthew 16:24).
Another difficulty in embracing the cross is there is nothing beyond it. Isn’t there the resurrection? Yes, but only as you stay on the cross. In other words, the cross is not something to go through or endure until it is over. Biblically I must take exception to a favorite song of the Evangelical Church, “The Old Rugged Cross.” We will not exchange the cross for a crown. The cross is the fundamental principle of the eternal Kingdom of God. We do not go beyond it. It is only as I come to the cross and stay there that I live. Heaven will be heaven because of this. The needs of others have priority over our personal needs. This will make heaven on earth. It is the style of the cross. I am a Jesus pusher!!!