Hold on to hope is the central message of The Cross

Truly, as I imagine the reality of that moment, I must admit that the cross appears to be anything but beautiful. It is gruesome. It is abusive. It is dark. It is pitiful. It is painful. It is not to be desired.

In short, as you look at the Cross of Calvary, you see a picture of the downside and, at times, the reality of life.

Life has its ups and downs. Yet, if you hold onto hope, you will experience the upside of the Cross of Calvary. Yes, in a few days after the negatives of the Cross, you will in fact experience the glory of the Cross.

Very often, as many experience the dark side of life, they have no clue that if they just hold on to a glimmer of hope, there is a real amazing opportunity of new life ahead for them. That is the essence of what you see when you look at The Cross.

Standing around the Cross of Calvary on that fateful first Good Friday, were the faithful saints.

They were standing in the shadows of the experience. They were close enough to see The Cross, but far enough away not to be intimately a part of The Cross experience. 

Those disciples and followers were distant and operated in fear as they watched their teacher being “murdered”. They stood in the shadows not willing to become an administrator of that horrible scene.

They washed their hands of the scene, but their hearts were connected emotionally and spiritually to what was taking place.

Luke 23: 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

What a sight it must have been for those who had followed Jesus and His ministry of good works. 

They stood in the shadows watching the man through whose touch, voice, or command, many were healed, delivered, and set free. 

It was that same man who they watched hanging between Heaven and earth, about to become the ultimate reconciler of man to God.

They could not comfort Jesus, they could not claim the body of Jesus; all they could do was watch.

How difficult it must have been to be so powerless to change the circumstances of the man, Jesus, who had changed the circumstances of life for so many. 

Can you imagine the memories racing through their minds at that point and time?

Perhaps they thought about the feeding of the 5,000, or the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda.

Maybe they thought about the healing of the leper or the healing of the demoniac.

They might even have remembered the word of deliverance for the woman caught in adultery or the word of peace delivered to the woman at the well. 

So much good to think about as they watched the life of Jesus fade before their eyes. So much good to think about as they watched something bad take place.

The challenge here is that it can be a dangerous thing to get so attached to the present moment that you forget that there will be moments to come. 

Indeed, when you are experiencing your own cross it is very difficult to think about the fact that the clouds will not always hang low and the days will not always be so gloomy.

They saw Jesus die. They saw Joseph of Aramathea collect His body and they saw where they laid the body of Jesus.

55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

The relationship that the women formed with Jesus caused them to want to honour Him by continuing to care for His remains in a respectful way.

As much as they had seen Jesus disrespected, they would respect Him beyond the end.

Hence, their care for Jesus led them to the tomb on the first day of the week and it would be there that they would experience the bright side of The Cross, because Jesus had risen and was no longer in the tomb.

In spite of all that they beheld, the conclusion to the matter was that Jesus was yet alive.

And this is the good news I desire to share with Bermuda. In spite of the dark things you are beholding, there is a brighter side to come, as you seek after Jesus.

The question is: “Will you get distracted by the dark side of things, or will you yet seek after Jesus, in spite of it all?”

It is only as you seek after Jesus that you will experience the brighter side of your cross experiences. Respice finem.

Dr Maria A. Seaman is the Pastor of Shekinah Worship Centre, located at 98 North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish CR 01.