The Shadow of the Cross

The symbol of Resurrection Sunday is the empty cross. When the cross is raised, it causes people to take sides. It’s a picture of the completed work of redemption that Jesus Christ accomplished on Calvary’s Mountain.

Paul the Apostle made the statement in II Cor. 9:15, “Now thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.” Have you stepped back to think through what that means to you? The Cross, the place where the redemption story was completed for the world, but also for each one of us personally.

It is an amazing thing to watch a Hindu or Muslim trust Jesus Christ as Savior as he or she stands under the shadow of the Cross. I’ve often thought of many Hindus I’ve known trust Christ as Savior who are overjoyed and overwhelmed with knowing that it is the “Jesus God,” or, Jesus Christ only who they have the privilege of knowing, trusting, and following the rest of their lives.

I think of several Muslims I’ve had the privilege of talking with who’ve been overwhelmed to think that their redemption before Almighty God has been completed in Jesus Christ. The hymn writer, Isaac Watts expressed his own awe of the Cross in 1707 as he penned these words, “When I survey the wondrous Cross, on which the Prince of glory died. My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.”

Here at Indigenous Ministries, we work under the shadow of the Cross. It Is the Cross for which we preach, it is the Cross by which we convince men and women of a personal relationship with the matchless name of Jesus Christ. How thankful I am to the Lord Jesus for giving us the commission of serving Him and taking forward the story of redemption.

Whether it’s on back roads in India, where the Gospel message is just beginning to be preached, or in the war-torn Middle East, the message is the same. Our hearts can find a resting place in Jesus Christ who died for us…. forgiveness of sin, a right relationship with Almighty God, assurance of answered prayer, a restoration and redemption.

This message crosses international borders, tribal barriers, and bridges intellectual understanding of the most profound verse of Scripture, ” For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

This is the message of the Word of God, and this is the mandate to share through Indigenous Ministries. This Easter, Dee and I will have the privilege of celebrating with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in northern Iraq. We will keep you updated as to how the Lord is using our time in ministering together with our nationals on the ground and in lifting up the Cross of Christ.