Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
- John 12:31-33

Death didn’t sneak up on Jesus or surprise him. He wasn’t fooled by the acclaim of the crowds during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He knew in his heart that he wasn’t leading a revolution, a retreat, or a reform. The shadow of the cross hangs over Jesus’ entire ministry.

The cross wasn’t a twist in Jesus’ story or an interruption in Jesus’ mission. The cross stands at the center of it all. Jesus’ death on the cross deals the death-blow to death, the devil, and the powers of the world. Jesus’ death on the cross cracks the walls that separated people from each other and from God. Jesus’ death makes new life possible for people like us.

We never move beyond the cross of Christ. Christ’s work on the cross brings meaning to his incarnation and Christmas. His plunge into death makes his resurrection on Easter so dramatically glorious. Christ on the cross stands at the center of the gospel and, consequently, at the center of our faith. As Tim Keller said, “This gospel is not the ABC’s of the Christian life. It’s the A-Z’s of the Christian life.”

For many of us Jesus’ death on the cross raises serious questions: “Why did he have to die? Why so violently? How’s it all work?” We encourage your to ask those questions and seek answers to them. But don’t miss the opportunity to be grateful.

There’s so much about the world that’s beyond us: our revolutions falter, our retreats fail, and our reforms fall short. When we find ourselves in over our heads, we also find ourselves facing Jesus, who has come searching for us.

In choosing to go the cross, Jesus chose the path of mission rather than the path of comfort. He did this because he loved us.

You are dearly loved by God. And he proved it on the cross.