By Elizabeth Crawford
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
(LSB 427, stz. 1)
Now that we are in the middle of the season of Lent, we are starting to approach the cross and the times of sorrow surrounding Good Friday. During this time, it may be hard to see the good and beauty in such a sad and broken instrument as the cross. However, the cross itself should not be the source of our meditation. Instead, it should be the person on the cross who we look to – Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ death on the cross is a powerful reminder to us that even something as ugly as the crucifixion can be used for good when commanded by God. Christ died in a gruesome way and then was raised three days later. Because of His sacrifice, we are cleansed of our sins and have hope in the second coming of Christ and eternal life with Him.
We are all broken people living in a broken world. We struggle with sin and the temptations of the devil. We may cry out to God, begging for a loved one to be saved or a friend to be brought to faith, and it may not happen. Our world is ugly in its sin, and we are ugly too. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are clothed in the white robes of righteousness. We appear beautiful to God. Our sins are forgiven in the death and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. But we don’t have to travel back in time and visit the cross for that forgiveness; it’s given to us directly through Word and sacrament every Sunday.
We will continue to struggle in this broken world until Christ comes again. We will continue to grieve, and we will continue to fail. But when it seems that there is no hope, we look to the work accomplished on the cross. We look to Christ Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, who loved us so much that He died a gruesome death to ensure that all our sins were forgiven. We are no longer ugly, broken people. By God’s grace, we have become beautiful, redeemed, forgiven saints, clothed in the blood of Christ Jesus our Savior.
When the woes of life o’er-take me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo, it glows with peace and joy.
(LSB 427, stz. 2)
Soli Deo Gloria, Amen
Elizabeth Crawford is a sophomore at Concordia University, Nebraska, where she is double majoring in elementary education and music. She is an active member of Bulldogs4Life, the Y4Life team on campus. She dreams of one day serving as a Lutheran Kindergarten teacher and professional musician.
All hymn texts taken from the Lutheran Service Book (2006).