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ISBN 978-1-63569-409-3
THE
PoWer
OF THE
CROss
contents
CHAPTER 1
The Big Question
The church was located in the heart of London,
just off Regent Street, two blocks from Piccadil-
ly Circus. It would be my first time attending. I
had spoken with the pastor by phone earlier in
the week.
As we chatted after the service, he asked me if I
had any questions. I had many. But one question
pressed on my mind. I had grown up attending a
church that had a crucifix—an almost life-sized
representation of Jesus on the cross—prominent-
ly displayed. I saw it hundreds and hundreds of
times, and there was something I desperately
wanted to know. “Pastor,” I inquired, almost em-
barrassed by my ignorance, “why did Jesus have
to die on the cross?”
I’ve since learned it’s a question many people
have. Even Christians are often perplexed as they
try to understand why Jesus had to die. And why
He had to die on a cross, a Roman instrument
of torture and execution. I don’t recall what the
pastor said to me that night, but I’m sure it was an
The Power of the Cross 3
CHAPTER 2
The PoWer of the Cross
The power of the cross is illustrated in Scripture
in various ways. When Nicodemus—a wealthy,
influential man—spoke with Jesus one night, Je-
sus explained the importance of being born again.
After telling His visitor about the need to be born
of both water and the Spirit, Jesus directed the
mind of Nicodemus to a curious episode in the
experience of Israel.
Several months after God miraculously freed
them from the bitterness of Egyptian servitude,
His people found themselves deeply discouraged,
critical not only of Moses but also of God Himself.
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to
die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no
water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread”
(Num. 21:5).
So His people might recognize their total de-
pendence on Him, “the LORD sent fiery serpents
among the people, and they bit the people; and
many of the people of Israel died” (verse 6). A des-
perate delegation of the people hurried to Moses.
The Power of the Cross 13
Jesus went to the cross “for the joy that was set
before him.” In the same verse in which Isaiah said
Jesus would bear the iniquities of a sinful world,
the Bible says, “He shall see of the travail of his
soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isa. 53:11, KJV). Sat-
isfied! For the joy that was set before Him!
The cross enables people to gain some insight
into the immense value the God of heaven places
on every human life. Jesus crossed the universe,
took up residence inside the womb of a woman,
came into the world, was raised as a boy, grew
into a man, and then went to the cross so that
every person alive would have the opportunity
to be saved.
Not a single person need doubt their value in the
sight of God. If you weren’t so incredibly valuable
to God, He would never have paid so exorbitant a
price for you. Jesus died on the cross to convince
you that you are of immense value to Him. How
do you not give your heart to Someone who went
through so much to win it?
The Power of the Cross 19
CHAPTER 3
The UltimAte ReVelAtion
A severe drought in Europe during the summer
of 2022 revealed secrets that had been hidden for
decades. When the Danube River fell to half its
usual level, more than 20 German warships, scut-
tled while retreating from Russian forces in 1944,
became clearly visible. As waterways narrowed
during the drought, the ships presented significant
risks to shipping on the Danube: many of them
were still loaded with ammunition and explosives.5
The love of God has been on full display since
the dawn of time. But there are times that it is re-
vealed in stark terms, when heaven gives humanity
the opportunity to more fully comprehend the
depths of the love resident in the heart of God.
The Creation of the world was itself a mani-
festation of the love of God. Then love promised
Adam and Eve a way out of the mess created by
sin. Divine love saw to it that an ark was built,
5 Kyla Guilfoil, “Severe European drought reveals sunken World
War II warships on Danube River,” ABC News, published
August 19, 2022, https://abcnews.go.com/US/severe-europe-
an-drought-reveals-sunken-world-war-ii/story?id=88591918.
20 The Power of the Cross
CHAPTER 4
An Appropriate Response
As I write this, I feel bad that I haven’t sent a
thank you card to friends who had us to their home
for lunch a couple of weekends back. I meant to
get a card in the mail that same evening. It was
very kind of them. The food was excellent and the
company was even better. I want to send the card
to offer a tangible expression, in this electronic age,
of my family’s appreciation for their kindness. I’m
grateful. I want them to know that.
But how do you express thanks for the death
of Jesus? The divine Son of God, who left the un-
paralleled magnificence of heaven, who left His
own Father to whom He had been connected for
eternity.… How do you thank divinity for becom-
ing humanity, for enduring unimaginable shame
and grief and rejection and pain and insult? How
do you “thank” God for the gift of everlasting
life? The average life span for a person living in a
first-world country hovers around 80 years, and
yet God offers to all who will receive it, life that
never ever ever ends, in a world so exquisite we
The Power of the Cross 29
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"En minä oikein käsitä, miten tämä olo nyt tuntuu niin virkeältä ja
hauskalta", virkkoi lehtori.
"Kyllä minä aina voin toimittaa yhtä hauskaa, jos vain suostutte
minun ohjeihini. Noustaan aikaisin, ollaan liikkeessä ja puuhataan
jotakin", neuvoi lehtori.
Lehtorin mieli oli alkuaan ollut avoin kuin virheetön peili, mutta sen
pinta oli vähitellen himmennyt sikäli, kuin hän oli huomannut
rouvansa kykenemättömäksi käsittämään sellaista syvällistä
selvyyttä.
Nytkin hänestä tuntui oikein raskaalta tuon salaisuuden pitäminen.
Mutta jos hän olisi sanonut vaimolleen, että rouva Streng oli häntä
ymmärtävämpi tai muuta sen tapaista, niin olisi vaimo sen käsittänyt
moitteeksi ja ollut liian ylpeä sitä kärsimään, samalla olisi vaimo
myöskin saanut mustasukkaisuuden aihetta, joka sitte olisi tuottanut
suurta kiusaa sekä hänelle itselleen että myöskin lehtorille.
"Ei kukaan voi olla liian hyvä, eikähän hyvyyden pitäisi ketään
pakoon ajaa. Ettekö enää pidä minua ystävänänne?"
"Pidän liiaksikin."
"En minä itsekään. Sen vain tunnen, että minun tarvitsisi puhua,
mutta en voi kellekään."
"Ettekö minullekaan?"
"No, kyllä ainakin yhdelle voitte puhua, tuonne!" Hän osoitti kohti
taivasta.
Hän astui reippaasti rouvan luo, antoi kättä ja lausui vain yhden
sanan: "kiitos!"
"Minä olen nyt tänä kesänä huomannut, mikä suuri ero on teidän
ja minun vaimoni välillä."
*****
Nyt kun lehtori tänä äsken kerrottuna aamuna nousi, oli rouvakin
ollut sen verran liikkeellä, että sattumalta huomasi rouva Strengin
lähdön kori kädessä. Hän oli nukkuvinaan uudestaan; mutta kun
lehtori peseydyttyään ja pukeuduttuaan läksi ulos, riensi hän salaa
ikkunasta katsomaan, menikö hänen miehensä samanne päin. Ihan
oikein: kori hänelläkin kädessä ja samaa tietä. Eiköhän tuo ollut vain
edeltä päin sovittua!
"En minä tiedä, jo hän oli poissa, kun minä heräsin ja yritin kahvia
viemään."
"Oikeaan aikaan hän toki muisti, että Mari olikin vain piika ja
keskeytti syvälle kätketyn salaisuutensa tunnustuksen.
"En minä nyt jaksa nousta," sanoi hän sitte selvemmällä äänellä,
"tuo vain kahvia ensin."
Katri kuitenkin paraiksi toi kahvin, että rouva pääsi vaarasta. Hän
joi kupin, jopa toisenkin, ja vähän virkistyi hetkiseksi, kunnes kahvin
lämpö tuotti uutta kuumetta. Ei ollut ajattelemistakaan ylös
nousemista.
Rouva ensin oli vähällä muistaa, että unta hän kaiketi olikin
nähnyt; vaan toinen tunne oli vahvempi. Hän ajatteli: "teeskentelijä!
mutta osaan sitä minäkin teeskennellä!"
"Älä sano niin; en minä ole sinua oikein rakastanut ennen kuin
nyt."
*****