More Precious Than Life

Jesus’ cross—more important than his life

What were the high points of Jesus life? How about teaching in packed houses, feeding thousands with five loaves and two fish, or preaching in His hometown? Yet, not all of those glorious times bore fruit did they? Teaching a house full, Jesus had to rebuke His own family for trying to stop Him. Shortly after He fed the 5,000, He sent them away because they wanted Him to fill their stomachs, not their souls. After preaching in His hometown, he was almost thrown over a cliff. By human standards, Jesus glory days didn’t end very well.

He was betrayed by one of His own disciples. His prayer to have the cup of suffering taken from Him was rejected. The disciples that did stick with Him couldn’t stay awake, fleeing as He was arrested. His trial was a sham, He was condemned by the church, and executed innocent? Yet, through it all; Jesus’ suffering for our eternal debt of sin is His crowning glory. It is why We Preach Christ Crucified

Shortly before those final hours, Jesus said, THE HOUR HAS COME FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE GLORIFIED. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNLESS A KERNEL OF WHEAT FALLS TO THE GROUND AND DIES, IT REMAINS ONLY A SINGLE SEED. BUT IF IT DIES, IT PRODUCES MANY SEEDS” (John 12:23,24). In a public conversation with His heavenly Father, Jesus prayed, “NOW MY HEART IS TROUBLED, AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? ‘FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR’? NO, IT WAS FOR THIS VERY REASON I CAME TO THIS HOUR. FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!” THEN A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, ‘I HAVE GLORIFIED IT’” (John 12:27,28). That was the Father’s way of saying Jesus’ incarnation, circumcision (His first shedding of blood for us sinners), blameless childhood, and spotless ministry—in all these things, Jesus’ desire for our salvation was stronger than concern about His earthly life. Jesus loves us to the point of death as He longs for our salvation more than life itself.

Because of His great love for you, Jesus treasured your life more than His own. When suffering and the cross came His way, Jesus embraced it, and in so doing, embraced you! If there is one thing we learn from Lent, it is our life with Jesus is more precious to Him than His life on earth.

Jesus’ cross—more precious than St. Paul’s life

If there ever was man who understood this it was the great St. Paul. How did he come to consider Jesus’ cross more precious than life? The hard way—the way of the cross. Saul, as he was called then, was doing everything he could to get rid of the Jesus cult. Since he couldn’t get his hands on the risen and ascended Savior, he did the next best thing: he arrested and put to death those who were followers of Jesus. How did Saul plan to get to heaven without Jesus? Saul tells us: IF ANYONE ELSE THINKS HE HAS REASONS TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH, I HAVE MORE: CIRCUMCISED ON THE EIGHTH DAY, OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, A HEBREW OF HEBREWS; IN REGARD TO THE LAW, A PHARISEE; AS FOR ZEAL, PERSECUTING THE CHURCH; AS FOR LEGALISTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAULTLESS” (Philippians 3:4-6).

Like many today, Saul thought he didn’t need a Savior. He convinced himself that for whatever good he did, God would surely grant him safe passage to heaven. Others don’t give a thought about how they will face God on Judgment Day. Like their credit card bills, they feel if there are any repercussions to the way they lived, they can somehow get out of it when the time comes. And their crowning blasphemy is, “Any god who finds fault with an eminence such as I, simply isn’t worthy of my time.”

But back to Saul who was struck down on the road to Damascus with a different kind of death. With the words, I AM JESUS, WHOM YOU ARE PERSECUTING (Acts 9:5), Christ put to death Saul’s notion he was doing God any favors by the way he was living. Jesus put to death in Saul the notion his heritage or earthly efforts would amount to anything before the judgment seat of God. In fact, God considered Saul’s shining virtues and vices the very reason he should burn in hell. The only hope of forgiveness was to trust in the Jesus he had, up to now, persecuted. How pitiful it must have been for Saul to be led by the hand, like a the helpless blind man into the city of Damascus.

There Saul’s sight was restored, but not by himself. Healing and sight came only from God, and only through a member of Christ’s church - Ananias. A death and resurrection took place in Saul. He died to his old way of thinking and found peace in God’s gift of Jesus, His Savior, saying BUT WHATEVER WAS TO MY PROFIT I NOW CONSIDER LOSS FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST. WHAT IS MORE, I CONSIDER EVERYTHING A LOSS COMPARED TO THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOSE SAKE I HAVE LOST ALL THINGS. I CONSIDER THEM RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST AND BE FOUND IN HIM, NOT HAVING A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN THAT COMES FROM THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST—THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES FROM GOD AND IS BY FAITH.”(Philippians 3:7-9)

More than that, Saul was convinced that he had to speak of the Savior’s dying love, even if it put him in harm’s way. Later, Paul defended his Gospel ministry by mentioning the crosses he bore for preaching Christ crucified: ARE THEY SERVANTS OF CHRIST? … I AM MORE. I HAVE…BEEN IN PRISON MORE FREQUENTLY, FLOGGED MORE SEVERELY, AND EXPOSED TO DEATH AGAIN AND AGAIN. FIVE TIMES I RECEIVED FROM THE JEWS FORTY LASHES MINUS ONE. THREE TIMES I WAS BEATEN WITH RODS, ONCE I WAS STONED, THREE TIMES I WAS SHIPWRECKED, I SPENT A NIGHT AND A DAY IN THE OPEN SEA, I HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE. I HAVE BEEN IN DANGER FROM RIVERS, IN DANGER FROM BANDITS, IN DANGER FROM MY OWN COUNTRYMEN, IN DANGER FROM GENTILES; IN DANGER IN THE CITY, IN DANGER IN THE COUNTRY, IN DANGER AT SEA; AND IN DANGER FROM FALSE BROTHERS (2 Corinthians 11:23-26). His concern for the welfare of new Christians caused him untold inner turmoil. Jesus’ cross was more precious to Paul than life.

Jesus’ cross—more precious than our lives

We too are no strangers to death. Death to self is necessary before we can be raised to life. We may not have seen a light shining from heaven as Saul did. It was more likely the stain glass windows or sanctuary fixtures. We were not thrown to the ground, held instead in gentle arms of our parents or sponsors. We probably didn’t hear the voice of Jesus. It probably sounded like the pastor, as he said, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” But a death took place there - a drowning of our old sinful nature, which, up until then, was the center of our universe and meager hope of our salvation. At the same time, there was a resurrection to faith in Jesus Christ. One moment we were blind. The next moment by the power of the Holy Spirit WE WERE THEREFORE BURIED WITH [CHRIST] THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH IN ORDER THAT, JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD...WE TOO MAY LIVE A NEW LIFE (Romans 6:4).

We still experience this death to self whenever we repent of our sins turning to the glory of Jesus’ cross. Jesus’ cross is more precious than life! Jesus’ death - and our death into Jesus - leads us to be willing to live up all, even life on earth, rather than be apart from Jesus.

And for us, the most effective time and place for this to happen has been chosen by God. It is where we are standing now. It may in miserable pain or perfect health, gainful employment or no employment at all. We may be wrenched by struggles within or struggles with those who do not understand us. We may be in the prime of life or on the verge of death. No matter. His blood sanctifies our place in life. His promise of forgiveness makes it the place where we discover THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF SHARING IN HIS SUFFERINGS, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS DEATH, AND SO, SOMEHOW, TO ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. (Philippians 3:10,11) This is what happens whenever we believe, trust in, and preach Christ Crucified. Amen