As we worshiped in song in our church service this Easter morning, I was struck by a new way of looking at a truth I’ve known my entire life.  All Christians focus on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross at Easter, as well we should.  I’ve often even thought of His suffering and wondered at the love He had for all of us that He laid down His life in a way that was so brutal.  However, today I thought of Him bearing my cross in a different way.

We are all called to “take up our cross” and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).  Following Him in the way of the cross has always indicated to me that their would be suffering and sacrifice involved in this life.  Today, as we sang a song by Phil Wickham called “This is Amazing Grace”, the thoughts that poured through my mind were images from the movie, “The Passion of the Christ”.  I paused in my mind when the man was made to help Jesus carry His cross.  A new truth that is hidden in this part of the story of Easter dawned on me.

If we are following Christ in taking up our crosses, and Christ had need of someone to help Him finish carrying His cross, than it would lead to the conclusion that we also need someone to help us carry our crosses.  Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us, therefore, because he knows what it was like to carry the cross and need help, then He is there for us, continually bearing our crosses for us and with us.

We are never alone in whatever hard road of suffering or sacrifice we may face in “taking up our cross” to follow Jesus.

Songwriters
FARRO, JOSH / RIDDLE, JEREMY / WICKHAM, PHIL