Under the Cross - M. Laycock

I stepped into my Jr. High Sunday School class and studied the wall. I team-teach so often when it’s my turn there are new and surprising things that have been put up in my absence. This time the effect was startling.

A large portion of the wall was covered with newspaper clippings. They were the kind I often skip after reading the headlines. Titles like, Child Pornographer Caught; Rape Victim Testifies; Stabbing Shocks Quiet Town. Disturbing words. Disturbing images. Then I noticed there was a large piece of paper spread over the top. It bore one small word that encapsulated all the headlines. The word was ‘Sin.’

And there was something even larger layered on top of it all – the shape of a large cross.

As I said, the effect was startling. I’ve known since I first became a Christian that Jesus took my sins away by giving his life on the cross, but somehow seeing the words and images on that wall brought it home and impress it upon my mind and heart. I was struck once again by the magnitude of what he did when he took the sin of the world upon his shoulders.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

As I peered at the wall I thought of what it means to all of us, that such sins could be forgiven. I am a firm believer in justice but I am tremendously thankful that our God is a person of mercy. Without his mercy none of us could find peace and wholeness in our lives; none of us could hope for the blessings of heaven and eternal life. But because of his mercy the moment we accept his sacrifice, acknowledge our sin and proclaim Jesus as our saviour, we are free – free to own life as it was intended to be, and to welcome death as a portal into His presence.

There are a lot of sins buried under the image of the cross. There are a lot of sins yet to be transferred there. Where do your sins lie?