¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. – John 3:16-21 (ESV)

My grandma did not like the old hymn “The Old Rugged Cross”. She felt it was too dirge-like, too depressing.

And she was right.

Sort of.

We like to sanitize the cross and celebrate the empty tomb. And, again, we should celebrate the risen Christ.

The seal broken and the stone rolled away.

The neatly folded grave clothes sitting in His grave.

Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, not yet ascended but certainly very much alive!

But we need to also remember the horror of Golgotha. We need to remember what Jesus endured for us in his His last hours on earth.

The injustice of the kangaroo court trials.

The sleep-deprivation of being up all night, lugged from trial to torture to trial to the cross.

The unbelievable physical agony Jesus endured from the scourging He received from the Romans.

The utter lack of mercy from those around Him: the Romans, the Pharisee and Sadducee leaders, even the Jews in the crowd.

The mockery of the Romans who crammed a crown of thorns on His head and affixed a sign – written by Pilate himself in three languages (Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic) so all could read and understand the sarcastic wording: “JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS”.

The betrayal of the twelve, the disciples Jesus had walked with and taught over the past three years, now scattered after Jesus’ arrest in the garden (save the apostle John, who was at Golgotha with Mary). Actually hearing Peter deny any association with him.

The exhaustion from the massive blood loss, and from having to drag the heavy wooden cross up the hill called Calvary.

The sorrow of seeing His mother’s desperation as He hung from the cross.

I cannot imagine the pain, the stress, the weight of the whole event.

Why did Jesus go through all this? The false accusations and beyond cruel punishment beyond anything we can comprehend…

The answer is simple: one word, Love.

God so loves us that He sent His Son to be our propitiation – the substitutional sacrifice to pay the price we cannot because of our sin.

When we see the cross, we should see the blood-stains, the holes that held the nails that held His hands and feet tight to the wood, the place on the main beam where Jesus’ torn and bleeding back rubbed every time He attempted to lift His body up so He could breathe.

When we see the cross, we need to understand the reason He did all this, faced this utterly unfair trial, punishment and execution, was so we could look to Him and live.

Eternally.

Anytime we feel useless, worthless, unable to face life, we need to remember the cross,

Remember He went through all this for you.

For you.

Because He loves you.

Because His love for you is unfathomably deep.

Because You are His – and, thus, of great worth.

We need to look on the cross with gratitude. We need to understand deep in our souls just what Jesus did for us.

Remember the cross for what it is: that symbol of suffering and shame. His suffering to remove our shame.

Embrace the Lord with love and thanksgiving! Everything we have faced, He has faced. Every pain we have felt, He has felt.

Then look to the glory of the empty tomb. He is risen indeed! Still very alive. Still very present through the Holy Spirit Who dwells within every believer.

When you are low, remember Jesus.

When you are afraid, remember Jesus.

When you think your situation is impossible, remember Jesus.

When you feel you are beyond help, or unworthy of forgiveness or help, remember Jesus.

Consider the cross.

Consider the tomb.

Consider the might and glory and grace and mercy and great great love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned^[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV)