The Power of the Cross
When you think of the cross, what hurt are you struggling to lay down?
There is a weight on Good Friday and Easter week that words truly cannot carry. It is the sound of a hammer striking nails. It is the sting of a crown pressed into flesh. It is the slow agonizing breath of our savior in his final words that represents triumph. “It is finished.”
Jesus did not endure symbolic suffering. He endured REAL pain. And yet, what makes the moment even more powerful is why he accepted this pain. The book of Matthew quotes in red letters Jesus saying, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” (Matthew 26:53-54).
He accepted it for us. Because He loved us. Because He wanted eternity with us.
This holds heavy weight on my heart when I think about my children and how much I love them. I cannot imagine eternity without them. I could do everything wrong as a mother but if at minimum I know that my children know Jesus Christ and will rest in heaven, I am certain I did my job completely with them. But think about this, if we want this so deeply for our kids, how much more does God yearns for us to rest with Him?
He loved us enough to send His only Son to suffer and die for the forgiveness of our sins. That truth is humbling and chill provoking.
The crucifixion is the ultimate expression of God’s heart and forgiveness initiated by God Himself. The cross does more than declare God’s forgiveness; it calls us to forgive. Colossians 3:13 tells us to “forgive as the Lord forgave you.” The amplified translation underscores the command: “so you should forgive.” Forgiveness is not optional, it is a reflection of what was done for us.
Unforgiveness carries a heavy cost—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Studies show chronic unforgiveness keeps the body in a fight-or-flight state: heightened cortisol levels, higher heart rate and blood pressure, elevated stress hormones, disrupted sleep, weakened immunity, fatigue, and links to anxiety and depression.
In other words, unforgiveness keeps us bound in the very suffering Jesus died to free us from.
We can go as far as tying this into 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 where the Bible talks about our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit and how we must honor God by taking care of our flesh. Jesus' sacrifice was bought at a price and connects deeply with how we take care of ourselves.
Unforgiveness is a heavy weight that hovers over us and creeps up into our lives holding us back from a life of prosperity that God calls us to.
I know the weight of being hurt. Feeling broken by someone else, feeling less than, disrespected, betrayed. You know it too, because we live in a world where free will and real hurt exist. It's easier to sit in that hurt, to justify it, to believe unforgiveness protects our hearts or proves we were right. Because often times our feelings of hurt are valid.
But when I struggle, I return to Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Those words strike deep because Jesus’ forgiveness was not earned or deserved; it came straight from His heart.
I am not pretending that forgiveness is easy. When I myself am struggling, I always go back to the story of the crucifixion; the blood, the nails, the crown. His inconceivable agony. If Jesus was willing to accept sacrifice for the ultimate purpose of my sins being forgiven, isn't the least we can do to lay down our fleshly selves and lay forgiveness at the feet of Jesus?
Forgiveness ultimately is for us. But it is for Him most of all.