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In this episode, we are listening to John 19. The focus of John 19 is the crucifixion of Jesus. So before we dive in, let's just be honest, we’ve sanitized the cross. We've made it into a geometric shape that holds diamonds and hangs around our necks. Crosses are everywhere, we're surrounded by crosses, silver and sanitized. But to really understand the power of the passion of Christ, we need to regain our vision of the cross as it was before Christ, a symbol of hatred, cruelty, and human failure.  For a Christian to wear a cross, should be like a Jew wearing a swastika or someone from Japan wearing a symbol of a mushroom cloud or a black man wearing chains. 

The cross in Jesus' day was a symbol of sin and hate and death. It is inconceivable that the cross would become a work of art, a tattoo, a common piece of jewelry, the brand of the church. It’s inconceivable until you see the cross thru the eyes of love. Until you are impacted by a generosity so extravagant that it has the ability to transform an old rugged cross into a thing of beauty; transform an instrument of torture into a symbol of life. It was an act of generosity so great, it broke history in two.