In Matthew 27:32 Jesus is at his breaking point, and the soldiers grab a man, Simon of Cyrene, to carry Jesus's cross for a while. In doing so, Simon teaches us that cross-bearing can come quickly and without notice. In this way, the cross can come suddenly. Are we ready? Can we prepare for when the moment comes? And how grateful are we that Christ didn't hesitate or fail when the cross came for him. It means there's hope for us when we do.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria focuses on Mary Magdalene who did not "esteem Christ less highly because of his death upon the Cross," even calling him Lord when she thought he was dead. Let's pray for that kind of faith and loyalty!

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The Church Father John Chrysostom gives us a good reminder during Lent, a sobering and flesh-crucying season on the church calendar, that Christ was the victor at Calvary! And in him, we share in that victory. But that's not all it was, it was also "the downfall of the devil."

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Many of the Church Fathers refer to the cross as the "tree." They see in it more than just a wooden instrument of capital punishment but the continuation of a theme in Scripture, a pattern where trees play a significant role and point to more than just themselves. So, while one tree in the Garden of Eden brought death, St. Ephrem the Syrian sees a direct connection to the cross on Golgotha that brings life.

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Athanasius sees Jesus's arms spread out on the cross not as a forced posture by the executioners only but as an invitation to all. This is recognizable in the Gospel story of Jesus while he walked around and did ministry, but Athanasius sees it continuing even during the crucifixion. It's a beautiful reminder that Jesus never stopped inviting everyone. Even you and I.

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Today, we begin a few days of reading what the Church Fathers had to say about the cross, starting with Cyprian of Carthage (210 - 258 AD), who calls the cross a trophy. What a beautiful way to think of the cross!

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In Matthew 10:38 Jesus tells his disciples to pick up their cross and follow after him. If we do that, we'll find out...the cross divides. So, here are some questions to reflect on today during Lent: Is it dividing us anywhere? Are we resisting the division? Is there anywhere we need to pick our cross back up? And are we cross-bearing together?

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In our 4th episode during Lent, we read from The Westminster Confession of Faith, where we confess that Christ paid our debt in full. We are debt-free! And unlike our debt here in the kingdom of man, we don't go back into debt. Not from present or future sins. We cannot commit a sin greater than Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross!

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In Day 3 of Lent we read from the Canons of Dort, which remind us that we could not have satisfied the wrath of God. Had we been there to offer to switch places with Jesus and die for our own sins, it would not have worked. Only Jesus, the spotless lamb, could have made such a sacrifice.

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One of the things we see in The Belgic Confession is that Jesus Christ at the cross was both the priest and the offering!

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