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INTRODUCTION
The title of this editorial mimics the question young people used to ask their friends in order to guarantee that they were telling the truth. But it actually could be a play on words for what Jesus did for us on Calvary. His heart was broken as He bore the sin of the world on the Cross, willing to die to pay the price, doing it all "for the joy set before Him" (Hebrews 12:2).
THE POWER OF THE PASSION
This coming month sees the release of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." It centers around the twelve hours prior to Christ's crucifixion on the cross. Having had the opportunity to view the film at a special preview, I agree with many others that this movie could be the most powerful evangelistic tool ever produced. Centering around His 'passion' (suffering), the world will be confronted once again with the timeless and 'irrational' message of the ultimate sacrifice made by the Son of God. This movie is profoundly moving, and although the answer is obvious to the spiritually enlightened, we can still ask the question - why is there so much controversy and why have Mel Gibson and Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus, recently received death threats? The answer is that this film has the potential to spark off a widespread revival, something that anti-God forces would do anything to stop.
VICTORY OUT OF DEFEAT
In going to the cross, Christ's example to us of sacrificial leadership had the initial appearance of utter defeat. Thus the message of the Gospel was greeted with ridicule when it was first preached 2,000 years ago, when the prevalent world view was that 'might is right!' The concept of victory by denial ("...let him deny himself, and take up his cross..." Mark 8:34) just did not wash with that culture. ("For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18) In order to 'understand' this message, you had to have a spiritual awakening, and even then, it could only be accepted by faith ("For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe [have faith]." 1 Corinthians 1: 21, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things..." 1 Corinthians 2:14-15).
 LEADING BY EXAMPLE
The Pharisees negated their leadership by placing burdens on the people that they were not prepared to carry themselves. Jesus scolded them for this, as recorded in Matthew 23:2-4, “...The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." True leadership leads by example. Judges 9:48-49 gives us an outstanding lesson in this, "Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, 'What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.' So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech...." Laying the 'bough...on his shoulder' foreshadows the lead of Christ taking up His cross.
DENIAL IS NOT A RIVER IN EGYPT
In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus proclaims the 'irrational' idea that true and everlasting life can only be obtained through denial of self, a concept that has been lost in our modern consumer culture that relies on self-gratification. "...Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
WHERE YOU GO, I WILL FOLLOW
Jesus did not expect us to go anywhere except where He Himself had already been. He was "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18), or as Paul put it, "...the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead” (Acts 26:23). Although we all want to follow Jesus into eternal life and rise from the dead, many of us miss the obvious; if you want to rise, first you have to die! Denial is not a popular message to the western church, and the truth was no more popular with the religious leaders of Jesus' day. But one thing is certain! The truth never changes, so let us take up our cross and begin to walk our own road to Calvary - for the joy set before us!
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