The cross is offensive. I'm speaking of course of the cross on which Jesus died. It is offensive in every way. Simply from a non-christian and non-spiritual perspective it is a torture device of death in the cruelest form. But even from a Christian perspective it has become offensive.

You may disagree and not think the cross to be offensive, but if that is the case I ask you to do a little experiment. The next time you find yourself in a situation in which you are surrounded by unbelievers or even in a group of strangers, just try to bring up the cross in casual conversation. Does that make you hesitate a little? Would you expect to be responded to with criticism or ridicule or worse yet... confusion? Would that make you anxious in anyway? Of course it would. The cross is offensive.

As a musician who is a Christian (but not necessarily a "christian musician"), I find the cross offensive. I often fear that if I speak of it to much or rather sing of it too much, it will turn people off. So many people have already made up their minds as to what a "christian" is and I don't want to be seen in that stereotype. But if I mention the cross, I have no choice. So often I find it easier to keep quiet. Often we all find it easier to keep quiet.

We, the devout in faith, the firm believers of Jesus, would rather keep quiet about the cross. In the name of being found relevant, in the name of ministry, in the desire to win people to Jesus we would rather keep quiet about the cross. It could offend someone.

The cross is offensive.

Yet, when we come to the cross we find the cornerstone of our faith, the key ingredient to our spiritual healing and restoration. On the cross all that is wrong is made right, the old is made new. Second chances are born. Grace is delivered. Mercy is poured out. Without the cross we are utterly hopeless and forever condemned to a life of hell. Without the cross, we are hopeless.

Perhpas we find the cross so offensive because we cannot explain it. It seems overly simple. We are separated from the Holy God because of our dreadful sin - sin we willingly live in each day. Even if we wanted to do better, we'll never be good enough on our own. So Jesus died on the cross, and now we can be made right with God. Jesus died on the cross and I can have salvation and abundant life and healing. We're talking about total life transformation here - shouldn't it be more complicated than that?

We fear speaking up about the cross because someone may ask us, "So how does it work." Our answer, "It just does," is not exactly a strong argument on any level. But that is the truth, and that is what makes it so offensive. One reason the church has so much trouble reaching the lost is because in our desire to share the amazing truth of the cross we have felt the need to make it more impressive, more complicated, more astounding. In short, we have felt the need to defend the cross - to explain away its offensiveness. But we have only made it more offensive.

Jesus never asked for us to defend Him... or to understand Him... or to explain Him. He only asks us to bring others to Him. Let Him do the explaining. Let Him do the healing. Let Him do the saving.

We cannot understand it fully. We'll never be able to explain it with any expertise. All we can do is accept it: Jesus died on the cross and that makes everything right.

Offensive, but true.