11But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."12Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."13Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),14that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
As human beings, we were under a curse, destined to spend eternity apart from God because of our sin. But, as verse 13, says we have been redeemed from that curse - how? As a perfect sacrifice, Jesus, as our substitute, laid down His life so that we, by identifying with His death, could experience new life in Him. And, now we live by faith in Christ - rendering ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God through Him. Whenever we see a cross or think about the cross, we are reminded of God's love for us and the hope that we have in Him.
In 1st Corinthians 1, the apostle Paul addresses the message of the cross and power of that message to change lives:
18For 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.19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."20Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21For 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.
Maybe you heard about the church over in Brandon, Mississippi that had wanted a 110-foot tall cross to be erected on its property adjacent to Interstate 20. According to the ClarionLedger.com website, it would have been built in Brandon by the nonprofit organization, Crosses Across America, at its own expense. It was planned for First Baptist Church of Brandon because of the high volume of daily traffic that passes its campus along I-20. The cost of the cross has been estimated at between $80,000 and $100,000.
The city's planning commission voted against the cross because it would stand taller than city ordinances allow for freestanding structures of that nature. As a result, church leaders decided to pull the request off the table. Pastor Scott Thomas previously said the issue had become too divisive and the church is there to be a unifying and uplifting part of the community.
Enter a restaurant owner in Florence, Mississippi, Carroll Berry. He owns Berry’s Seafood Restaurant on U.S. 49, and is building a new location on the opposite side of the highway south of his current location. The new restaurant will be considerably larger and sit on 30 acres where the cross will be built.
Florence Mayor Pam Clark thought it was a good opportunity for the city and motorists who travel the stretch to get to Hattiesburg, Mobile and Florida.
Berry told the city aldermen that when he heard the Brandon planning commission voted against erecting the cross, he had his secretary call Crosses Across America. Within six days, Florence leaders approved the plan.
Berry said his motive is spiritual and that he hopes lost souls will be found.
“With the car count we have here, 20 million people a year come up this highway,” Berry said. “If one out of 100 people see that cross and God speaks to them and they stop to maybe pray ... if it changes their life, that’s 200,000 people a year that cross will remind them of what Christ did.”
The website also reports that, according to the Greenwood Commonwealth, the city of Winona, Mississippi will be getting a 120-foot metal cross, being erected near the intersection of I-55 and U.S. 82. Called Christ’s Cross at the Crossroads, it will be 120 feet high and 64 feet wide, according to members of the board making the plans. They expect it to be completed in about four months.
If you're travelling north on I-65 north of Birmingham, you've probably seen a 125-foot cross near the highway - that would belong to First Baptist Church of Gardendale.
Unlike some of the more controversial instances, such as the Mt. Soledad cross in San Diego or the current situation involving 31 riverfront crosses in Evansville, Indiana, these crosses are on private property.
And, let me just say how regrettable it is that the courts have forced legal organizations attempting to defend the constitutionality of crosses on public lands to try to prove that a cross, a deeply held symbol of the Christian faith, has a secular purpose. Sure, these crosses are used to commemorate the loss of life for those bravely serving our country, but I wouldn't say the original intent was not to acknowledge and honor God, upon whose principles our nation was founded.
Back to tall crosses for a moment - I am thankful that you have businesses, organizations, and churches who want to call attention to the sacrifice the Jesus made on the cross. We do not worship the cross, it is not an idol or an icon, and we're not Biblically mandated to erect a cross on our property or to wear a cross on a chain around our neck. But, if we believe in the power of the cross, then I do believe that we will have a desire to show it; not necessarily by showing a symbol, but by the way we live, in a crucified manner, showing that we identity with the Savior who gave His life for us at Calvary.
There will be those who are offended by public displays of crosses, and more than that, there will be those that are offended by any reference to the Christian message, and offended by the presence of Christ with in us - the living testimony of the cross. The Bible says the message of the cross will be foolishness to those who do not believe. But, the cross is also a symbol of hope - of life out of death, of light out of darkness, of love out of despair. And, even though there will be those who are repelled by and hostile to Christianity, if we continue to display the cross, in our own lives, and share the love of Jesus, then perhaps their hearts will be won to Him. And, a cross, small or tall, or multiple crosses, 2 or 3 or dozens or hundreds, can also serve as reinforcing reminders of God sending His Son to earth to redeem fallen humanity. That's what the cross means - and that hope remains for all who would call on His name!
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