We’re smackdab in the middle of another Alberta summer. There isn’t anywhere else I’ve lived that serves up summer as well as this part of the world does. We have long hours of sunshine that stretch well into the evening letting you get more done outside. Even when temperatures reach the upper 20’s Celsius (hot by Alberta standards!), the air usually remains dry and cool. So you won’t overheat if you keep to the shade. I’m savoring every minute of this weather before I trade it for the hot, humid environs of Antigua.
What part of the world and what season of the year brings you joy? Perhaps you prefer the beauty of an autumn in eastern Canada with its flashes of red, orange, and yellow leaves? Or maybe you love the early flowers and peach blossoms of a British Columbia spring? And who doesn’t dream of getting away to a warm beach in the dead of winter? Things that bring us joy usually make us feel good. That’s why the sermon I have to share with you today is, well, strange. We’re going to learn how the Lutheran/Biblical mind finds joy in the cross—an instrument of torture. Listen to our text from Job 19.
When I said that a Lutheran/Biblical mind finds joy in the cross, I doubt I shocked many of you. Of course we find joy in the cross of Christ. For it is through that instrument of torture that God exacted payment for our sin. The cross is like one of those old credit card machines, the one that would take an imprint of your card by pressing it hard against a piece of carbon paper. So Jesus was pressed hard against the cross to leave an imprint of his sinless identity while absorbing the ink of our sins which were charged to his account. Through faith in Jesus we have forgiveness and the promise of an eternal life of happiness—just as trusting that the company’s platinum credit card will give you access to a stay in a five-star hotel that you would otherwise never be able to afford. Of course we find joy in the cross of Christ. It means our salvation.
But it’s not just the cross of Christ that brings us joy. The Lutheran/Biblical mind finds joy in the cross that God calls each believer to carry. Jesus once said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:34-36)
Jesus said that we each must carry a cross in his name. This cross doesn’t of course earn forgiveness. It’s not the cause of our salvation, but it is a necessary consequence (Daniel Deutschlander). Why is it necessary to carry a cross if through faith in Jesus I’ve already been promised the ultimate prize: eternal life in heaven? Because even though I’ve been promised the prize, I don’t actually hold it in my hand yet. It’s like being given the key to a brand new car, which is still at the dealer’s. Even though you hold the key to that new car, until you can put the key into the ignition you can’t enjoy what that car has to offer. So through faith in Jesus heaven is ours, but we’re not there yet to enjoy it.
To keep us from throwing away the key to heaven or from losing it, God fits each of us with a cross to carry. The Apostle Paul explains why when he wrote: “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us…” (Romans 5:2-5a). The cross that each believer must bear keeps the individual grounded and focused. It drives us to despair of ourselves and continually seek comfort in God and his promises, rather than in any so-called treasure this world may offer.
Our sermon text about Job confirms this truth. Job probably lived about the time as Abraham, some 4500 years ago. He was rich and a believer in the true God. Then one day Satan came into God’s presence and God brought Job to his attention. God “boasted” about what a faithful believer Job was. To which Satan snarled, “The only reason he loves you, God, is because you spoil him. Take away his toys. Take away his health. And he will surely curse you to your face.” “Very well then,” God replied. “Have your way with Job, only don’t kill him.”
As a result of this conversation, Job ended up losing everything, including his children, and then even his health (though not his life as per God’s command). Job’s friends, who knew nothing about what had led to Job’s difficulties, surmised that God must be punishing Job for some sin so they urged him to repent. But Job’s suffering wasn’t caused by any specific sin. But beyond that Job couldn’t explain why he was suffering. The only thing he could do was throw himself on God’s mercy, which is exactly what he did in the verses of our text which have brought comfort to many suffering believers. Listen again to those familiar comforting words. I’ll use a different translation to give them some new breath. “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! 27 Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!” (Job 19:25-27 the Living Bible translation)
Have you ever been as excited about seeing God as Job was? I hope so. I’d be willing to guess that you’re most eager to see your living Savior when you’re undergoing the toughest difficulties. When things are easy, there seems to be no need for God. But without God, without faith in Jesus as our savior from sin, we have nothing worth holding on to in this life because this world and everything in it will be destroyed—destroyed more thoroughly than a smart phone that has been repeatedly pounded with a sledge hammer!
In his explanation to the Third Petition to the Lord’s Prayer, Martin Luther had this to say about carrying the cross: “…where God’s Word is preached…and bears fruit, there the holy precious cross will also not be far behind. And let no one think that we will have peace; rather, we must sacrifice all we have on earth—possessions, honor, house…spouse and children…body and life. Now, this grieves our flesh…for it means that we must remain steadfast, suffer patiently whatever befalls us, and let go whatever is taken from us” (Luther’s Large Catechism).
But let me clear. Difficulty itself is not a cross. Everyone, even unbelievers have to put up with sickness, broken relationships, and financial ruin. What makes hardship a cross is how God calls us to deal with it: with patient humility continuing to put God’s will and the needs of others before our own. But our sinful nature doesn’t want us to do that. It wants us to put ourselves first and to seek our own happiness. But to live that way is to turn our backs on God and his promise of eternal life.
But don’t despair, God promises help in carrying our cross. Not too long ago I preached on this well-known passage where Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). What I failed to realize at that time is how a better translation would be: “…and I will give you refreshment.” When Jesus invited us to come to him to find rest, he didn’t mean that we would find an end to our troubles and pain once we became Christians. That’s a false teaching called the “theology of glory” which you’ll hear from preachers who claim that God wants you to be rich and happy. No, God wants to give you so much more than the riches of a dying world. He wants to give you heaven! But he also knows how Satan will use the riches of this world to distract us from what is truly important. That’s why God let’s us see firsthand how health is fleeting, and how the latest gadgets don’t bring lasting joy. And this is not a lesson that he’ll just teach you once, but again and again. We can expect to carry a cross our whole life with its slivers digging in at different places at different times. But we never have to bear the cross alone. When we run to Jesus and his Word we find refreshment. For in his Word we learn the reason for the cross: to keep us focused on the true prize of heaven.
When we fail to keep running to his Word we’ll end up trying to remove our cross by ducking out of difficult relationships, or by stealing because we don’t want to deal with the pain of working, or by seeking solace in drink or drugs. When you’re tempted to do that, turn to the example of Job and throw yourself again on God’s mercy and his promises. Hold steadfastly to the promise that even though your skin will be destroyed, you will be raised to life and when you are you will come face to face with your loving Savior. Until then keep meeting him in his Word (more on this next week).
I’ve only scratched the surface of this important topic on the theology of the cross. So I encourage you to read a book by one of your former pastors, Professor Daniel Deutschlander. It’s called “The Theology of the Cross” and we have two copies in our church library. Even if you’ve read it before, read it again. It’s filled with such good insights of how our sinful nature wants to throw off the cross and why that’s so dangerous. You’ll also be lead to the cross of Christ again and again as Professor Deutschlander describes God’s forgiveness in ways that will lead you to rejoice anew at this treasure which is yours through faith in Jesus.
Sure, you may love Alberta summers because it feels good to take a walk in the warm sunshine under a deep blue sky with the bright yellow canola fields waving cheerfully as you pass. But in just over a month summer will give way to fall, which will quickly give way to winter. How will you feel then? Still excited to live in Alberta? If you’re after a joy that will never end, then find it in the cross of Christ. His love for you will never cease. And although you will have to carry your own cross while here on this earth, its weight is simply pressing you forward on to heaven. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
Why is not shocking to hear that Christians find joy in the cross, an instrument of torture?
In what way is the cross of Christ like an old-fashioned credit card machine?
Christians too must carry a cross. Why is this necessary?
The Old Testament believer Job had an especially heavy cross to bear. What did it move him to do?
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 that he would give us rest. How does knowing that the word “rest” really means “refreshment” help you carry your cross?
Write a prayer asking God to keep his promise to help you bear whatever cross he has laid on you. Be specific!
