It being the 28th of March, Jesus' way to the cross is commemorated. It is Palm Sunday - the time when we remember the terrible way to Jerusalem that Jesus took. This Friday is the anniversary of when Jesus was crucified, and the next week will be our celebration of His resurrection! Let us think of the cross very deeply this week.

One of my friends, who is also a pastor, wants to visit the Holy Land some time next year. He asked me which was the best place to visit when he got there, and I answered immediately, "Lake Galilee." This is the place where Jesus performed the miracles of walking on the water. Someone once made a joke about Lake Galilee, saying, "Since the boat was too expensive, Jesus walked!" Well, anyway, it is one of the greatest places I visited in Israel.

Now, I realize that Jesus' path down to earth was heading to the cross. He took flesh in this world, living among us, but His goal was the cross. Some people describe Jesus as only a holy man among many who lived in the World. But, we know better. We have only to read the Bible to understand who Jesus is - He is God! History started to be counted A.D., at the birth of Jesus Christ. It is divided into two parts by Christ's birth; an old part and a new part. By His cross, our lives have also been divided into old and new parts; the life before Christ, and the new life that has His grace and forgiveness.

Just think of how He was born; a virgin had a baby! Without the power and miraculous work of God, it could not have been possible!

Jesus didn't search for His own glory, but waited on others throughout His ministry. He healed and fed people, and loved people.. all He did was for others. And, the goal was to die for us! There are two places in Jerusalem where it is thought that He must have been killed. I visited both of these. Seeing them, I imagined how much and how terribly He must have suffered, both on the cross, and on His way to the cross. He was killed on the cross and then put into a dark tomb. Soldiers sealed His tomb and guarded it so that noone could come and steal His body away, claiming a fulfilment of His prophecy. But, that was not the end of Him. On Easter morning, He rose! At the same time, He showed Himself to over 500 people. Then He was taken back up to Heaven -- well, that was not the end either. He is coming back again, in the future, to judge each one of us. [His purpose was to forgive - but on His return, it will be to judge.]

Someone once said to me, who had accepted Christ, that it was not fair for non-Christians to be judged. However, Jesus said today is the time of grace. In living in this blessed time, we all have time to repent and grasp the cross of love, forgiveness and grace. Jesus demonstrated His love to us through the cross. We all want to demonstrate our love to those whom we love, such as by giving presents, waiting on, or supporting them in many ways. Jesus did this, but also a much greater thing to show us His love. He loved us and then died for us who have always been sinners, from the beginning of Adam's sin. On the cross, He said only a few words, and here is one of them: "Father, forgive them for their sins."[Lu.23:34]. He did not die on the cross for Himself, but for us, He took our place. We should have been on that cross. But, Jesus took our places.

In the Old Testament, people had to kill and burn lambs or other animals to pay for their sins. So, Jesus became the Lamb of God; our sacrificial lamb.

In those times, there was also another law, commanding "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"[Ex.21:24]. It was also the law. But, through Jesus, God replaced this law giving us a better one. God's new law is to love and forgive one another. This is the love God showed us through the cross. It is 'Agape' Love. This love is to live for others and to die for others. Other people have come close to demonstrating this kind of love. We have examples in the works of Abraham Lincoln, and Florence Nightinggale.

When God created us, He wanted us to follow this Love. Our human history has been so far from it. But, we could not do it. That is why we so badly needed, and need, Jesus' cross. Otherwise, there would be no way for us to be reconciled with God. "There is no other name given to us but that of Jesus through whom we can come to God"[Acts 4:12].

Visiting Jerusalem, I found a huge, old olive tree. Some told me that it had been there since Jesus' day. I wondered if the tree had listened to Jesus' prayers before He had died. He had prayed, sweating so hard that His sweat ran down like blood. The disciples couldn't share His prayer with Him. He suffered alone. Soon afterwards, they abandoned Him.

Even Peter, who had said he would never leave Him, left Jesus. But, in secret, Peter watched his Master, even though he was greatly afraid of being captured and tortured. When he saw Jesus' face, he couldn't help feeling guilty over his actions. He repented and cried afterwards -- I always think that I am so much like him. I am weak, self-centered and so hardened inside. Without Jesus' cross, it would be too hard for me to stand as your pastor.

This morning, again, I am so thankful and grateful for the cross of Jesus!

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
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