The God StorySample

No Kingdom Without a Cross

Father God, what I know of You will only ever be a fraction of who You are. Jesus, open my mind to see You and understand the Scriptures. Spirit, move my heart from familiar to fascinated until it is ablaze with Your unfailing love.

Read: Psalm 91:14-16

Jesus has gathered many followers and spread the good news and great works of God’s kingdom wherever He’s gone. Now, as His most world-changing work approaches, Jesus warns His friends of what lies ahead…

Read: Matthew 16:21-25

Just before this conversation, Peter had boldly and insightfully declared Jesus the King whom Israel had been waiting for. But ‘in a matter of minutes, the one who had spoken the words of the Father had become the mouthpiece of Satan. Peter had imagined a kingdom without a cross, a victory without cost… Yet he was no different from anyone else. No one really imagined that the kingdom of God would come through a Roman cross.’*

I think back over my life… Have there been times of pain, difficulty, or suffering in which I’ve experienced God’s goodness in an unexpected way?

Pause and pray

Jesus, my scarred Saviour, You turned the violent actions of an oppressive Empire into an opportunity for redemption. I pray now for a nation that’s using its economic, political, or military power to oppress others today. Lord have mercy! Break their systems of injustice, turn greed to generosity, and lead them into Your kingdom of peace today.

Pause and pray

What word or phrase jumped out at me from these verses?

I am struck by the words, ‘Let me lead’. Is there an area of my life where I’m reluctant to surrender the driver’s seat to Jesus today?

Pause and pray

Jesus, I love the idea of loosening my grip on the steering wheel and surrendering the navigation of my life to You. But in reality, I find myself white-knuckling some challenges, afraid to relinquish control. Help me. Show me the moments I can choose to surrender my challenges to You in prayer or action today.

Amen.

* Adam Cox and Alain Emerson, The God Story (London: SPCK, 2024), p. 153.