Resurrection Sunday: The Transforming Power of the CrossSample

The Cross – The Price of Love

Life can be overwhelming and fill us with an enormous amount of stress, deep disappointments, and pain. I know that when it gets too overwhelming, I begin to take it personally. I have been a student of myself over the last few years and I know when I have reached my capacity and when something just doesn’t feel right. I first take an internal inventory to make sure it isn’t me. When the lightbulb comes on and I release it to Jesus, it reminds me of who I am and who he is in me.

Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t just a tragic event—it was the greatest act of love. On the cross, He carried not just the physical weight of His own body but the spiritual weight of our sins, fears, and failures. All that is encompassed in worry, anxiety and stress was taken care of at the cross.

It gives me comfort knowing that Jesus, too, understands suffering. As I release my burdens to Jesus, I remember that the cross is where they belong—where grace meets every worry and wound. In those moments, the ultimate act of surrender invites his presence and an enormous amount of peace to overshadow the situation.

The cross is a beautiful love letter written in sacrifice—proof that God would rather die for us than live without us. Jesus willingly bore our sins, taking the punishment we deserved so that we could be reconciled with God.

Jesus didn’t just say He loved us—He demonstrated it in the most powerful way possible. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). His love is not passive, distant, or conditional. It is active, close, and everlasting. Even in our worst moments, His love never wavers.

The cross shows us that love sacrifices, love endures, and love redeems. His final words, "Tetelestai"—meaning "It is finished” in John 19:28—declares that our debt was paid in full. It is where grace enters into our relationship with our Maker.

When we feel like we can’t go on, we can remember that Jesus endured the ultimate suffering so we don’t have to carry our burdens alone. Just as I’ve learned to surrender, you too can find freedom by giving it all to Jesus. His hands are wide open, ready for us to release them to him. Let the cross be the gentle nudge daily that - His love paid the price so that we can walk in TRUE freedom.

Prayer:

Father God, I thank You for the greatest gift we could ever receive—Your unfailing love. The finished work of the cross is a powerful reminder to surrender everything to You in order to walk in true freedom, no longer bound by the law of sin and death. As hopes, frustrations, and dreams are laid before You, reveal Your truth. Let wisdom and grace reveal the fullness of the blessings You have prepared. May my heart remain open to Your guidance, and may my life be a reflection of Your love and purpose.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.