[RECAP] In every empire, in every spiritual force that has gone against the cross, has been crushed by the weakness of God; that is stronger than man’s greatest power (1 Cor 1:25). [END RECAP]

Do you understand that? Do you know what you’re giving your life to? For eternity? Bigger than anything you can think of in time. Can you think of anything that matches this call of Christ in our lives? In His weakness, it’s the only thing that can overcome the power of the flesh, the drive of self. In His weakest moment, Jesus was most powerful.

We can see it the day He died. His body is limp. He called out, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)  He committed Mary to John (John 19:27). He talked with the thief (Luke 23:43). He prayed for the soldiers (Luke 23:34). And, it’s over; “It is finished.” (John 19:30a) 

And there was one man at the foot of that cross, the Roman centurion. The commanding officer of the cohort that was responsible to crucify Christ. And He stood at the foot of that cross and he saw everything that happened. He saw the mocking and the scoffing; that, he saw all the time.

By the way, the cross was not up on some big hill. It was actually at the intersection of some very significant highway. It was right on the main highway, coming down from the north, going through Israel, and on down to Egypt. Because the Romans didn’t crucify people high up on a green hill somewhere. There was nothing scenic about it. The Romans crucified people right out in the market place. The object of crucifixion was for everybody to see what Romans did to those who got in their way. And often, those on the cross were almost at eye level with the people who were standing there. They could say things to them, they could talk directly to them. They could mock them, they could scoff them, or they could weep for them.

And that centurion was there to make sure that everything remained as it should be. He was there to keep order. And his soldiers were there, not only to carry out the crucifixion, but also to maintain Roman rule and order. And he watched. He heard the words of Jesus. He watched the mockers. He watched how Jesus responded. He heard the conversation between Jesus and Mary and John. He heard the cry, “I thirst” (John 19:28) and saw the rejection of anything that would ease the pain. He heard the terrible, terrible words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) He heard it all. He saw it all. He heard a man do what I’m sure he’d never heard before; he heard a man on a cross pray for the soldiers. “Forgive them, Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:34)  And at the end of all of that, when His body was limp, blood and water flowing from His side, he said, “Surely, this was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) 

Do you know those words in a Roman mouth? Do you know those words coming from a Roman centurion? They were almost treasonous, because it was Caesar who was Lord, Caesar was Lord. Caesar is the son of God. And he’s saying, ‘this One, is greater, greater than Caesar. This is the One we follow. This is the One who triumphs in weakness and in death because this is the One who demonstrates the power of resurrection.’

What are you doing leaders? Living for self? Self pity? Discouragement? Angry with God because He’s not doing something you want? What are you doing, leaders? What are you doing? Are you like Peter, rebuking Jesus because He’s not meeting your expectations?

It’s time for Reality number 5, the reality of the cross. Take up the cross to gain freedom from thinking like Satan and pursuing the interests of man. Only the cross can free us and release us from hardened hearts. Only the cross brings the power of grace to us, to transform our interests, so we seek the interests of God, and not the interests of man.

And so I call you, lose yourself in Him. Say ‘no’ to yourself, ‘yes’ to the cross, and follow Him. Follow Him.