Meeting Plans

“All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.”

Oswald Chambers.

In our society we are surrounded with imagery linked to Jesus' death on the cross. From jewellery to tattoos, heavy metal T-shirts to national flags, church steeples to Christian bumper stickers – there will be very few people who are not regularly confronted with the symbol that is central to the Christian faith.

It would be very interesting to know, though, how many people who wear, walk past or wave this symbol have actually considered its meaning.

The cross is central to the Christian faith. To enter into a relationship with God we must understand and accept the work of Jesus on the cross. As the song by Matt Redman and Martin Smith puts it:

The Cross has said it all…
I can't deny what you have shown,
The Cross Speaks of a God of love;
There displayed for all to see,
Jesus Christ, our only hope,
a message of the Fathers Heart
“Come, my children, come on home”.

Of course, to fully appreciate the cross we must understand that we are people who sin – not always the most popular of doctrines! However, it is vital that we are able to communicate that to the young people we work with. Some of them may be ‘good' kids. They may never had any major bust ups at home, get good grades at school, considered likeable by everyone – but even they need to understand that the disease of sin affects us all, without exception.

We also need to ensure that our group understands that the cross is a once-for-all, no-strings-attached, free gift. There is nothing we have ever done, are doing now or will ever do that could nullify Jesus' sacrifice for us. Not one of us deserves God's salvation through the cross and yet it is available to us all.

But in the same way that when we are given a fantastic present we respond with thanks, the cross also demands a response - of thanks and of sacrifice. Jesus himself said that we must be prepared to pick up our own cross and follow him. Let's not kid our young people into thinking that once we have been affected by the power of the cross, life will tick along as normal – the cross radically changes lives.

Do be aware, that when looking at the cross, particularly the New Testament passages used in this session, that some of the language will be unfamiliar to your group. Take time to think about terms such as ‘redemption' (which originally referred to the price paid to gain freedom for a slave. See Leviticus 25:47-54) and ‘salvation' (what do we need to be saved from?).

And, be prepared for questions! This is not an easy thing to get your head round and this might be the first time that many of your young people have been presented with the true meaning of the cross. Make sure that your group have people that they can chat to if they want to find out more. You could also invest in some books or leaflets (‘Why Jesus' is a classic, straightforward example), give them room to consider but also opportunity to respond.

Above all, make sure your young people don't fall into that category of people who look at the image of the cross and  “more or less ignore its meaning”, but provide the chance for them to join heaven in celebrating the wonderful Cross.

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