Drawn by the cross

I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. – John 12:32

Towering above New York Harbor is the Statue of Liberty. That stately lady, with freedom’s torch held high, has beckoned millions of people who were choking from the stifling air of tyranny or oppression. They’ve been drawn to what that monument symbolizes – freedom.

Inscribed on Lady Liberty’s pedestal are these words by Emma Lazarus from her poem The New Colossus:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses

yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse

of your teeming shore;

Send these, the homeless,

tempest-tossed, to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

A different monument towers over history, offering spiritual freedom to enslaved peoples everywhere. It’s the cross where Jesus hung 2,000 years ago. At first the scene repels us. Then we see the sinless Son of God dying in our place for our sins. From the cross we hear the words "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34) and "It is finished!" (John 19:30). As we trust in Christ our Savior, the heavy burden of guilt rolls from our sin-weary souls. We are free for all eternity.

Have you heard and responded to the invitation of the cross? – Dennis De Haan

Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner and cannot save myself. I need You as my Savior. Thank You for dying in my place and rising again. I believe in You. Please set me free from my sin. I want to live with You in heaven someday. Amen.

READ: John 12:23-36

Our greatest freedom is freedom from sin.

The Bible in one year:

• Genesis 25-26

• Matthew 8:1-17