A Crossless Gospel Makes Spineless Christians

It’s a powerful, gut-wrenching experience to attend a Good Friday service, hear afresh the crucifixion accounts of John, and sing the lyrics of “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they rolled the stone away?

Indeed, such images can make believers’ hearts tremble and their eyes well up with tears. So often we talk about the cross in abstraction to the point of aloofness and distance from the concrete reality of God’s suffering Son. On Good Friday we’re reminded that Jesus underwent an excruciating death, and experienced all of hell’s wrath in that victorious moment.

When it comes to ministry to young people, however, it can be easy for us to talk about the love and mercy of God in a way that omits the cross. Yet a crossless gospel will only yield flimsy, even spineless Christians in an already challenging world. Read More