Pray: To open your time together.
Read: Galatians 2:20
Read each portion of the words from the apostle Paul below and as you do, consider what these words mean about living a cruciform life:
I have been crucified in Christ;
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
The life I now live is a life of faith, is a life I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and dies for me.
So often in the Christian life we mark our calendar with the celebrations of the year. Christmas and Easter are the main headlines. Much of our preaching and teaching is centered on the resurrection of Jesus and what has been accomplished in the finished work of Christ. This is all very important and worthy of our attention. And, we should also give our focus toward the cross. We don’t get Easter without Good Friday. We don’t get the empty tomb without Jesus’ death on the cross.
Over the next three weeks let us prepare our heart, mind, and spirit for Easter by giving the cross our full attention. The apostle Paul paints a beautiful picture of the cruciform life in his letter to the Galatians. The cruciform life is one that is completely eclipsed by the work of Jesus. It is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us.
Questions for your group:
How do you think of the cross?
Have you ever paused to consider your life in view of Jesus’ work on the cross? What do you experience when you read Paul’s description of those who “no longer live, but Christ lives in them”?
What part of Paul’s words in Galatians causes you to delight in your life with Christ? What part is confusing or discouraging?
What happened when Jesus went to the cross and what implications does that have on your life today?
Pray: Whatever emotions or thoughts you experience when considering the cross, bring those to Jesus. He sees you and loves you and wants to hear your heart, so tell Him. Remember, there is no shame before Christ, so share your hopes and fears, delights and sorrows with Him.