64 Sermon Illustrations on Cross of Christ

In ancient Israel, six cities were founded as cities of refuge.

Thither for refuge, could flee men who, without malice or

premeditation, had taken the life of a fellow man. Once within the

gates of the city of refuge, they could not be touched by any hand of

vengeance or judgment. The rabbis have an interesting tradition that,

once every year, the roads leading to these cities of refuge were

carefully repaired and cleared of obstacles and stones, so that the

man fleeing for his life would have no hindrance in his way.

The Cross is God's great, and eternal, city of refuge from the

penalty upon sin. --McCartney

It follows then, that we should remove all hindrances from the way

of those who need access to the refuge of the cross. --Duane V. Maxey

Napoleon once took a map and, pointing to the British Isles,

remarked: "Were it not for that red spot, I would have conquered

the world." The Devil pointed at the cross of Christ and said:

"Were it not for that red spot, I would have conquered the

world." --Sunday School Times

In its column, "You Asked Us," the Canadian Magazine recently

dealt with Hitler's use of the swastika. Included in their

article was the following statement. In the end, if his National

Reich Church had been established, the swastika would have replaced

the cross. Point 30 of the proposed National Reich Church's 30 point

program, drawn up during the war, read: "On the day of its foundation,

the Christian cross must be removed from all churches, cathedrals, and

chapels. It must be superseded by the only unconquerable symbol, the

swastika." History is the commentary on the folly of Hitler's dreams

and on the futility of all who would seek to destroy the Church of

Christ.

"...there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right

hand, and the other on the left." \reference{Luke 23:33}{Luke 23:33}

Journeying through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, my

wife and I were captivated by the gentle rolling foothills, sweeping

mountain ranges, and breathtaking valleys. God's voice in nature could

be clearly heard through the ever changing countryside. But the most

vivid memory of our drive down Interstate 77 was the repeated whisper

of three crosses appearing on a knoll here, a sloping hillside there.

At first they merely caught my eye, but then their silent testimony

became audible to my soul. I recalled a sermon by Myron J. Taylor

titled "A Hill With Three Crosses." He said that one cross portrays a

thief dying IN sin, and the other a thief dying TO sin. But the center

cross speaks of the Redeemer dying FOR sin. It divides all humanity

into one of two categories: those who reject Christ and die in sin,

and those who receive Christ and die to sin.

A plane, just three hundred miles out of San Francisco bound for

hawaii, developed engine trouble. The pilot turned back. In less

than an hour the plane was over San Francisco, but a dense fog had

settled over the bay area. Turning to his co-pilot, he said, "There's

a mountain east of the city on top of which is a cemetery

distinguished by a huge cross. If I can find the arms of that cross,

I can bring my ship safely to the airport." He did spot the cross

rising high above the fog, and brought his plane safely down the

runway.

On an upper bookself of his study a California pastor kept a little

wooden cross, which had been presented to him by the members of his

Bible class. One evening in March 1933 the Long Beach earthquake

struck. While the earth was still shaking, the pastor made his way

through the debris in the street to see what damage had been done in

his study. When he arrived, he found hundreds of books piled high on

the floor, as well as the floor lamp, desk set, and other articles.

He pushed his way through to view the chaos. On the one side of the

room the books were stacked high. Squarely on top of them all was a

book with its title printed {The World in Convulsion.} And

behold, standing firmly on thsi book, absolutely upright, and with

nothing to lean against, was that little wooden cross. The earth was

still trembling, and had been every few minutes since the main tremor,

but there stood that cross. No wonder that pastor began to sing,

In the cross of Christ, I glory, Tow'ring o'ver the wrecks of time

. . .

A 1962 news report tells how the US postal authorities rejected a special Christmas stamp that year on grounds that it suggested a cross. The design submitted showed a candle burning in a window framed by a wreath. The window panes was thought to resemble a cross. The final design chosen for 1962 shows a simple holy wreath and two tapers.

Said a Religious News Service report: “Rejection of the design emphasized the fact that no religious symbol, or apparent religious symbol, will be permitted on the Christmas stamps which the department expects to issue each year to encourage use of first-class mail for Christmas greetings.”

Happily, and for the first time since 1862, a US postage stamp was issued in 1966 which depicted the Christian cross. This stamp issued on July 30th commemorated the birth of the Polish nation and the introduction of Christianity to the Polish people. The stamp featured a shield bearing the Polish crowned eagle, ancient symbol of the Polish kingdom. Above it was the cross, with the inscription: “Poland’

s Millennium 966-1966.”

The 1892 stamp on which a cross was significant, was a two-cent commemorative that showed Columbus planting the cross in the New World. It was issued October 12, 1892, on the four-hundredth anniversary of the event.

Crosses have appeared in the background of other US stamps, on church steeples and the like, but not as part of the central design.