Hey all,
How many sermons have you heard about "Take up your cross and follow me"...
Ref: Matt 10:38, Matt 16:20, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23,
But what's this all about? If you guys have listened to the sermons I have - they are all kinda vague... There's no unpacking what the whole "Take up the cross" is really about - except maybe to spread the gospel....
So.. Let's take a little deeper dive... To do that - we need to understand what Rome punished with Crucifixion... It was specifically used for REVOLT... For revolution AGAINST Rome....
If you look - Rome used far more conventional punishment for garden variety offenses - beheading for violent crimes one against another (Murder, rape, etc) Beatings of various flavors for civil offenses such as theft, robbery, non-violent crime against other people, and bad behavior (drunkenness, etc.) .. Rome's justice symbol was the bundle of reeds and the axe.. The "reeds" were long bamboo type poles used for beating... The axe for beheading...
Fast forward to Jesus - that was the crux of the charges levied against Jesus - inciting Revolt against Rome... But you say - Jesus NEVER protested against Rome formally... WELL... Not against their CIVIL leadership per-se... Remember that the Temple leadership AND the Sanhedrin had been appointed by Rome for 70 years before Christ... Jesus "Rebellion" against the Temple Leadership and Pharisees WAS revolt against Rome....
See - Religious leadership was KEY to Rome's ability to peacefully rule... They assumed control over the religious organizations - and by this, were able to assure that the populace would more or less cooperate with their civil leadership....
Back to Take up your Cross daily... Take up your REVOLT daily - don't hide from the consequences... We are NEVER to give "The things of God to Caesar"... Never to cede control over God's church and God's things to the Government.... and when they try to TAKE it (Which they are doing) - we are NOT to go along with them... That doesn't mean incite violence - but it DOES mean not going along with them when they try to make the push to Control the things of God.. AND - it ALSO means not going along with the fellows THEY appoint over The Church and the Things of God... to tell US what we must and must not do "In the name of Christ"....
Thanks
How many sermons have you heard about "Take up your cross and follow me"...
Ref: Matt 10:38, Matt 16:20, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23,
But what's this all about? If you guys have listened to the sermons I have - they are all kinda vague... There's no unpacking what the whole "Take up the cross" is really about - except maybe to spread the gospel....
So.. Let's take a little deeper dive... To do that - we need to understand what Rome punished with Crucifixion... It was specifically used for REVOLT... For revolution AGAINST Rome....
If you look - Rome used far more conventional punishment for garden variety offenses - beheading for violent crimes one against another (Murder, rape, etc) Beatings of various flavors for civil offenses such as theft, robbery, non-violent crime against other people, and bad behavior (drunkenness, etc.) .. Rome's justice symbol was the bundle of reeds and the axe.. The "reeds" were long bamboo type poles used for beating... The axe for beheading...
Fast forward to Jesus - that was the crux of the charges levied against Jesus - inciting Revolt against Rome... But you say - Jesus NEVER protested against Rome formally... WELL... Not against their CIVIL leadership per-se... Remember that the Temple leadership AND the Sanhedrin had been appointed by Rome for 70 years before Christ... Jesus "Rebellion" against the Temple Leadership and Pharisees WAS revolt against Rome....
See - Religious leadership was KEY to Rome's ability to peacefully rule... They assumed control over the religious organizations - and by this, were able to assure that the populace would more or less cooperate with their civil leadership....
Back to Take up your Cross daily... Take up your REVOLT daily - don't hide from the consequences... We are NEVER to give "The things of God to Caesar"... Never to cede control over God's church and God's things to the Government.... and when they try to TAKE it (Which they are doing) - we are NOT to go along with them... That doesn't mean incite violence - but it DOES mean not going along with them when they try to make the push to Control the things of God.. AND - it ALSO means not going along with the fellows THEY appoint over The Church and the Things of God... to tell US what we must and must not do "In the name of Christ"....
Thanks
