Sermon || Minister T Mudau || Power of The Cross

We looked back so we can walk forward. Why the cross? From Deuteronomy’s warning about anyone hung on a tree to Mark’s testimony that Jesus was crucified between thieves, the cross was a place for the worst of crimes. Yet Jesus, who committed no crime, stepped into that place. He walked the Via Dolorosa—the path of sorrow—about 600 meters, through the stations of rejection, pain, and shame, carrying what was not His so that we could carry what is now ours in Him. In Gethsemane, He chose the Father’s will over His own strength. That’s where the cross-shaped life begins: not with nails, but with a surrendered will.

We named what the cross means: salvation, redemption, and victory over sin. In Christ, we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1). Our old self is crucified with Him so that we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6). He bore our sins in His body on the tree; by His wounds we are healed (1 Peter 2). That is not theory; it is transfer, it is identity, it is medicine for the soul.

We also named what the cross does to the curse. The soldiers mocked Jesus and pressed a crown of thorns on His head; but in doing so, they unknowingly preached Genesis 3. Thorns are the sign of the ground under curse. Jesus wore the curse on His brow and broke its claim over our lives—over futility, over cycles that choke fruitfulness, over the “blacklist” that keeps saying “disqualified.” In Him, the debt is canceled, the verdict is reversed, and authority is restored.

So we prayed, we declared, we claimed—not to manipulate God, but to agree with what Jesus has finished. Bless your name. Bless your family. Bless your future. Let the weak say, “I am strong,” not as denial, but as alignment. This is wisdom to finish strong: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. The path of sorrow became the gateway of life. The power of the cross is enough for your yesterday, your today, and your tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Gethsemane teaches surrendered, courageous prayer [29:26] When strength and options are still on the table, surrender is not weakness—it is worship. Jesus prayed until His desires aligned with the Father’s will, not until the pain disappeared. The cross-shaped life starts in the secret place, where we choose obedience before we face opposition. Pray until the will of God becomes your yes. [29:26]
• 2. The cross cancels guilt and shame [36:14] Redemption is not a feeling; it is a transfer from one dominion to another. In Christ, your past loses legal claim and your present gains a new address: the kingdom of the Son. Confession is how you step into the light; assurance is how you learn to stay there. Let grace name you more loudly than failure. [36:14]
• 3. His thorns broke Adam’s curse [44:03] The crown of thorns is a sermon about work, ground, sweat, and frustration. Jesus absorbed the symbols of futility so that your labor can be joined to His fruitfulness. This does not erase hardship, but it empties it of final authority. Expect thorns to pierce, but refuse them the power to define your harvest. [44:03]
• 4. Carry your cross to finish strong [01:01:53] Cross-bearing is not chasing pain; it is choosing purpose when comfort calls your name. Self-denial is not self-hatred—it is clearing space for resurrection life to work in you. Strength grows when you consent to God’s path in ordinary, costly choices. Finishing strong is the daily accumulation of surrendered steps. [61:53]
• 5. Speak blessing; claim the finished work [59:56] Declarations are not magic; they are agreement with a verdict already rendered at Calvary. Blessing resists the scripts of curse and rehearses the mercy you now live under. Speak Scripture over your name and your home; let truth set the climate of your heart. What Jesus purchased must be received, remembered, and released. [59:56]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [11:13] - Theme Announced: The Power of the Cross
• [13:15] - Why the Cross?
• [14:20] - Law, Curse, and the Tree
• [16:14] - Crucified with Thieves
• [18:48] - Via Dolorosa: The Sorrowful Way
• [28:52] - Gethsemane: Surrendered Will
• [31:14] - Betrayal and Perseverance
• [35:32] - Meaning: Salvation, Redemption, Victory
• [36:14] - Rescued from Darkness (Colossians 1)
• [38:02] - Crucified with Christ (Romans 6)
• [40:51] - Healed by His Wounds (1 Peter 2)
• [44:03] - Crown of Thorns Ends the Curse
• [59:56] - Claiming the Cross over Our Lives
• [64:30] - Wisdom to Finish Strong

1. Read Deuteronomy 21:22–23. What does the law mean by “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse,” and how would that description shape a first-century understanding of crucifixion?
2. Read Luke 22:39–44. What specific actions and emotions are recorded in Jesus’ time in Gethsemane, and what do those details show about the nature of His surrender? [29:26]
3. Read Romans 6:3–7. What is the concrete description Paul gives for being “crucified with Christ”? Which old claims or powers is Paul saying are broken by that reality?
4. The sermon noted the crown of thorns as a symbol tied to the curse on the ground (Genesis 3). What image or contrast does the crown create between curse and reversal in the telling of the crucifixion? [44:03]

1. How does the Old Testament declaration that hanging equals curse (Deuteronomy 21:22–23) deepen the theological significance of a sinless one being placed on the cross?
2. What does choosing the Father’s will in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39–44) say about the starting point of a cross-shaped life—emotionally and morally—and why is that act not just resignation but worship? [29:26]
3. If being “crucified with Christ” changes a person’s legal standing toward sin (Romans 6), what specific habits, thoughts, or accusations does that new standing remove or neutralize? [38:02]
4. In what ways does the crown of thorns function as both accusation and announcement—how can the instrument of mockery become the sermon that ends the curse? [44:03]

1. Gethsemane calls for surrendered, courageous prayer. When have you faced a decision where strength or other options were still available, and what would it look for you to pray until God’s will becomes your yes? (Pray and journal one short sentence you want to surrender.) [29:26]
2. The cross cancels guilt and shame and relocates identity into the kingdom. What specific shame or accusation do you still carry as “legal” against you, and what concrete step will you take this week to confess that to God and declare the transfer Romans 6 speaks about? [36:14]
3. The crown of thorns says hardship will come, but it loses final authority. Where in your life do you feel “thorns” that choke fruitfulness (work, relationships, family reputation)? Identify one practical change you can make this month that refuses the thorns’ right to define your harvest. [44:03]
4. Cross-bearing is daily self-denial, not performance. Name one ordinary, costly choice you could practice this week that demonstrates taking up your cross (time, money, speech, relationship). How will you measure whether you are growing in this? [01:01:53]
5. Declarations are agreement with what Christ finished. Choose one short scriptural blessing (for example, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me”) and speak it aloud over your name and home each morning for seven days. What changes do you expect to see in your thinking or behavior? [59:56]
6. The sermon emphasized finishing strong by accumulating surrendered steps. What is one small spiritual discipline you can commit to for the next 30 days that will help you finish well (daily prayer, a brief confession practice, regular Scripture out loud, serving once a week)? How will your group hold you accountable?