Rediscovering the Grandeur and Wonder of the Cross

Jun 28, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Walking Into the Grandeur Unprepared

The cross interrupts ordinary moments like Simon’s Jerusalem visit. What seems like an inconvenience becomes divine appointment. God’s grandeur often meets us in unexpected places, rerouting our plans to align with eternal purposes. Just as Simon carried a weight he didn’t choose, we’re invited to bear holy burdens that reshape our story. The question isn’t whether we’ll encounter the cross, but how we’ll respond when it collides with our agenda. [49:56]

They compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15:21, ESV)

Reflection: When has God interrupted your plans with a holy assignment? How did your response to that moment reveal your heart’s posture toward His purposes?

Day 2: The Veil Torn From Top to Bottom

A four-inch temple curtain rips vertically, dismantling barriers between God and humanity. This violent grace opens access not just to priests, but to prodigals. The torn veil declares that no failure is too shameful, no sin too entrenched to keep us from rushing into God’s presence. His invitation isn’t earned—it’s bought with blood, leaving the evidence of access hanging in tatters. [01:10:09]

The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38, ESV)

Reflection: What barriers do you still imagine exist between you and God’s presence? How might living as a “veil-torn believer” change your daily conversations with Him?

Day 3: Carrying What You Didn’t Choose

Simon’s cross-bearing began as compulsion but birthed legacy—his sons became known in the early church. Our unwanted burdens—chronic pain, wayward children, vocational trials—become sacred when we see them as sharing Christ’s yoke. What we begrudge as interruption, God uses as intersection between our story and His redemption. Every carried cross whispers, “Walk this road with Me.” [57:35]

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What cross have you resisted carrying? How might surrendering to this burden become your gateway to deeper fellowship with Christ?

Day 4: One in a Hundred Quadrillion

The mathematical improbability of crucifixion prophecies—parted garments, pierced limbs, criminal companions—proves divine authorship. These aren’t lucky guesses, but love’s blueprint written centuries early. Each fulfilled detail shouts that God plans redemption with surgical precision. Our trust isn’t in probabilities, but in the Person who orchestrated history’s most unlikely rescue mission. [01:03:09]

They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. (Psalm 22:18, ESV)
He was numbered with the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12, ESV)

Reflection: Which area of your life feels chaotic or random? How does Christ’s prophecy-fulfilling sacrifice assure you of God’s intentionality there?

Day 5: Anointing the Body When All Seems Dead

The women came to honor a corpse but found an empty tomb. Ministry often feels like tending what appears lifeless—a stagnant marriage, a dying dream, a struggling church. Yet resurrection power works in hidden places. Our faithful anointing of “dead” things partners with the God who specializes in raising what the world writes off. [01:14:26]

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. (Mark 16:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What “dead” situation are you tempted to stop tending? How might showing up anyway prepare you to witness resurrection?

Sermon Summary

Mark sets the scene on the Via Dolorosa and lets the bigness of the cross break in where people have gotten used to big things. First Corinthians says the rulers did not understand, which is why they crucified the Lord of glory. Philippians says every knee will bow. The cross asks for recognition now, not later, because one day everybody will know. Jesus lets Simon of Cyrene run into the cross, and that picture names what discipleship is. Matthew says, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. Paul says the cross reconciles and then hands the reconciled the ministry of reconciliation. The gift is meant to move, turning forgiveness into action. Sometimes the cross is chosen, and sometimes it is laid on the shoulder. The question lands sharp. Begrudge it or bear it.

At Golgotha Jesus refuses the numbing cup. He will not blur the pain, because he will taste the full bitter cup many of his people drink. It was not the nails that held him there. Love did. Love that knew every hidden thing and still went through with the plan. Mark ties the moment to prophecy. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 called the details centuries ahead of time. The improbability shouts the certainty that God wrote the script and Jesus fulfilled it perfectly. When the darkness falls and Jesus cries, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, the first line of Psalm 22 signals that the Shepherd is laying down his life for the sheep.

Then the veil speaks. Torn from top to bottom, it says the way is open. Hebrews calls that torn curtain his flesh. Access is not graded by tribe, gender, status, or role anymore. The women hurry at dawn to anoint what looks like a dead body, and they teach a living church how to come not only to receive but to pour out something costly for the body of Christ. The angel adds two words that sound like medicine, and Peter. Grace singles out the denier and pulls him back in. The risen Jesus commands, go into all the world, not as a suggestion but as the chosen method. Paul calls the word of the cross folly to the perishing and the power of God to the saved. So the church opens its mouth and God works with them. At the table, broken bread and poured out wine open eyes like on the road to Emmaus. Sin and trespass are not on the account anymore. Forgiveness births witness.

Key Takeaways

1. Never lose the wonder of the cross The cross can become background noise in a beautiful life. Pray for fresh sight, because familiarity dulls awe and awe fuels obedience. When the heart sees again, worship stops being routine and repentance stops being theory. That kind of sight is a gift, but it is a gift God loves to give. [44:09]
2. Carry what is laid on your shoulder Simon did not sign up, yet he was drafted into history. Discipleship sometimes comes as choice and sometimes as assignment. When the cross is placed on the back, love bears it and turns burden into ministry. That is how reconciliation moves from a doctrine into a life. [56:21]
3. Prophecy anchors faith in certainty Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 did not guess. They named the details that converged at Calvary with odds too wild to be random. When the Scriptures call the shot and Christ hits it, confidence in the inspired Word grows. That confidence steadies prayer, suffering, and bold speech. [63:09]
4. Love, not nails, held him there Foreknowledge would have made most people run, but Jesus walked straight into it. His love weighed the cost with eyes wide open and still chose the cross. Remembering that breaks self-pity and invites costly love in return, right where the mockery still says come down. [65:53]
5. The veil is torn. Enter boldly God opened the way from his side, top to bottom. Access is not a mood or a merit badge, it is blood-bought reality. Treating presence as an afterthought starves the soul, but drawing near reorders a life. Worship is now, anywhere, because his flesh made a living way. [70:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:16] - Prayer for fresh revelation
[41:29] - Grandeur of creation, lost wonder
[44:27] - Rulers did not understand
[48:38] - Via Dolorosa begins
[49:56] - Simon carries the cross
[51:36] - Take up your cross
[56:21] - Run into the cross
[57:53] - Golgotha, refused myrrh
[60:02] - Prophecy and impossible odds
[67:30] - Darkness and Psalm 22 cry
[70:09] - Veil torn, way opened
[76:29] - Go tell the disciples, and Peter
[78:32] - Go into all the world
[84:41] - Communion and opened eyes

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 15:20-41 (ESV)
20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Mark 16:1-8 (ESV)
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Observation Questions

What specific actions did Simon of Cyrene take when he was compelled to carry the cross, and what details does Mark include about his identity? [49:56]
How does the sermon describe the statistical improbability of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the crucifixion? [01:03:09]
What two responses do people have when unexpected burdens (like Simon’s cross) are placed on them, according to the sermon? [57:09]

Interpretation Questions

Why did Jesus refuse the wine mixed with myrrh offered to him at Golgotha, and what does this reveal about his purpose in suffering? [58:14]
The temple veil tearing “from top to bottom” is linked to Hebrews 10:19-20. How does this event redefine access to God for believers?
The angel specifically mentions Peter in Mark 16:7 despite Peter’s denial of Jesus. What does this detail communicate about grace and restoration?

Application Questions

The cross can become “background noise” in daily life. What practical step could you take this week to reawaken your awe for Jesus’ sacrifice? [44:09]
Simon’s cross was an unplanned assignment. Is there a responsibility or hardship in your life right now that feels like an unexpected burden? How might you choose to “bear it” rather than begrudge it? [56:21]
The torn veil means believers can approach God “boldly” (Hebrews 4:16). What habit or mindset keeps you from drawing near to God regularly, and how could you change that?
The women came to the tomb to “anoint” Jesus’ body. What costly act of service (time, resources, vulnerability) could you offer to someone in your church or community this month? [01:15:28]
The sermon says, “Love, not nails, held [Jesus] there.” When has someone’s costly love for you impacted your choices? How could you mirror that kind of love in a relationship this week? [01:05:53]
The angel’s message included Peter specifically. Who in your life needs to hear “and [their name]” as a reminder of God’s grace after failure? How will you reach out to them?

Sermon Clips

30s

#KnownBeforeYouWereBorn

“``You need to know that it wasn't those nails that held Jesus on the cross. You gotta know that he who knows everything knew you before you were even born. He knew the things you'd be engaged in your whole life, made to the things that you've never even admitted. And does it ever strike you with awe that he still went through with his plan?”

48s

#VeilTornAccess

“And now, God tore that veil in half, signifying the way is open. You can come. Will we? Do we? Or do we kinda treat it like a, I don't know, an afterthought sometimes? Will I allow myself to be so distracted by a phone or staying up so late we can't engage with the Lord maybe in the early time when it's silent and quiet? These are things I wrestle with. Maybe you do too. But but but be that as it may, when do we say, Lord, this is what you did for me, that I could have access fully into your presence?”

30s

#ItWasWorthItToGod

“Even though I look back now and I say, there was good that came from it. Real good. But this is what gets me. God knew what it would take to save you, and he still went through with it. Now all of you are pretty nice people, but you know yourself in the secret place. And God still says, it was still worth it to me. You see, that's the bigness of this thing. That's the grandeur.”

34s

#FewRecognizedTheMoment

“The people who were engaged in the sacrifice of God, whether it would be the Jewish leaders who had turned him over to the Romans, or whether it was the Roman soldiers, or Herod's entourage, or even the disciples. Scarcely anyone knew. Does it strike you funny that almost nobody understood the magnitude of what was taking place except for just a handful of people at the most important event in all of history.”

38s

#TellSomeoneFaceToFace

“Just because people don't respond does not mean that something is wrong with the method. God intended people like you and me, excited about what God has done for them to tell someone else face to face about who Jesus Christ is. Amen? was the intended method. You know that God doesn't have to use us, but he has chosen to limit himself by and large to work through the body of Christ. It's his preferred method to save and help the world come to know who Jesus Christ is. Amen?”

30s

#ForgivenByGodCelebrate

“And you need to know that your sins is where you kinda fall short. But your trespasses, your willful acts of sin, those are not even on your account. You need to know you're forgiven. You may not forgive yourself. People may not forgive you, but you are forgiven by God because of Jesus Christ. Amen? And if you're excited about that, let's go ahead and celebrate and drink together.”

28s

#RediscoverWonder

“Last service, I was looking at a full rainbow, and I I usually can't see all of the colors in the rainbow due to some, you know, color blind issues, but I could see most of the band, and I was just struck how beautiful a rainbow is. And sometimes we just look at that stuff and it just doesn't have the same impact that it once did. And that is also true with what we're gonna read today.”

34s

#UnexpectedCrossCall

“Put yourself in his situation. He's just there to celebrate. And all of a sudden, he gets sucked into the most significant event in all of history, and he had no idea. It's interesting that that cross that he ran into, it would ultimately affect him so greatly, he would later on become a pillar in the early church. But he didn't understand what was going on at that moment. And do we?”

30s

#ProphecyFulfilled

“My point is the improbability lends to the certainty that the word of God was inspired by the all knowing God. That this is how it was going to go down. Amen? I just love that kind of stuff. It's so fascinating. It goes, you know what? This is true. There's no chance that it just happened. How could this have all just happened? And I love that because Jesus Christ fulfills it perfectly.”

28s

#GiveNotJustReceive

“Sometimes the body can be dead. You know? You show up and you're like, oh, it's kinda dead here. Or this church is man, there's not much going on here. Sometimes the body does seem dead. But I really do believe it's maybe a step of maturity, maybe for those of you who have been coming to church for a while or engaged with the Lord for a long time when when we maybe stop coming just to receive for ourselves, and we come to say, Lord, you've done a lot in me.”

27s

#PrayForTheHurting

“There is someone here today whose marriage is is marriage is suffering, whose children are not doing well, who maybe just need maybe not even a word, but just an arm put around them. What would happen if we came to be ministers of reconciliation? What would it look like if you, next to the person, not just greeting them and getting their name that you'll forget in ten minutes, but what if you said, hey, could I pray for you for anything on your way out of here?”

30s

#SeeGodInCreation

“And this is the irony that struck me as we were walking through ankle deep water and just blown away at the sight. Most of them didn't have a clue what they were looking at. The National Park Service does their best to, you know, pump everyone full of evolutionary theory and all the rest, and this happened a billion trillion years ago and all the rest. But I gotta tell you, it was so nice to know the creator. It was so nice to say, Lord, you did this.”

34s

#ReceiveAndShare

“This is what this cross is. And when we recognize it, and we receive it, the nature of the gift is that it would then turn into action. This is what you did for me, God. How can I share this with somebody else? See, it's not just good philosophical views or a new way of thinking or something I have to work up, some type of emotion. That takes place on the recognition of what happened.”

27s

#RunIntoYourCalling

“I knew what I was supposed to do. So we went out and had some lunch and talked about the Lord and and continued on from there. But it's really interesting how often do I miss those opportunities. I need I'm pretty I'm pretty thick. Man, I need the Lord to like run me right into it. But that's what happened with Simon. He walks around the corner. Boom. You, come here. Carry this cross. I didn't sign up for this. Yeah.”

39s

#WoundedLambInHeaven

“everybody's gonna know. And everybody's gonna awestruck, fall to their knees, and see God who would become a man. And they're gonna see his wounds. They're gonna see the brokenness in his body. In fact, it's been said, and I believe accurately, that there will only be one invalid broken person in heaven. Jesus Christ, I believe, has chosen to retain his wounds from the sacrifice as seen in the book of Revelation chapter four When John sees the lamb as if he had been just slain.”

42s

#OpenOurEyesToJesus

“God, we recognize that we very well can be like the church in Laodicea, Revelation chapter three. That was just lukewarm. They knew the information, but maybe it lost its impact, Lord. I'm so afraid of that. So I would pray this morning that you would open our eyes, cause us to see you, Jesus, exalted, not on the throne like you deserve, but exalted in your glory as you laid down your life as a servant for all of us, Lord.”

23s

#RenewedMindsNewLives

“Meet us here. Open our eyes. Grant us understanding. And, Lord, that we might not just know more, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That we would be a different kind of people after coming in contact with you, Jesus. That's my prayer. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.”

35s

#PowerOfCorporatePrayer

“And the interesting thing about group prayer is this. God loves individual prayer. Responds to it. Listens to it. Answers it. But there's a special blessing tied when we come together by faith. He says I'm right there in the midst. And I'm gonna do what you're asking of me. Binding and releasing heaven and earth. It's big. So if you agree with me, maybe in your heart you would say amen. Be engaged as we ask the Lord to grant us revelation in Jesus name. Let's pray together.”

33s

#ManFromCyrene

“Cyrene is modern day Libya. So this man from Libya, maybe a convert to Judaism, most likely black, had gone to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh as a convert to Jew Judaism. And he must have been shocked by the tumult that was going on because he must have popped in around a corner to see what was going on, and he runs into literally the cross. Put yourself in his situation.”

34s

#WordOfTheCrossPower

“Jesus here gives us a command, not a suggestion. Now, look with me what Paul writes about this in first Corinthians. We're almost done as we come to a close. First Corinthians chapter one verse 18. Listen to this. Paul writes, for the word of the cross is folly or it's foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

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