THE TWO SIDES OF THE CROSS- The Rough Side of the Cross?

“…………..who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrew 12:2B (KJV)

The rough side of the cross is the most difficult part of carrying the cross; it is the part of the cross where the human flesh and its natural ramification can be rendered inactive. Before Jesus Christ went through the rough side, he made a very profound statement in John 12:23 -30 (KJV) “And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.”

Let us analyze the verse 24 of John Chapter 12 and I quote “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit”. By this statement Jesus Christ was referring to the death he has to undergo so us to rise up with Glory and raise many after his kind. He had by this singular pronouncement reckoned that the path to divine glory is dying to the flesh on the cross. 

The rough part of the cross is the uncomfortable part of the Christian Journey; it leads to the eventual death of the self and this spiritual reality is what made Apostle Paul say “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” In Galatians 2:20 (KJV). Let’s look at some of the phases of the rough side of the cross:

1.  HATRED & FALSE ACCUSATION – The intense evident of Satan’s arsenal to stop us from achieving what God has called us into, is false accusation. The most deadly aspect of this accusation is the fact that sometime it comes from people who share the same faith with us. Because of what God is doing through you Satan will activate the weakness of your fellow brethren to say things about you that are not true. This vicious false accusation can even come from your own Pastor or your religious leaders that you are supposed to be looking up to. 

      In the case of Our Lord Jesus Christ his critics and those who accused him falsely were the religious leaders of his days as recorded in Mathew _27:12(KJV) “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.”  And “And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.” Luke 23:10 (KJV) .This false accusation was what made Pilate ask the question “Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.” 

    Mark 15:14 (KJV) and “When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.” John 19:6 (KJV). As you carry your own cross just like Jesus did, you will be accused falsely because it comes with the package. I have gone through several of these, and the most recent one was very hurting, but it has a way of maturing us up as we seek the face of God in these trying times.

2.      BETRAYAL AND DENIAL – One of the foremost evident of carrying the rough side of the cross is the fact that people will betray you. People who have benefited from you before and even some of your close associates; those who sang your HOSANA are likely to be the people who will be saying to the public CRUCIFY HIM during this period. Remember the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, some of the people who sang his HOSANA and had seen and benefited from his ministry were likely among those shouting “And they cried out again, Crucify him.” Mark 15:13 (KJV). 

     Remember that one of his close associate Judas was the one that betrayed Him and the rest of the 12 including Peter denied Him according to Mark_14:70 (KJV)  “And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.” 

     And Mark_14:30 (KJV) “And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Just as Jesus Christ was betrayed and denied by his close associates during this difficult time. We, as Christians would most likely experience betrayal and denial from people we have come to trust and confided in. In this trying moments, almost everybody would abandoned you.

3.   NAKEDNESS & HUMILIATION – Have you ever felt naked and humiliated by close associates and the world systems? Have you ever confided in somebody you trusted and the person goes and spreads this information to the general public? Then it is likely that you are going through the rough side of the cross, but the caveat here is, when you are being accused falsely “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” 1 Peter 3:16 (KJV). 

     Some years ago I personally had my own share of this; I sought for counsel and help from a pastor regarding certain struggles I was going through, only for me to be shocked and dazed by the fact that the very details of the conversation featured in the Pastors Sermon the next Sunday. He went to the extent of mentioning my name to the congregation that I was actively a part of. I was so embarrassed, I felt naked and humiliated by this action, but after reading an account of how Jesus Christ was naked and humiliated in Mathew 27:31(KJV) “And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, ………………….” I gathered the strength to go through this difficult moment.

4.   LONELINESS & DEATH – Loneliness and death seem to be the final face of the rough side of the cross. This is the phase where all odds seems to be against you and there is no helping hand anyway, even the hands of the Almighty God seems not to be available to you. This was the phase when Jesus Christ having been crucified on the cross said “.....................Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? “Mark 15:34 (KJV). 

     

     This is the period when you feel like nothing is working for you and everything seems to be crumbling around you. It is usually at this phase that  the arm of flesh you trust in begins to fail you; your life achievement, resources, connections and all that one has taken pride in evaporates and the only option is to look up to God. And Even at the point of looking up to the heavens for divine help, it also seems like God has not heard your plea and seen your suffering. This is the period where Satan will combine and unleash all the weapons we have talked about earlier on against you; and some of the questions that you are likely to be asking yourself are “Is there any family curse working against me?, 

     

     But I have been faithful in paying my tithes, God why me? Among many other rhetorical questions. You can even go to the extent of doubting and questioning the existence and fairness of the Almighty God. These moments are really not pleasant moments, I must confess; this is where a lot of Christians are likely to fail the test - we murmur, grumble, rebel against God and his constituted order. This is where bitterness with its associated poison can defile ones fruitful journey with God.

The rough side of the cross is the phase that precedes the Glory of God in our lives; this is the phase that will usher us into maturity so that we can assume our sonship in the Lord Jesus Christ. Dying to the self on our personal cross is what will activate the power of God in our lives. It will take us maturing into sons of God to impact the world for Jesus.

“The sanity in carrying the cross with its associated challenges cannot be understood within the sphere of natural rationality”

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK WITH THE SUB TOPIC -“The Smooth side of the Cross”

                  Please if you have any comments or questions kindly leave it below, thank you.