The cross is the emblem of Christianity. We need to remember what the cross signifies.

The cross signifies death. The laying down of our will. Before Jesus laid down His life on the cross he prayed, "Let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not MY WILL but THY WILL be done!"

It is a struggle to lay down our will. Our wants. Our desires. What makes us feel good.

Pastor Doyle went into Isaiah 14, where Lucifer was saying what he wanted. Isaiah 14:12-16 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I WILL ascend into heaven, I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God: I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: [14] I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL be like the most High. [15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. [16] They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Matthew 27:39-44 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, [40] And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. [41] Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, [42] He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. [43] He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. [44] The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

In the above passage in Matthew, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Jesus, and tried to get him to do what he wanted instead of what the Father, God wanted. They tried to get Jesus to look at himself, and worry about what others thought of him, and thereby tried to get him to do something for himself.

Satan tries to get us to do the same thing. To look at ourselves, so our attention is on what we need, what we want, instead of what the Father wants for us.

God's way is a way of death to selfishness, and a liberation to live for Him and for others. Selfishness DESTROYS the power of the cross. We will not go the way of the cross if we are doing what we want.

Paul said, in I Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. This is the power of God to salvation. The gospel of the crucifixion of Jesus, and his burial and resurrection. Jesus could not be resurrected until He had first died.

We need to examine ourselves; our desires, our motives. Are we going the way of the cross. Are we crucifying our fleshly desires daily, hourly, minutely.

In I Corinthians 15:31, Paul said, "I die daily".

Seven times in the New Testament, Jesus said that if a man would save his life, he must lose it.

This is the message of the cross, and this Easter season is a wonderful time to remind ourselves and check ourselves.