My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Alaska. It was a long-awaited trip, and we were filled with anticipation. What could we see and experience in the vast wilderness of our 49th state? It certainly did not disappoint. I was in awe as we traveled past endless ranges of beautiful snow-capped mountains. Then there was the splendor as our boat traveled through glistening aqua colored waters. I was both stunned and speechless. This spectacular area is a testament to the person and nature of God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life.
EXTRAORDINARY CROSSES
One sight caused me to pause and reflect on the wisdom and testimony of the people who once lived there. Tucked back from the main road, was an old Russian Orthodox church. It was a beautiful structure, still well preserved despite the years of exposure to wind and weather. The graveyard caught my attention. Scattered in random fashion, were graves each marked by a wooden cross unlike any I had ever seen before.
THE DESIGN
The crosses were exceptional in their design with three crossbeams instead of one. The top beam was meant to symbolize the sign above Jesus’ head. The middle beam, slightly wider than the other two, represents where Jesus’ hands were nailed. The slanted bottom bar represents Jesus’ footrest. But this bottom bar had an additional significance; it is an image of the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. The upper side points to the one who believed and ascended to heaven; the lower side points to the one descending into hell. It is a symbol of the scale of justice and is a testament that the cross is the place of God’s final act of redemption. The cross is where Christ’s defeat over sin opened the door to salvation and freedom for all who believe.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14).
GOD’S DESIGN FOR US
This is God’s perfect design. A powerful statement of God’s love for mankind. He provided a way for us to be restored to joyous fellowship with Him. We don’t have to spend eternity apart from God. And we can live in relationship with Him now. God offers us the opportunity to decide which path to follow. We can choose salvation or damnation.
Take a minute to observe the world around you. You don’t have to go to Alaska to appreciate God’s beautiful world that He fashioned for us to enjoy. There is evidence of God’s perfect design everywhere on the earth that He created. Even more important, which side of the slanted beam will you choose? If it is the upward side, you are assured an eternity in heaven, the place perfectly designed by God for eternity.