Oh the wonder of the Cross

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The cross depicted on our special Easter cover was created for our territory by War Cry designer Sam Coates. In it, I see both the death—as depicted by the cross—and the new life we discover in Christ. The fauna that makes up the silhouette speaks to several cultures within our territory, and represents the new life we celebrate at Easter.

As I ponder this image, I also see something else—part of God’s nature that remains a profound mystery: from something as horrific as the cross, God has made something beautiful.
From death, God calls forth life. Out of chaos and decay, he brings restoration and healing. And he goes further—giving us beauty and abundance, for every lost thing.

If you look closely, you’ll also see another message on our cover; it is part of Ecclesiastes 3:11: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’

To believe in the death of Jesus and, more importantly, his life-giving resurrection, is to experience extravagant wonder. It is to stand in awe of a God we will never fully fathom, who is in the process of renewing all creation. It is to place our faith in a God much greater than our biggest wounds.

But perhaps the greatest of all wonders is that this mysterious God made himself known and walked among us. This God—Jesus Christ—is still walking with us today.

Ingrid Barratt
Editor

Bible verse

Matthew 28:5–6
The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.’
Matieu 28:5–6
Nā ka oho te anahera, ka mea ki ngā wāhine, ‘Kei wehi kōrua: e mātau ana hoki ahau, e rapu ana kōrua i a Īhu i rīpekatia. Kāhore ia i konei: kua ara kē, kua pērā me tāna i mea ai.’