The Daily Devotional
Sunday, September 14, 2025
The Cross Lifted High
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (Numbers_21:8–9)
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14–15)
Introduction
Holy Cross Day, or the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, draws us to remember the saving power of the cross of Christ. What was once a Roman tool of shame and death became, in Christ, the very means of victory and life. The bronze serpent lifted in the wilderness pointed forward to the cross—both raised up as a sign of healing and salvation for those who looked with trust.
Reflection
When the Israelites wandered in the desert, they found themselves plagued by serpents. Their healing did not come through their own effort but by looking at what God had provided—an act of trust and obedience. Jesus took that ancient story and declared it fulfilled in Himself: He would be lifted up on the cross so that all who look to Him in faith would live eternally.
Think of how we respond when something breaks in daily life. Imagine a cracked phone screen—it’s still usable, but every swipe is marked by distortion. You can’t fix it by staring harder at the crack or wishing it away; you need outside help, a repair that restores what’s broken. Likewise, the human heart is fractured by sin, and no amount of human effort can mend it. Healing comes when we look away from ourselves and fix our gaze on the cross, where God’s love repairs the brokenness we could never fix alone.
Application
The cross is not only a historical event; it is a present reality. To “look to the cross” means to daily place your trust in Christ for forgiveness, direction, and strength. Today, pause when you feel overwhelmed by guilt, fear, or suffering. Instead of staring at your own failure or pain, lift your eyes to the cross. Let the love of Christ, poured out there, be the lens through which you view your life.
In the Western Church, this feast also connects to missionary work. As Constantine once saw the vision, “In this sign, you will conquer,” so too we are called to carry the cross into the world—not with force, but with love, healing, and hope. Ask yourself: where might God be calling me to bear the sign of the cross into my community?
Conclusion
The cross reminds us that victory comes not through worldly power but through God’s sacrificial love. Just as the Israelites looked up and lived, we too find healing and eternal life when we look to Christ lifted high. In a broken world, the cross remains the enduring sign of hope.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You were lifted high upon the cross, that the world might be drawn to Your saving love. As the Israelites found healing when they looked at the bronze serpent, so may I find life when I look to You. Teach me to glory not in my strength, but in the power of Your cross. Strengthen me to carry this sign of hope into a hurting world, so that others may also find healing in You. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV)© 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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