身為美國人的我住在亞洲時，有一天，老先生老太太告訴我說:“昨天我們去看我們的墳墓。地點很好；我們很滿意”。身為美國人的我覺得很奇怪。其實,因為死亡是生命的一部分,他們提到墳墓，我不應該覺得奇怪。

　　談到墳墓，讓我想到埃及的金字塔，美國的蓋地仔堡(Gettysburg)，中國的黃花崗和世界有名的兵馬俑—都是有名的墳墓,都紀念名人的生命和死亡。很多平常人，像您和我（尤其是住在鄉下，有廣大土地的地方）我們心裏會記著一些對自己家人有特殊意義的墳墓，因為有親人埋在那裏。我們愛親人，我們懷念祖先，我們忘不了他們的生命和死亡。但是，您知道嗎，聖經告訴我們說，古今中外歷史上最有特殊意義的死亡是耶穌基督的死亡。耶穌的生和死影響到全世界每一個人。

　　關於耶穌的十字架和死亡，不同人產生不同的反應，如下:第一，有人譏笑耶穌的十字架，說﹕“創造宇宙天地人類的神降世變成人！他又被賜死，被釘死在十字架上！你開玩笑吧！這故事太荒謬了！這一定是神話；是個笑話！”第二，有人聆聽耶穌的福音以後，馬上拒絕，不相信。雖然不譏笑，也不接受；根本不相信。第三:有人對耶穌的福音，覺得很矛盾，很困惑。他遇見耶穌的十字架，而受感動，但是又有疑問。“如果耶穌是神的兒子，耶穌怎麼能夠死呢？神應該是不會死的吧。”他想要走上耶穌的這個道路，又不敢走上。他們認為耶穌的十字架很矛盾。第四:聆聽有關耶穌的十字架，也有人相信，並且接受耶穌的福音。他們相信耶穌死在十字架上，第三天復活了；相信耶穌能夠也願意赦免人們的罪，賜他們新生命。

　　無論如何，有一個事實，耶穌的十字架一直存在；它時常在人們的眼前；您，我都離不開耶穌的十字架。收聽短波無線電（就好像您現在收聽生命之光廣播電臺一樣）就聽到耶穌的名字；學習書籍時，可能讀到耶穌。在街道上有時候經過一所基督教會，看到耶穌基督的名字。有時候朋友，家人或同仁提到基督教和信仰問題。連您聽人家批評和譏笑基督教的時候，耶穌的十字架還是在您的眼前。這歷史上最有特殊意義的死亡一直存在。請問，您的反應是甚麼？譏笑呢？拒絕呢？覺得矛盾嗎？或相信，接受，順服？

　　朋友，我請您花一點時間和精神想想看耶穌是誰，他為您做了些甚麼，您對他要有甚麼回應。

While living in Asia, I had what for me was a rather strange experience. An elderly couple told me, "Yesterday we visited our grave site; it’s a lovely place and we are very pleased with it." Actually, since death is a part of life, I should not have been taken back when they mentioned their grave site.The mention of graves makes me think of several famous ones—the pyramids in Egypt, Gettysburg in the United States, Huang Hua Gang, China’s national martyrs’ shrine, and the world-famous mausoleum in Xi’an, China, the tomb of the first emperor of China’s Qin dynasty. Each of these tombs memorializes the lives and deaths of famous people. Most of us today (especially those who live in the countryside where land is plentiful) know of a cemetery which is especially significant to us because relatives are buried there. We love our departed family members and we hold their lives and deaths forever in our memory. However, do you know that the Bible affirms that the most significant death in all history was that of Jesus Christ? The life and death of Jesus impact the entire world. Different people react in different ways to the cross of Jesus. Some people laugh at the cross and say, "You mean to tell me that the God who created the universe and mankind came and lived on earth as a man?! And then he was killed!! Hung on a cross!! You’re joking, right?! How absurd!! What a fairy tale!!" Others reject the gospel story in unbelief as soon as they hear it. They don’t laugh at it, but neither do they accept it; they just don’t believe it. Yet other people are confused by the gospel of Jesus. They see the cross and are gladdened by it, but they doubt; they are attracted to Jesus, but they don’t understand his death. "If Jesus was God’s Son, how could he die?" they ask. So they dare not respond. The cross is all too contradictory, they think, and they’re confused by it. Finally, there are those who hear the gospel story, believe and receive it. They believe that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected from the grave on the third day. They believe that Jesus can and wants to forgive their sins and give them new life.

Whatever one’s reaction, there’s one thing for sure: The cross of Jesus is forever before us; we can’t get away from it, and it won’t go away. When one listens to radio or watches TV, one hears the name of Jesus; whenever one reads a book, the name of Jesus is likely to pop up. When walking down the street, one may pass a church building and there is Jesus’ name on the front. Sometimes in conversation with family members or co-workers the question of religion is discussed. Even when one hears Christianity criticized and ridiculed, the cross of Jesus is at the center of the criticism. Yes, this, the world’s most significant death, is forever with us; it just won’t go away. May I ask you, what is your reaction to the cross? Do you laugh? Do you reject it out of hand? Are you confused by it? Or do you believe and will you accept and obey it? Please spend some time thinking about Jesus—who he is, what he’s done for you, and what your reaction to him will be.