Dear Christian friends:

Dear Christian friends: During these Wednesday evening Lenten Services we are preaching about the various crosses the Christian Church has used in the past. It will help us to remember Jesus’ cross and the wonderful blessings He gives to us by His cross.

Tonight we have the Tau Cross. We thank Bob Harris for making one for us. It looks like a "T". That is why it is called a "Tau" cross. "Tau" means "T" in the Greek language.

Who first made and used a "T" cross? Tradition says that Moses made and used the first "T" cross. In our text Jesus refers to how Moses did that: "Moses in the wilderness lifted up the bronze image of a serpent on a pole." We read about that event in Numbers 21:4-9. (Please open your Bible and read that story.) The pole or cross which Moses made in the wilderness was the first "T" cross.

This "T" cross is also called the "Cross of Prophecy." Why? Because it prophesies about Jesus' suffering and death upon the cross of Calvary. Moses made his "T" cross about 1500 years before Jesus died on His cross. Jesus says in our text above that the bronze serpent on the "T" cross prophesied about His own cross: "As Moses in the wilderness lifted up the bronze image of a serpent on a pole, even so I must be lifted up upon a pole."

When the people of Israel sinned God punished them by letting poisonous snakes come among them and bite them and many died. Then the people were sorry about their sins and cried to Moses to pray to God for them to take away the snakes. (Numbers 21:7) Moses did pray for them and God told him to make the bronze image of a snake and hang it on the pole. Then when anyone was bitten if he believed and looked at the bronze serpent on the pole he would not die but live.

We like the Israelites sin, too. They complained about the hard life and the hard way God was leading them. (Numbers 21:5) They knew very well that God wanted them to follow Moses that hard way to the promised land of Canaan. Still they complained. We, too, often complain about the way our pastors lead us on the hard ways in the church work. Sometimes we refuse to follow the way our pastors preach and tell us God wants us to go. We complain about going to church so often and about giving too much money for the support of our church. Still we know deep down in our heart that God wants us to do this work. Now that we have the new church building some may be tempted to complain that it costs too much. Yet we prayed for a building and God led us to get it.

We must confess our sins like Israel did and say to our pastor and God: "We have sinned because we have spoken against God and against you!" Then we must look to Jesus' cross and see Him suffer and die, suffer our punishment and suffer our death. On the cross Jesus suffered all God's hot anger against sinners. He did it for us so we would not have to suffer it. He is our dear, precious Savior.

Then also see God's great love for you. Jesus says in our text: "God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Look with faith to Jesus’ cross and you will not perish in hell but you will have eternal life in heaven with God.

So, in the future when you see a "T" or Tau cross, remember what happened in the wilderness. Remember how God used that cross to save the sinful Israelites and remember also how Jesus' cross saves you. Then you will not complain so much but do your duty with joy and thanks. And if you do sin, you will know how to be restored.

Amen.