What If The Way Up Is Down?

From the time we are young, we're taught to climb the ladder—work hard, accomplish more, move up, and become successful. There's nothing wrong with pursuing excellence or using the gifts God has given us. But what happens when climbing the ladder becomes our definition of a successful life? In Mark 15, what appears to be Jesus' greatest defeat is actually the coronation of the King. At the cross, Jesus reveals a radically different vision of greatness: in the Kingdom of God, the way up is down. Greatness is found in serving, power is expressed through sacrifice, and true life is found by surrendering ourselves to Jesus. The world hands us a ladder and tells us to climb. Jesus hands us a cross and says, "Follow me." In this message, we wrestle with a question that gets to the heart of discipleship: Am I going to spend my life climbing, or am I going to follow Jesus?