“The most beautiful view of life, love, and your world is from the cross of Jesus Christ. From the cross, everything falls in place. From the cross, the reasons for living and for dying make perfect sense. From the cross, there is no purpose but My purpose for your life. That makes everything else clear. Take up your cross and passionately follow Jesus. From the cross, you will see what Jesus saw. You will be above the world and its ways. From the cross, the view is beautiful.”

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus saw far beyond all the pain and suffering of the cross. He saw the love of His Father from the cross. He saw you and me being able to spend eternity with Him. From the cross, He saw the answer to all of life’s problems for anyone who embraced it.

As the world searches blindly for a reason to live, anyone who embraces the cross of Jesus Christ has a clear vision of what life is all about. The cross removes all carnal distractions, all worldly views, and all confusing priorities. The cross is the focal point of all eternity. It is that to which those living on this earth prior to Jesus looked forward. It is what those living after Him can all look back on with perfect eternal vision. Yes, the view from the cross is beautiful, because it is seen through the eyes of Jesus Who hung there for us and made everything right.

Teach me how to see clearly from the cross, Lord,

Jim Corbett