RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
God has a way of turning tragedy into triumph and making piles of rubble into trophies of grace. There were many stories of such transformations after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. There have been numerous testimonies of victims’ families being shining lights to the nation and the world.
An incredible discovery in the rubble of the World Trade Center brought tears, and faith, to those who uncovered it. Amid the one million tons of steel and debris that fell to the ground, firefighters and clean-up crews found two heavy steel beams that were left standing in the perfect shape of a cross. As they removed tons of rubble, they found this cross standing. Engineers have tried to figure out how it could have survived in one piece, but others saw it as God’s sign to the people of America. The terrorists aimed at targets symbolic of America’s power: financial institutions, military centers, and political buildings. They hoped to cripple the country’s power.
But in the midst of the wreckage, a cross emerged. Evil men have never understood that America’s greatness doesn’t lie in its financial institutions or military strength. The greatness of the nation lies in the deep-seated faith in the hearts of the people. Terrorists can blow up every symbol of America, but out of the tragedy will emerge what has been foundational for the nation since its inception: the old rugged cross.
Pilgrims came to America because of their desire to freely worship the Savior who died on an old rugged cross. Their testimony was that through faith in Christ, people can face any difficulty or tragedy. And why is the cross the great symbol of hope, peace, and freedom?
It’s because of who Jesus is and what He’s done for us. Jesus was, is, and always will be God. But one day He left His throne in glory and clothed Himself with human flesh — born of a virgin and conceived of the Holy Spirit. He was all God and all man. The Bible gives Him the name “Son of God.” But He’s also called “Son of Man.” The first name refers to His divinity, the second to His humanity.
The uniqueness of Jesus is that He  — the eternal God — became a man. He hurt like we hurt. He felt what we felt. He needed food just like we need food. He identified with our struggles. He didn’t just remain on His throne in glory, but He humbled Himself by becoming a man. One man (Adam) blew it for all of us, but one Man (Jesus) won the victory for all of us. Oh, what a Savior!
Yes, Jesus came to the rubble of humanity over 2,000 years ago. He was lifted high on an old rugged cross. He hung between two thieves, suspended between heaven and earth. God didn’t die on the cross, but Jesus, the Son of Man, died. And three days later, He arose from the grave. Without His death, there could have never been a resurrection. Hallelujah! He’s alive! Out of the rubble of humanity, the cross still emerges as a shining light. It’s all because of one man — the Son of Man.
Yes, Satan may attack us. He may even wreck our lives and try to turn us into a heap of ashes. But the cross will always stand as our place of hope. Nothing can take that from us. There’s freedom in the cross. There’s love in the cross. There’s forgiveness in the cross. There’s salvation in the cross. There’s the Son of Man who died on the cross.
And He’s no longer there. He’s at the right hand of the Father. And one day He will return triumphantly, in all of His glory. He’s the Son of God who is the Son of Man. Trust Him. He’ll rebuild your life and turn your ashes into beauty. Look to the cross. It stands amid the rubble of broken hearts and shattered lives. Nothing can destroy what the Son of Man did there. It’s not just a symbol; it’s the reality of true freedom and victory for our lives.