Martha Dozier couldn’t get something off her mind.

It was a wooden cross on the lawn of a Lutheran church not far from her home. As she and her husband, John, drove by, the cross reminded her of Jesus’ crucifixion – and how He sacrificed His life for her. It reminded her of how He took her sins upon Himself and died in her place.

As the message of the cross penetrated her thoughts, something else occurred to her: the number of people who saw this cross each day. How many others, like her, were reminded of Christ’s sacrifice by this simple construction of wood and nails? How many people who didn’t know Jesus personally were drawn to think on Him as they saw the cross standing there?

Almost every time John and Martha drove by the cross, it was a Sunday, and they were on their way to their own church, First Baptist of Memphis. First Baptist rested at the corner of a much more heavily traveled intersection in town, where over 40,000 people drove by each day. She started to consider the impact that a similar cross on the lawn at that intersection might make. And it consumed her thoughts so much, that Martha truly felt the Holy Spirit was moving her to act.

Martha spoke with John, and John spoke with their pastor. The pastor recognized this moment of inspiration as a move from the Spirit, and so the construction of a new wooden cross was approved. John arranged the construction, and it was moved to the church lawn during the Lenten season of 1998. The cross caught the immediate attention of church members, and was clearly visible to the thousands of motorists driving by each day.

Since 1998, the tradition has continued, and the cross is erected on the church lawn at the beginning of Lenten season each year. A purple cloth, signifying Christ’s majesty, is draped on the cross until Good Friday. This cloth is then replaced with a black cloth, signifying Christ’s death. And the afternoon before Easter morning, a group of church members gather to decorate the cross with fresh flowers. On Easter morning the cross is radiant and beautiful for all to see, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Only God knows how many people have been affected and how many lives have been changed for Him. Martha says, “I’m very thankful that God used me in this way… We pray every year that the Easter cross will make a difference in the lives of many people.”

Easter Sunday

First Baptist Church, Memphis, TN