--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... the thing that kept Christ on that…" description: "\"... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.\" — Billy Graham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png" --- # ... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not… ![“... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.” quote by Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png) > “... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.” [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love, not physical suffering, sustained Christ on the cross, highlighting self‑sacrifice over pain. **In simple terms:** Love kept Christ on the cross. Key Takeaway Focus on love, not hardship. Themes faith love sacrifice redemption spirituality Mood reflective inspirational Type theological motivational When to use this quote - prayer - counseling - teaching - personal reflection - community service Key Concepts Christian theology agape sacrificial love Questions to Reflect On - How can love transform personal trials? - What does love mean in daily actions? A Different Perspective Love alone may not address practical challenges of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christ Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-cross-1096225/) [Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) [Cross Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-love-594624/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Kept Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kept-christ-1739386/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Nails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nails/) ## Related quotes > [Nails didn't hold God to a cross. Love did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/nails-didn-t-hold-god-to-a-cross-love-did/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [I must consider myself as the man of the cross and love the one that God gives me without thinking any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxiii/i-must-consider-myself-as-the-man-of-the-cross-and-love-the-one-that/) [Pope John XXIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxiii/) > [ We didn't really differ \[with Frank Moore Cross\] because we have the same love of the text. We share that love. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/we-didn-t-really-differ-with-frank-moore-cross-because-we-have-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Lead me to the cross Where Your love poured out Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down Rid me of myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-fraser/lead-me-to-the-cross-where-your-love-poured-out-bring-me-to-my-knees/) [Brooke Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-fraser/) > [Christ and His cross are not separable in this life, howbeit Christ and His cross part at heaven's door, for there is no house-room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/christ-and-his-cross-are-not-separable-in-this-life-howbeit-christ/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-gospel-radiant-with-the-glory-of-christ-s-cross-constantly/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater-the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/sin-is-the-second-most-powerful-force-in-the-universe-for-it-sent/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin-but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-cross-shows-us-the-seriousness-of-our-sin-but-it-also-shows-us/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [There is no way of salvation except through the cross of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/there-is-no-way-of-salvation-except-through-the-cross-of-christ/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“I don't want to be cross, love cannot be forced. There were tears in her eyes as she left the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-don-t-want-to-be-cross-love-cannot-be-forced-there-were-tears-in/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Love is the Cross, and the Cross is Love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/love-is-the-cross-and-the-cross-is-love/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [When someone sets his affections upon the cross and the love of Christ, he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/when-someone-sets-his-affections-upon-the-cross-and-the-love-of/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [A cross borne in simplicity, without the interference of self-love to augment it, is only half a cross. Suffering in this simplicity of love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/a-cross-borne-in-simplicity-without-the-interference-of-self-love-to/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Mere nails, though pounded deep, were not enough to keep Jesus on the cross. But love was... and love prevailed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/mere-nails-though-pounded-deep-were-not-enough-to-keep-jesus-on-the/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“a sense of the love of Christ in the cross; lie at the bottom of all true spiritual mortification”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/a-sense-of-the-love-of-christ-in-the-cross-lie-at-the-bottom-of-all/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) ## More by Billy Graham > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“Make sure of your salvation by turning your life over to Him now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/make-sure-of-your-salvation-by-turning-your-life-over-to-him-now/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Suffering in life can uncover untold depths of character and unknown strength for service. People who go through life unscathed by sorrow and untouched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/suffering-in-life-can-uncover-untold-depths-of-character-and-unknown/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Faith is loved and honored by God more than any other single thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-loved-and-honored-by-god-more-than-any-other-single-thing/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [If people are kicking you in the behind, at least you're in front of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/if-people-are-kicking-you-in-the-behind-at-least-you-re-in-front-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The end of the world begins the moment you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-end-of-the-world-begins-the-moment-you-die/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I think it is a sin to look at another person as inferior to yourself because of race or because of ethnic background and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-it-is-a-sin-to-look-at-another-person-as-inferior-to-yourself/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [My hope does not rest in the affairs of this world. It rests in Christ who is coming again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/my-hope-does-not-rest-in-the-affairs-of-this-world-it-rests-in-christ/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-get-nations-back-on-their-feet-we-must-first-get-down-on-our-knees/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Those who have suffered make the best comforters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-who-have-suffered-make-the-best-comforters/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [One response was given by the innkeeper when Mary and Joseph wanted to find a room where the Child could be born. The innkeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/one-response-was-given-by-the-innkeeper-when-mary-and-joseph-wanted/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater-the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/sin-is-the-second-most-powerful-force-in-the-universe-for-it-sent/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Ruth and I don't have a perfect marriage, but we have a great one. How can I say two things that seem so contradictory?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/ruth-and-i-don-t-have-a-perfect-marriage-but-we-have-a-great-one-how/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) [Explore all 853 Billy Graham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/whoever-does-not-seek-the-cross-of-christ-doesn-t-seek-the-glory-of/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Christ never preached any funeral sermons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/christ-never-preached-any-funeral-sermons/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [One thing the young Christian should be taught as quickly as possible after his conversion is that Jesus Christ is all he needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/one-thing-the-young-christian-should-be-taught-as-quickly-as-possible/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 9,006 Christ quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Graham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross-was-love-not-the-nail/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christ" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross-was-love-not-the-nail/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/billy-graham-234_christ_the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross_2576599.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“... the thing that kept Christ on that cross was love, not the nail.” — Billy Graham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Billy Graham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "... the thing that kept Christ...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross-was-love-not-the-nail/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-thing-that-kept-christ-on-that-cross-was-love-not-the-nail/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```