--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on…" description: "\"“The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.”\" — John Howard Yoder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png" --- # The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the… ![“The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.” quote by John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png) > ““The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.”” [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The cross represents the kingdom itself, not a detour or obstacle. **In simple terms:** The cross is the kingdom, not a path to it. Key Takeaway Embrace the cross as the destination. Themes theology spirituality identity Mood reflective inspirational Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - worship - personal faith - church teaching Key Concepts kingdom theology Christocentric view Questions to Reflect On - How does this view reshape your understanding of suffering? - What does the kingdom mean to you? A Different Perspective May conflict with other doctrinal interpretations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) [Cross Detour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-detour-832148/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Detours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detours/) [Hurdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurdle/) [Kingdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom/) [Kingdom come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-come/) [Kingdom Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-way-832147/) [Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdoms/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The gospel is not only the way to enter the kingdom; it is the way to live in the kingdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-gospel-is-not-only-the-way-to-enter-the-kingdom-it-is-the-way-to/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [It is to the Cross that the Christian is challenged to follow his Master: no path of redemption can make a detour around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-urs-von-balthasar/it-is-to-the-cross-that-the-christian-is-challenged-to-follow-his/) [Hans Urs von Balthasar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-urs-von-balthasar/) > [“If we read the text alone, assuming that the word 'cross' can only derive its meaning from the later death of Jesus, then its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/if-we-read-the-text-alone-assuming-that-the-word-cross-can-only/) [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) > [Jesus is now the Lord; He is enthroned at the right hand of God; He is reigning in His kingdom. 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If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/but-jesus-own-gospel-of-the-kingdom-was-not-that-the-kingdom-was/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [ “One who really prays that this kingdom will come...\[will make the effort to\] keep himself in harmony with the order of the kingdom, to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-talmage/one-who-really-prays-that-this-kingdom-will-come-will-make-the-effort/) [James Talmage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-talmage/) ## More by John Howard Yoder > [“If we read the text alone, assuming that the word 'cross' can only derive its meaning from the later death of Jesus, then its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/if-we-read-the-text-alone-assuming-that-the-word-cross-can-only/) [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) > [“Before drawing any affirmative conclusions let us first note the absence of the concept of imitation as a general pastoral or moral guideline. 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Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) [Browse all 986 Cross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it is the kingdom come.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Howard Yoder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on-the-way-to-the-kingdom-nor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cross" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on-the-way-to-the-kingdom-nor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on_2478018.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The cross is not a detour or a hurdle on the way to the kingdom, nor is it even the way to the kingdom; it…” — John Howard Yoder", "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": "John Howard Yoder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The cross is not a detour...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on-the-way-to-the-kingdom-nor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/the-cross-is-not-a-detour-or-a-hurdle-on-the-way-to-the-kingdom-nor/#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 } } ] } ```