1 Apr 2008
The cross of Jesus is the symbol of faith for those who believe in Him and follow Him. Because of the sacrifice Christ made on the cross those who put their faith in Him are saved, thus His followers cling to and honor the cross as a visual reminder and declaration of the salvation we receive through our Lord. We put a cross on our churches; we use it in our art; we wear one as jewelry; we boldly declare that we are followers of One crucified.
And all this is the more amazing when we consider the origin of the cross. It wasn’t always a religious symbol. It was, of course, designed to both torture and execute enemies of the state, and be a warning to others of the futility of their opposition or disobedience. This type of capital punishment may have originated in Persia, but was definitely perfected and used widely by Rome. By the time of Jesus, thousands would have died on a cross all through the Roman empire, and crucifixion would have been a well known reality of life in Israel under Roman occupation. All who heard Jesus speak would have no doubt what He meant when He said that for them to be His disciple they must “take up their cross” (Matthew 8:18, 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:27; see also 2 Corinthians 4:10).
Crucifixion was a horrible way to die. Being nailed to a cross meant hours of suffering a slow death that actually resulted from exposure or suffocation. Jesus hung from His cross for six hours and when His disciples asked for the body Pilate was surprised that He had already died (Mark 15:44). Because so many lingered so long (some for days) the Romans would often break the legs of the crucified to hasten their death (John 19:32-33). This is what Jesus endured to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
And if that were the end of the story we would only view crucifixion in light of the history of ancient Rome or a study of capital punishment throughout the ages. But that is not the end of the story. The cross, upon which countless thousands of enemies of Rome died, and which was used as a means of subjugating nations all around the Mediterranean Sea, could not defeat Jesus. Because He willingly went to the cross in order to pay the penalty of all human sin, because He was innocent, and because He rose from the grave on the third day, the cross was not only mastered by the Lord of lords, but has permanently been redefined in the minds and hearts of billions of believers.
The cross of Jesus is, then, a horrific reminder of the cruelty of humans towards one another, and a beautiful symbol of God’s love and forgiveness. The cross of Jesus is both the instrument of His torture and death at the hands of the Romans, and the means by which we are saved. The cross of Jesus simultaneously contains both a warning of the cost of sin, and an invitation to accept the free gift of grace offered by the One who hung there. The cross is both our shame and our hope.
That which was stained with the blood of the vanquished, now carries the color of forgiveness as we are washed white by the blood of Christ. That which sounded out the cries of death and grief with every hammer strike of the nails, now resounds with songs of victory from those who have been set free from the chains of sin. That which symbolized terror and fear to all who gazed upon it, now is a sign of redemption and hope to all who look upon the One who was pierced for our transgression.
Yes, Jesus died upon a Roman cross some 2000 years ago. But on Easter Sunday He forever changed the meaning of the cross. Isn’t it just like our God to take that which was meant for evil and transform it into good. Just like He wants to do with us if we will believe, and confess our faith in the One who is risen, the One who reigns forever, the One who loved us enough to die so we could live! As you carry your cross, tell all you meet what a wonderful thing Jesus has done for them, and that they too can find life through faith in the One who died and rose again.
Denis Whittet
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