Good morning. The cross is an interesting symbol. When you think about it, it is representative of one of history’s most brutal forms of execution. To those people around the world who are not familiar with Christianity it is considered a very strange image to display.
But for Christians, the cross is the symbol of our absolute and incredible victory. It is the symbol that best speaks of God’s grace and of the love of Jesus Christ that caused Him to willingly sacrifice His life to atone for our sins. I believe that it is not incorrect to suggest that for Christians, the cross is far more than a symbol. The cross is the center of the universe. All of human history revolves around that single event, Jesus on the cross of Calvary. In all of creation, from the beginning of God’s Word of power bringing physical substance to a condition of order and composition, forming the cosmos, the cross stands at the heart of it all. God is love, and there is no greater symbol of His love than the cross.
Not long ago I went through a check out line in the Cities and the young lady at the register was expressing her personality with a variety of piercings, hair colors, and garment choices. What I found most interesting is that the single most prominent and brilliant thing that she wore was a large cross around her neck. I mentioned the cross and asked her if she was a Christian. The look she gave me told me that I may as well have accused her of being a Trump supporter. “NO!” she exclaimed. She then went on a bit to share her feelings about small minded, homophobic, “haters” and that my suggesting she could be one of them (to her, Christians all fall within the boundaries of those words of description) was indeed a great insult. I then asked her why she was displaying a large cross around her neck since it was symbolic of the Christian faith. She immediately corrected me, explaining that the cross hadn’t represented Christians for a long time and that now it was a sign of rebellion. Really? When did that happen, and why didn’t I get a memo?
I have done a bit of research and it turns out she was right, at least she was right in the minds of some people. The cross, since its’ public display (in accordance with several criteria) has become banned by the federal government, is for some not a symbol of the grace of God poured out to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but instead it is a symbol of rebellion against conservative thought and the federal government. By the way, as I was researching the subject, I found this quote from pop singer Madonna who frequently wore a prominent crucifix while performing but wanted it to be understood that she had no interest in being a Christian: “Yeah, I wear a crucifix because it’s sexy. It has a naked man hanging on it.”
To be sure, it is very common to see a cross dangling from the ear of a heavy metal lead singer or displayed prominently on the evil characters in movies, or worn by any number of persons who clearly are not associated with Christian faith. Why? I believe that this has been a campaign by Satan, our true enemy, to rob the cross of its meaning, and therefore its power.
In the British museum of history there is an interesting piece of art. It is carved in ivory and was once the lid to a box or container of some kind. It is the first known piece of art showing Jesus on the cross. He is displayed there, a bit to one side from center, and in the far corner of the piece is a depiction of Judas hanged and hanging from a tree. One committed suicide because he couldn’t live with his guilt and shame, the other accepted torture and death because He loved us and was willing to sacrifice Himself for our sin. It is a powerful image. The piece dates to between A.D.100 and A.D. 200. It was during this time frame that Christians first began to identify the cross as a worthy symbol of their faith. Christians have been wearing crosses, displaying crosses, fighting for and even dying for the symbol of the cross ever since.
Today, the cross of Christ is being attacked. It is under attack in this country in a variety of ways, some through the court system and in other ways that are more subtle. In China, one of their efforts to irradicate Christianity has been to outlaw the image of the cross from buildings, including churches. In North Korea the image of the cross will either end in the wearer’s death or internment in one of their labor camps, which typically is also a death sentence. In many Islamic areas the image of the cross is immediately met with violence and death.
It is my suspicion that the cross, as a symbol, as an image that identifies the Christian faith, has importance and power. If it did not have a place of importance and power, why would our enemy be working so vehemently to eliminate it?
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25
Let your faith be revealed today!
Vern