The Cross of Christ
Welcome back, my amazing Compadres! It’s a blessing to always see you come back. In my previous blog, I touched on the women in the Bible. In this blog, I proceed to talk about the most popular symbol in the Christian faith; the Cross of Christ. Let’s get the ball rolling.
Every religion and ideology has its visual symbol, which illustrates a significant feature of its history or beliefs [1]. We cannot talk about Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings to humanity, without talking about the Cross. The Cross undeniably is one of the most famous images used by Christians to explain salvation. Ancient Judaism avoided visual signs and symbols, for fear of infringing the second commandment which prohibits the manufacture of images. Iconoclasts disapprove of the use of icons because for them, using icons amounts to idolatry and are forbidden in the ten commandments.
A symbol of shame or redemption?
The Jews generally saw the cross as a symbol of shame and reproach. They therefore debunked and sharply opposed the idea of the Messiah dying on a cross. This supposedly is one of the major reasons why it was and has always been difficult for most Jews to believe in Jesus Christ. Unlike the Jews, Christians perceive the cross as a symbol of redemption and salvation. The use of the cross as an icon in Christianity became predominant in the 4th century.
Prior to the reign of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, Christians were very cautious in depicting the cross because a too open exhibition of it may put them in danger. Following his conversion to Christianity, Constantine outlawed the practice of crucifixion as a method of execution and promoted the cross and the chi-rho monogram of Christ’s name as symbols of the Christian religion. Around 350, the emblems started to become quite common in Christian art and memorials. Realistic depictions of Christ’s suffering were avoided for several centuries after Constantine because Christian devotion to the cross focused on Christ’s victory over evil and death[2].
Conquer by this Sign
According to Eusebius, on the eve of the Battle of Milvian Bridge which brought Constantine supremacy in the West (AD 312-313), Constantine saw a cross of light in the sky, along with the words “in hoc signo vinces” (conquer by this sign). He immediately adopted it as his emblem and had it emblazoned on the standards of his army. The cross of Christ is significant to our salvation in the sense that humanity sinned against God, and as a result were alienated from God. In order to reconcile us back to himself, God sent his only begotten son so as to punish our sin on him, so that we can enjoy the forgiveness of sins.
God punished sin in His Son
For God, Christ’s satisfaction opens the way—without violating his rights—to forgive sins out of grace and so to justify the ungodly. If sin is of such a nature that “right” and righteousness, law and truth, do not suffer the least damage even when sin is not punished, then neither does the grace of forgiveness amount to much. But if sin is so great that “God, rather than… leaving it unpunished, punished it in His beloved son, Jesus Christ, with the cruel and humiliating death of the cross,” then the riches of God’s grace, the power of his forgiving love, come splendidly to the fore. Also, in the face of their accusing conscience, humans find rest and consolation in that satisfaction and can rejoice without any fear in the forgiveness of their sins. For a perfect satisfaction (atonement) is the guarantee of absolute, irrevocable, and eternal forgiveness [3].
The Cross is a symbol of dominion and exaltation
Christians do not look upon the cross as a symbol of humiliation and weakness, but on the contrary, as a symbol of dominion and exaltation. This is because, through the victory Jesus wrought for us on the cross, God highly exalted him, giving him the name that is above every other name, that is, the name “Lord” (1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11), granting him dominion over the living and the dead (Rom. 14:9), and subjecting all things under his feet (1 Cor. 15:25, 27). As such He is the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8), seated at God’s right hand (Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 2:8), in whom the fullness of the deity dwells bodily (Col. 1:19; 2:9), who is the head of the church, prays for it, and fills it with all the fullness of God.
This is the more reason why Christians all over the world “cling to the old rugged cross” and insist on its centrality, refusing to let it be pushed to the circumference of their message. The victory won by Jesus on the cross and its impact is woven into the tapestry of humanity. Christians and non-Christians alike enjoy the benefits of the cross in different shapes and forms.
“Whenever I look, I see the Cross”
Justin Martyr, the second-century Christian apologist, confessed that wherever he looked, he saw the cross. Neither the sea is crossed nor the earth is ploughed without it, he writes, referring to a ship’s mast and yard, and to a plough’s blade and yoke. Diggers and mechanics do not work without cross-shaped tools, alluding presumably to a spade and its handle. Moreover, the human form differs from that of the irrational animals in nothing else than in its being erect and having the arms extended. And if the torso and arms of the human form proclaim the cross, so do the nose and eyebrows of the human face [4].
The cross of Christ is crucial to the Christian faith
Christ’s death on the cross is not a peripheral issue or a secondary theme; it is the central, indeed crucial doctrine of the Christian faith. The term “crucial” in English is derived from the Latin word for cross (crux). Because of how utterly essential the cross is to the Christian faith. One author put it simply, “If the student has insufficient time to master the other important sections of Christian doctrine, let him at least have a firm grasp of this, which is the very heart and core of his faith.” The significance of the cross is partially reflected in the emphasis Scripture places on Jesus Christ’s death.
The crucifixion is site of atonement
The crucifixion serves as the site of atonement in the New Testament. The term “Atonement” in theological context first used in 1526 to refer to “reconciliation or the restoration of cordial ties between God and sinners.” The term original meaning of the term, which suggested “reconciliation” between separated parties, ultimately expanded to encompass ideas of pleasing God and atoning for sin. Later, the phrase evolved to refer to the ways in which atonement, propitiation, and expiation are accomplished. Even a quick skim of the Bible will show how the cross is intertwined into the threads of divine revelation
Who is worthy to open the scroll?
In Revelations chapter 5, John had a vision in which he saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And he saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” John first “sobbed and wept” since nobody could open the scroll or even see inside of it. Nevertheless, it is finally claimed that the Lamb is deserving. By removing each seal one at a time, He appears to be revealing history chapter by chapter. The fact that His cross—which is the key to history and the redemptive process it ushered in—has equipped Him to fill this position is crucial. Despite their sufferings from war, famine plague, persecution and other catastrophes, God’s people can overcome the devil “by the blood of the Lamb”, and are assured that the final victory will be His and theirs, since the Lamb proves to be “Lord of lords and King of kings”
Conclusion
Christianity is all about Christ, and the crucial fact about Christ is His death on the cross. Christ’s example, teachings, and miracles must not be neglected by the inquirer into truth; but His atoning death is absolutely crucial. Scripture portrays the Saviour’s death as the basis of every spiritual blessing(Rom 8:31-32), as the source of true Christian living (Rom 6:1-11; 8:3-4), and as the foundation of the church’s sacraments (Rom 6:1-4; 1 Cor 11:26). John tells us that throughout eternity the inhabitants of heaven will sing the glorious praises of the Lamb who was slain (Rev 5:9-14)
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References
[1] John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ. (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1986), 19
[2] Britannica T. Editors of Encyclopaedia, “cross” Encyclopedia Britannica, January 1, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/cross-religious-symbol.
[3] Herman Bavinck, “Reformed Dogmatic: Sin and Salvation in Christ,” ed. John Vriend (Michigan: Grand Rapids, 2006), 622-623.
[4] John, The Cross of Christ. 45
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