The Cross

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The Cross

The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don't you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?
Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman's noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross. Many even make the sign of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sign of, say, a guillotine? Instead of the triangular touch on the forehead and shoulders, how about a karate chop on the palm? Doesn't quite have the same feel, does it?
Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn't be simpler. One beam horizontal--the other vertical. One reaches out--like God's love. The other reaches up--as does God's holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.
How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.
2 Cor. 5:21
 
The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don't you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?
Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman's noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross. Many even make the sign of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sign of, say, a guillotine? Instead of the triangular touch on the forehead and shoulders, how about a karate chop on the palm? Doesn't quite have the same feel, does it?
Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn't be simpler. One beam horizontal--the other vertical. One reaches out--like God's love. The other reaches up--as does God's holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.
How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.
2 Cor. 5:21


Amen Bratface . A good reminder as well as are all reflecting this weekend what our Saviour did for us .

The Cross is our Hope of Salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ . Without the cross we would be nothing . Ever wonder where we would be if Jesus had not died for us ? Maybe we wouldn't even be here ,. Who knows .

But God In His infinate mercy and grace had it all planned way back in Genesis and Jesus Christ chose to die for us and fullfilled God"s Ultimate will .

This morning as we were listening to pastor speak , she said some very profound words . Jesus was in control of the situation because He knew His destiny and was willing to fulfill His Father's will . Even in the garden when Judas was to betray him he went willingly knowing His fate . He told the croud ... Yes ... I am Jesus of Nazareth and each time they fell back because to the power in His words . Jesus was in control of the situation and was not intimidated by the crowd with their weapons and swords as there were abour 600 of them there to arrest Him . He told Peter to put down his sword . He didn't need swords or weapons to be arrested .... He was innocent . If it had of been a criminal , he would have been runnibg but Jesus never ran .... He was innocent .
 
I really loved this post. At first, I thought I was going to have to get rid of my cross jewelry and the crosses hanging in my home.

I love what you wrote.

My Mom is 79... from the old school. She never did like us wearing a cross or having a cross in our home. She always associated it with the torture of Christ.

I always saw it a different way and once I got older, I wore a cross and have them in my home. I'm going to email what you've written. I think it might change her mind about it, which I would love.

Thanks for sharing this.
 
another important thing to mention is that the cross is empty. There is no person on it anymore. Christ has risen in power and glory. When I look at the cross I think of what Jesus did there for me many years ago-I think of the anguish He must have went through because of my failures-how He became sin for us and was seperated from the Father-and how that cross is now unoccupied, our saviour is risen amen
 
another important thing to mention is that the cross is empty. There is no person on it anymore. Christ has risen in power and glory. When I look at the cross I think of what Jesus did there for me many years ago-I think of the anguish He must have went through because of my failures-how He became sin for us and was seperated from the Father-and how that cross is now unoccupied, our saviour is risen amen

That's right daniel and that is why why do not put Jesus on the cross like some do as He is risen .... Praise His name . we do not serve a dead God We serve a living One .

I have gotten a different perspective about wearing even the cross around my neck since we have been studying in the OT and see all the idol worship those people did . We had a big discussion about it and I guess if you are not making that cross your idol and just using it as a symbol then it's OK , but since then now I stopped wearing the cross around my neck cause I don't feel right about it .

But then that is me and not everyone would get the same conviction.
 
I had always thought that it was to show that they werent afraid of it anymore.
Thousands of people were crucified by the Roman government back then, Christians (most notably Christ's disciples) a good part of them after Jesus died. I mean, back then for somebody to come knocking on your door accompanied by a mob and a huge wooden cross was enough to make your heart stop. It was one of the worst ways to die back then.
But once Jesus died on His cross, it gave us the ability to know that we didnt have to be afraid of the cross anymore or being crucified on one because it would be worth it to die for Christ. So the Christians of that day chose the cross as their symbol to show that they werent afraid of what may happen to them as a result of their faith. To show that they didnt HAVE to be afraid anymore.

anyway thats just what i always thought about it
 
I had always thought that it was to show that they werent afraid of it anymore.
Thousands of people were crucified by the Roman government back then, Christians (most notably Christ's disciples) a good part of them after Jesus died. I mean, back then for somebody to come knocking on your door accompanied by a mob and a huge wooden cross was enough to make your heart stop. It was one of the worst ways to die back then.
But once Jesus died on His cross, it gave us the ability to know that we didnt have to be afraid of the cross anymore or being crucified on one because it would be worth it to die for Christ. So the Christians of that day chose the cross as their symbol to show that they werent afraid of what may happen to them as a result of their faith. To show that they didnt HAVE to be afraid anymore.

anyway thats just what i always thought about it
Wow, that makes so much sense to me!
 
Very good.

Many see it but how many are willing to embrace it and die to themselves? It is only there that we can see who we really were created to be.
Without death we will not experience the power of the resurrection in our lives.
 
I had always thought that it was to show that they werent afraid of it anymore.
Thousands of people were crucified by the Roman government back then, Christians (most notably Christ's disciples) a good part of them after Jesus died. I mean, back then for somebody to come knocking on your door accompanied by a mob and a huge wooden cross was enough to make your heart stop. It was one of the worst ways to die back then.
But once Jesus died on His cross, it gave us the ability to know that we didnt have to be afraid of the cross anymore or being crucified on one because it would be worth it to die for Christ. So the Christians of that day chose the cross as their symbol to show that they werent afraid of what may happen to them as a result of their faith. To show that they didnt HAVE to be afraid anymore.

anyway thats just what i always thought about it


That my friend is an excellant thought . Each one of us needs to do what the Lord has directed and if you or I has been directed not to wear the cross around our necks then that , in my mind is a personal thing with you and God . I certainly would not object .

I think the main thing is not to make the cross your idol and worship the cross and go before an image of the cross with the thought that it is going to save you . There is only one way to the cross and that is through Jesus Christ our Lord .

One other point is if we do portray the cross .... Jesus should not be still on the cross because we know He is risen so He no longer is on the cross.
 
Very good.

Many see it but how many are willing to embrace it and die to themselves? It is only there that we can see who we really were created to be.
Without death we will not experience the power of the resurrection in our lives.

Spot on my son .:)
 
The cross on the nursery wall...

Just adding this story of a cross here:

When my older daughter was a baby we used to have a small cross hanging on the wall in her nursery. (BTW, she's 45 now) :). Anyway, every night when we said prayers for her and with her she would look up at that little cross. As the years went on and she grew up we put the little cross away. Years later it was stored with some other things in the basement of a house we owned and rented out. The basement was a one bedroom apartment which we used on occasion as we lived in a nearby city then.

Investigation showed that the house had caught fire due to a faulty refrigerator and burned quite quickly destroying all. (Fortunately the tenant who lived upstairs was not home then and no one was hurt.)

My husband later went through all the rumble and ashes and found nothing but two things..a small ashtray and that tiny cross which was still intact and the only thing that was not broken or destroyed. The ash tray was broken and had been a special gift years before so, even though we didn't smoke, we had kept it. We still have it as a reminder.

There were so many things which disappeared..trunks, books, furniture, pictures, applicances, and old photograph albums, and other precious things: but these two things among all of it survived.

We still have the cross. It hangs in our spare bedroom even now. Except for some gray smoke on it..it is completely intact. I never washed the smoke off of it; because I want to remember this cross and what it meant and means to me now--just as it is.

My daughter is a Christian active in ministry in her church.
 
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