Unger's (11/18/02-11/19/02)
The Latin for this word is crux. Some forms of this tool of death were: a simple stake to which the victim was tied with hands above head, the Latin cross familiar as a church symbol, the St. Andrew's X, and the St. Anthony's T. Other forms have been created as emblems, the equal armed Greek cross, the double-cross of the pope (whose upper bar represents Pilate's inscription), and the triple cross. Sometimes the cross included a peg or projection under the feet of the sufferer, to prevent his hands from tearing free due to his weight.
The cross as a religious symbol predates Christianity, being a well-known sign among the heathens. Horus, the Egyptian god was thus marked. The cross is also found on buildings in Nineveh, and Phoenicia. As vile a thing as the cross was in reality, it came to symbolize all that is holy and precious in the minds of Christians. It is not clear when this symbol was adopted by Christianity, but evidence indicates that it predates Constantine.
It began as symbol alone, not assumed to have any magical or miraculous power. It was a symbol of hope. The cross is found on the tombstones of early Christians, representing victory and hope. Over time, superstition put upon the symbol of the cross the significance of a charm or amulet. Thus, by the end of the 3rd century, it was common to see people making the sign of the cross as a protective act, or to use representations of the cross as a preservative against both spiritual and natural evils. The story of Constantine's mother Helena finding the cross in Jerusalem only fed these superstitions. By the 6th century, the custom of signing documents with three crosses to indicate the author's oath upon the content was becoming common. Priests, bishops, and diplomats were all adopting this habit. This continues to us today, where the cross is taken as the signature of those incapable of writing.
In Scripture, the cross speaks of that which is painful to the flesh, and as representative of Christ's suffering. It further develops as a symbol of the entire doctrine of the Gospel, and of the price Christ paid for man's salvation.
- Mt 16:24 If any wish to come after Me, let them deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Me.
- Eph 2:16 Through the cross, God reconciled Jew and Gentile together in one body to Himself, for on that cross, He put the enmity between them to death.
- Heb 12:2 We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Knowing the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and despised its shame, and now, He has taken His seat at God's right hand.
- 1Co 1:18 The word of the cross is foolishness to the perishing, but the very power of God to those being saved.
- Gal 6:14 May I never be found boasting of anything other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through this the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
- Php 3:18 Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Of these, I have told you before, and still cannot tell you of them without tears.
- 1Co 1:17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to preach the gospel, and that not by clever speech. That way, nothing of me is left to take away from the cross of Christ, no action of mine shall make His word void.
Thoughts (11/19/02)
Has the Cross Become an Idol? (11/19/02)
Again, I am brought back to one of the larger reasons I wanted to look into this topic. We, in the safety of our non-denominational denomination, look out upon the Roman Catholics, and other such churches, and reject their use of the crucifix. "Jesus is no longer on the cross," we say. "They continue to sacrifice Him," we say. Yet, I wonder. What has the role of the cross become in our own tradition and practice? We have our songs about the cross. What do they say about our understanding? "I will cherish the old rugged cross?" "I know a wonderful place: at the cross?" Do these not point us in the wrong direction just as surely as the crucifix?
Much like the Old Testament Scriptures were written to teach us in this present day, our own history should serve as a teacher to us. Look what has happened to God's people when the cross became their focus instead of the Christ. This article speaks of a time when people began to look at the cross as some magic amulet. We've all seen it depicted in the monster movies of our youth, the superstitious villagers signing the cross to keep the evil monster at bay. This was a real situation in history. It came to that. We, of course, are far too sophisticated to fall for that, right? Ah, but there's a fine line between the supernatural and the superstitious. There's a fine line between the holy and the hokey.
All too often, we fix our eyes on the cross. We put the cross on our clothing, on our jewelry, so the world will see the mark of Christ upon us. But why? If the mark of Christ, the authentic stamp of the indwelling Holy Spirit, is upon us we shouldn't require some placard to declare His presence to the world. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives should be that emblem. Can it be that consciously or subconsciously we continue to wear that symbol of the cross to ward off the evil of the world? Does it not become a means of separation? The world looks upon that symbol and recoils. They have already formed their opinion of us right then and there, and from a spiritual stance, we will have nothing to do with each other from that point on.
What does Scripture tell us to do? Surely we are to carry our cross, and as we saw in previous studies, His cross is our cross. But, how can we carry what we've placed before our eyes? Burdens are for the back. We cannot carry our cross and have it before us to marvel at simultaneously. Scripture tells us to boast of the cross of Christ. What does this mean for us? It means that we will declare the marvelous work that Christ has accomplished, the full message of the Gospel, without flinching. It means that we will recognize that there is nothing in us to recommend our ways, except for Him.
How are we to make our separation from the world evident? Jesus gave us the answer quite directly. Love one another. That's it. This is the badge of separation that Christ tells His disciples to put on. This is the equivalent of the high priest's emblem that read 'Holy unto the Lord.' This is what will declare more loudly than any piece of jewelry ever could that something different has come into the room. And, this symbol, unlike the jewelry we so proudly display, invites the viewer to seek inclusion, rather than warning the viewer to stay away. So, how can we know and maintain that love in our lives? I don't think it will come of keeping our eyes fixed on the cross. No. Scripture gives us a far greater focus for our attention. "Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." So reads the opening of Hebrews 12:2. Jesus, it continues endured the cross. Notice, He didn't focus on the cross. He didn't turn His attention on the cross, He endured it. And how did He do this? By focusing on the joy set before Him, by keeping His attention on God, on what lay beyond the cross. "Fix your eyes upon Jesus." Fix your eyes on where He is now.
"Why do you look for Him here?" asked the angel. "He has risen. He is not here." If the cross has become too much of a focus, we need to hear that same question and that same explanation. "He is not here. He has risen to His seat at God's right hand." The price has been paid, and the work of redemption finished. He has already authored our faith, and the salvation that is by that faith. He has already finished our faith. Our faith, our salvation, our redemption, is an accomplished fact, a completed action.
As a symbol, the cross is a powerful tool. It describes the burden we are called to bear, the burden that Jesus tells us is light, though our eyes tell us only that it is unbearably cruel. It describes the path we are called to walk, the via crusis, if you will. It describes the challenge that every day will bring to us, as we repeatedly come to the crossroads of decision. Yet, it never describes our goal, never describes our destination. It describes our passport, the stamp of our citizenship. It describes the great price God was willing to pay to make us citizens of His holy kingdom.
Crux->Crucial (11/19/02)
The Latin for this word is crux or crusis, depending on the tense. In that language, the word stood not only for the cross itself, but for torture in general. Crux has come directly into the English language, where we use it to speak of difficult problems, of essential points and arguments require resolution. The crux of the problem is that point that must be addressed before the problem can be solved.
This same Latin word has also come into the English language in less direct ways. Consider the word 'crucial.' This also finds its roots in the Latin crux. However, it passed through France on its way here. There, it was adopted as a term to describe the ligaments of the knee. Consider: the knees are rather crucial in supporting man. In walking, in lifting, in any number of activities; the proper function of the knees is of critical import. Francis Bacon looked that this use of the word in French, and saw in it a fine description for one of the points of logic. Here, he was also looking at the familiar signpost of the crossroads: the plus, or cross.
The crossroads are a place requiring choice. In logic, in intelligent debate, there will come a point of decision. There will be a keystone argument that, if accepted, requires acceptance of the whole chain of logic that has been developed from that point. By the same token, rejection of this crucial point will require that we reject that same chain of logic. The point is crucial precisely because it requires a total commitment, either to that which is argued or its opposite. There can be no partial acceptance. It's an all or nothing matter.
All of these words help us to see what happens when Jesus comes into a life, when the kingdom of heaven draws near. Jesus hits us, each and every one, with a crucial point. He creates an immediate crossroad before us. He forces choice. We can only choose one of two paths once He has shown us the choice. We can choose the world and its ways, or we can choose God and His way. There can be no partial choosing. Jesus' arrival in a life brings that life to a difficult place, a difficult problem, and one that must be resolved. It cannot be put off. It cannot be ignored. To ignore it, to push it away, is to have decided already.
This has ever been the way of God. "I have placed before you this day life and death. Choose." The choice hasn't changed. Today, God's kingdom comes near to you, and the same choice is made evident to you: You can choose the things this world system has declared desirable, and you can know the pain, the torture, and the lingering eternal death that those things must inevitably lead to. Or, you can choose obedience to the ways of God, and you can know life more fully than you thought possible. You can know joy that even suffering cannot bring to an end. You can know peace that no trial that life can ever throw at you will disturb. You can know that whatever the present may hold, your future is settled as a child of the One true and holy God of all creation. You can choose purposeless existence in a world devoid of meaning, or you can choose a life of intentional living, pursuing God's purpose, and knowing your own. You can choose death or life, you are a free being. You have a right to choose. Choose life, that you might live.
