The Cross

McClintock & Strong (11/24/02-11/29/02)

Stauros is defined as an upright stake, or the instrument of crucifixion. It acquired the added significance of crucifixion itself, and any other severe suffering.

• Eph 2:15-16 In His flesh, He worked to abolish the enmity between Jew and Gentile - that which was brought about by the Law of commandments. Thus, in Himself, He sought to make the two into a single new man and thereby establish peace. He sought to reconcile them both as one body to God through the cross, for by the cross He put their enmity to death.
• Heb 12:2 Focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Knowing the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and despised its shame. Now, He has taken His seat at God's right hand.
• 1Co 1:17-18 Christ sent me to preach the simple gospel, not to baptize. He sent me with plain speaking, that His cross should not be made void. Word of the cross is foolishness in the ears of the dying. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• Gal 5:11 If I still preach circumcision, why would they persecute me? If that were my message, there would be no stumbling block of the cross.
• Gal 6:12-14 They push for your circumcision, because their hope is in the flesh. They simply want to avoid being persecuted for the sake of the cross of Christ. Look! They don't even keep the Law themselves, yet they insist that you be circumcised. They just want to boast in your flesh. May I never be found boasting like that! May any boasting I ever do be solely about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through His cross the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Php 3:18 Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ, and even now, when I tell you of them it brings me to tears.
• Mt 10:38 If you will not take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of Me.
• Mt 16:24 Jesus told His disciples that if they wished to follow Him, they would have to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him.
• Mk 8:34 This same message He gave to one and all.
• Mk 10:21 You still lack wholeness. Go and sell all you have, giving the proceeds to the poor. Then you shall have treasure in heaven. Then, you can come and follow Me.
• Lk 9:23 Anyone wishing to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
• Lk 14:27 If you won't carry your own cross and come after Me, you cannot be My disciple.

Designations

The words in Greek which are known to refer to the cross also refer to other things. Stauros, for example, can refer to a simple stake, as well as a cross. Thus, the word may refer to impaling as easily as crucifixion. The word xulon has also been used to represent the cross, referring to the accursed tree.

• Dt 21:22-23 If a man commits sin worthy of death, and you have him put to death and hang him on a tree, then his corpse is not to hang overnight but must be buried the same day. One who is thus hanged is accursed of God, so don't defile the land the Lord gives you by leaving such a one on display.

Among the early church fathers, there were those who took the words "The Lord reigned" as a prophecy of the cross. However, these appear to have been issues of translation from the Hebrew when the Septuagint was written. In the Hebrew, there is no word that defines a cross. The closest word indicates wood in general. Thus, when the cross came into their lands, it was referred to as the warp and woof.

• Ge 40:19 Within three days Pharaoh will have you beheaded and hang you on a tree. The birds will clean your bones of flesh.

Forms

The simplest form of the cross consists of upright and crossbar, the form taken from the shape of trees. Trees were likely the first forms of cross used for this punishment. It is known from the classicists that trees were indeed used for crucifixion in many of the ancient nations, not only in the Middle Eastern nations, but also among the Germanic tribes. Farther south, in Egypt and India, the cross is often seen as a ceremonial symbol, sometimes in the shape of a 'T' or a '+'. It seems to have been a generally understood symbol for divinity and eternality. This symbolism is clear in Egyptian hieroglyphs. It has also had other meanings applied to it, including Venus, the four elements, or the seasons. This seems to have led Christian authors, both in antiquity and still today, to seek to apply some mystical nature to the cross. Justin Martyr, for example, found the cross an almost universal presence in nature, noting that it is even present in man when his arms are lifted in prayer.

Simple Form

The basic cross was no more than a stake. This is probably the earliest form. It was either driven through the chest, or driven up through the body, coming out of the mouth. In other cases, the victim was merely hung from the stake by his arms.

St. Andrew's

This attribution does not stand up well. Historians differ as to the means of Andrew's death, some saying it was by sword, others that he was crucified upon an olive tree. At any rate, this cross is in the shape of an 'X'. Early church fathers saw this form of the cross in Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons, in the priestly anointing, and in the laying of hands upon the head of the goat on the day of atonement.

St. Anthony's

This takes its name and shape from the figure embroidered on Anthony's cope, thus it is the shape of a 'T'. Ancients attributed the shape of that letter as being the source from which man conceived the cross. Thus, we find references to 'the mystical Tau.' This letter also stands for the number 300 in Roman numerals, so early fathers found various mystical numerical passages in the Old Testament, which they claimed pointed to the cross. Thus, the 300 cubits of the ark, and the 318 servants of Abraham are seen as foreshadows of the cross of Christ.

In other cultures of the time, a similar figure was known, but with a small circle at the head. These are found both in Assyrian and Egyptian symbology, a sign of divinity, and referred to as 'the key of the Nile' in Egyptian mythos. This is the Egyptian emblem of life. The symbol is still found among the Copts, and appears to have wandered into Indian and Persian symbology as well.

Latin

This is similar to the St. Anthony's, with the exception that the upright protrudes above the transverse. This is clearly the form upon which Jesus died, because Scripture notes the title that was placed above His head. It is this form that has led to the imaginative amongst Christianity to find the symbol of the cross so widely displayed in their surroundings. Many find the form in Moses' position at the battle of Rephidim, and claim that his doing so was at the Spirit's bidding. Others look to Jacob's ladder, the Passover lamb, and the Hebrew ceremony of priestly oblation, wherein wave offerings were made to the four quarters of the world.

• Ex 17:12 Moses' hands were heavy, so they took a stone and sat him on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands to either side, so that his hand remained steady until sunset.
• Hab 3:3-5 God comes from Teman, from Mount Paran. Consider. He covers the heavens with His splendor, and fills the earth with His praise. His radiance is like sunlight, rays flashing from His hand. Therein He hides His power. Pestilence goes before Him, and plagues come after Him.
• Isa 9:6 A child will be born to us, a son given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders, and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.
• Jn 3:14 As Moses lifted up the serpent, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
• Nu 21:8-9 The Lord told Moses to make a serpent and raise it up on a standard. Those bitten by the poisonous snakes were to look upon it and live. This Moses did, and indeed, all who looked upon it lived.
• Mt 5:18 Truly I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter or stroke shall pass from the Law; no not until all is accomplished. [the letter and stroke were seen as symbolic of the cross.]
• Eph 3:17-19 May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and may you be rooted and grounded in love. May you prove able to understand with all the saints the breadth, length, height, and depth of that love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, filled to the fullness of God. [the dimensions of His love were seen as symbolized in the cross.]

They found the cross in pretty much anything the involved dignity, energy, or deliverance: digging, plowing, the face, the masts of a ship, etc.

The real cross included a small footrest, which some equated to the horn of a rhinoceros in their attempts to find significance in every detail. The real purpose was to prevent the victim's hands from tearing away from their nails due to his weight

Accessories

An inscription was often carried before the victim, declaring his crime, as he was taken to the place of execution. This plaque was then attached to the cross above his head. Most early histories speak of these plaques as being written in black on a white gypsum background, but there are also references to red lettering.

• Lk 23:38 There was an inscription above Him reading, "This is the king of the Jews."
• Mt 27:37 Above His head, they put up the charge against Him, "This is Jesus the king of the Jews."
• Jn 19:19 Pilate also wrote an inscription that was put on the cross. There, it was written, "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews."

Victims were either bound or pinned to the cross. It is unclear which was more common. In Jesus' case, it is clear that He was nailed. It is quite possible that both methods were used coincidentally. Of the two, tying was considered the more painful death because it was slower.

• Jn 19:24 They decided to cast lots for His garments so as not to tear them. This fulfilled the Scripture which reads, "They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing."
• Jn 20:25-27 They told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, but he would not believe them. He insisted that He would have to touch the wounds in Jesus hands and side before he would believe Him alive. Eight days later, Thomas and the other disciples were behind closed doors, when Jesus came and stood among them with greetings of peace. He told Thomas to put his finger in the wounds of His hands, and to put his hand into His side, so that he might cease from his unbelief and believe.
• Ps 22:16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers. They pierced my hands and feet.

Three nails or four? It is not certain. Some have argued that there were only two, others that a single nail transfixed the feet, but most Roman writers refer to there being four, plus those which held the plaque.

Symbolism

In early Roman writing, the word cross is representative of any form of pain, torture, or misfortune. This is the meaning taken up by Jesus when He speaks of taking up one's cross. Whatever suffering may come in the course of serving God, His disciple must be ready and willing to endure it. To this, post-resurrection understanding added the meaning of Jesus' entire life of suffering, as well as the full doctrine of the Gospel.

• Mt 16:24 Jesus told His disciples that any who wished to come after Him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow.
• Eph 2:16 Jesus sought to reconcile both Jew and Gentile as one body to God through the cross, putting their mutual enmity to death thereupon.
• Heb 12:2 Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author of faith, and the One who brings that faith to perfection. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and its shame, and now sits at God's right hand.
• 1Co 1:18 The word of the cross is foolishness to the dying, but the 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 which the world and I are crucified to each other.
• Php 3:18 Many continue to be enemies of the cross of Christ. I weep to be telling you this is so.

The cross as Christian symbol permeates every aspect of Christianity. Making the sign of the cross began very early in Christian custom. As early as the time of Tertullian, there were those that charged Christians with worshiping the cross, since they seemed to hold it in such high regard. The earliest evidence for the cross being used as a physical marking come from a period around 370 AD or so. The use of the Latin or Greek cross as a tomb marking is not found until the fifth century. In that period, such a marking on the tomb was a sign of martyrdom. Post-Constantine, the cross became a relatively common symbol, although some of its usage appears to have been adopted from Egypt, rather than from Christians. Cities abandoned during the Syrian invasion, such as Antioch, show a great prevalence of Christian markings above doors and windows - both the cross, and the 'monogram of Christ.' This was also used as marking on any number of household objects, and as a ward against evil it was even marked on ships. With the fall of the empire, many cities adopted the true cross as their emblem, which in procession was preceded by two torch bearers. Beneath their torches were suspended the letters alpha and omega. Standards such as these, with even more elaborate ornamentation and accompanied by a priest, became the rallying points for armies in battle. This priest was then available to absolve the dying. Christian kings were known to have crosses erected before major battles, before which they would pray to God. In England and Ireland, cross-shaped stones became common as property markers, monuments, crossroads, etc. Some folk erected crosses atop their houses. This was the sign of the Templar, and freed one of the claims of the landlord. "Of the 360 crosses formerly existing in the small but historic island of Iona, but one now remains." Among modern churches, the symbol remains prevalent, except where the Puritan viewpoint still holds.

In the Catacombs, there are representations of Christ returning bearing the cross as the symbol of His triumph over death. This is the Cross of the Resurrection, as opposed to the Passion Cross. This triumphal cross never bears His body as a crucifix might, and is the symbol of authority in some churches.

Signature

By the 6th century, a custom of placing three crosses next to one's signature had developed. This was taken as an oath with regard to important papers. Priests and bishops would follow this custom without fail. Diplomats began taking up the idea even earlier, needing to know the proper shape and color to use with each specific nation. This tradition continues in the use of the 'X' as a signature mark for those who can't write. This is also seen in the use of the cross as a marker for important points in a text. The shape of the cross was also taken up as the floorplan for churches in some periods of church history.

Supplements

Bede writes of four types of wood used to make the cross of Christ: Cypress for the upright, cedar for the crossbar, fir for the headpiece and box-de parts for the foot support. Others say that the headpiece and footrest were olive and palm respectively. The use of the cross in ring stones may actually predate Constantine, but their acquired meaning with regard to Christ and sacrifice came later. The large, ornate crosses used in processions began as parts of the primary altar of the church, and were taken in procession to a place to be designated as a special place of prayer. This processional usage finds its roots in the standard of Constantine's army. Such ornate crosses also become common as architectural ornamentation, generally on churches, and generally at the points of gables. Carvings of crosses on gravestones are also quite common, as is the general usage of the cross in church décor. It was custom to include a large crucifix over the main entrance of the church chancel, this figure being referred to as the rood. Custom in England also followed Catholic custom in placing crosses in cemeteries, market squares and other open spaces. The market crosses were often a building capable of sheltering numerous people, with open arches on each side meeting in a vaulted interior space.

Thoughts (11/27/02-11/29/02)

Has the Cross Become an Idol? (11/28/02)

Authors, we are reminded here, have ever been looking to find some mystical meaning in the cross. In earlier times, this effort led to finding the form of the cross in everything and anything. It also led to people believing that the symbol of the cross was somehow a ward against evil. As its mystical meanings and properties were pursued, no doubt beginning from devout and pious motives, the larger population latched on to that mystical aspect of things, and the cross became no more to them than another magic amulet.

The roots of this go back close to the start. Even in the earliest records of the church age we can find traces of it. From its foundation, the cross was of great significance to the Christian community. This is clear from Paul's writings. It wrapped up in a single symbol all that the Gospel of Jesus Christ meant. It wrapped up all that Jesus Christ had done among and on behalf of mankind. Such a symbol was bound to command great respect and honor from believers. How could it not? Yet, here we find a caution for the people of God. The world around us will not understand the subtleties of our beliefs. They are not privy to the jargon we call 'Christianese.' What they will understand is what we present to them most clearly, and this will probably not be what we present to them most intentionally. It will be our visible habits and customs that make the greatest impression.

In this early church, the Roman citizenry around them were not privy to the inner workings of the church, they were not up on all that was sound in the area of doctrine. What they knew was that these Christians among them seemed to hold the cross, that instrument of punishment and torture, in very high regard. To their mind, such seeming devotion to an item could only mean one thing. In a world of idolatry, the logical conclusion was that this cross was some new idol to be worshiped like all the rest, and these Christians were really no different than any other religious group, they just had a different idol.

So, I take away two warnings from this habit of mystification. There is a twofold danger. First, we may, in insisting on these deep mystical meanings where no such meaning was intended, manage to draw ourselves and our fellow believers away from righteousness and belief in the truth of God into what is no more than superstition. Secondly, we may, by our overemphasis of the physical aspects of our religious activities, reduce the distinctiveness of Christianity. In doing this, we allow the world to discount us as 'just another religion.' We become no different than the latest new age, California religion. In a society where rationalism reigns supreme, and man is the highest authority, all religion looks the same. It's all a retrograde vestige of man's former weakness. The only difference is in the book this particular sect considers holy.

We are called to be distinctively different. We are called to be a peculiar people, living by the standards of God's own Law, no matter what prevails in the culture around us. We are called to worship God alone. We are still called to make no graven image to be the focus of our worship. Why? Because invariably such images, rather than helping us to focus on God in our worship, become objects of worship themselves. Even where this does not hold true, there yet remains the 'appearance of impropriety.' Even where we allow such objects and yet worship God alone, we allow the world around us to look in and see only that we are bowed before an object. We allow God to become less in their eyes, as we become no different than any other religion in their eyes.

There was another concern that the article raised for me in regard to the Christian use of the cross. It was noted that in the days when knights and crusades were prevalent, that people would erect crosses on the gables of their houses. But did you notice the reason for this? It was to avoid having to pay taxes or upkeep to the lord of the local manor. The motivation, by all appearances, was purely material. Some around us today would say that the church does no more in its ability to avoid paying taxes, and I suppose that the actions of some church groups around the country, actions that border on abuse of this legal liberty, have fed that conclusion. The issue, of course, is not so much with the apparent motivation behind such activities, but in the real motivation.

What is our motivation for taking upon ourselves the trappings of Christianity? This is the root question. This is what determines whether the cross, or Christianity in general, has become an idol for us. Why are we doing these things? If we wear a cross on our lapel or around our neck, why do we do it? Are we making a fashion statement? Are we identifying with our family history? Is it no more than a form of status symbol, saying that we've completed some step in the course laid out for us by our church?

Why do we go to church, for that matter? What's our motivation? Do we go for the social aspect? Do we go to hear what our favorite speaker will have to say today? Do we go to listen to the music, because we wouldn't want to be seen going to concerts where the music we really like is being played? Or do we go out of a deep-rooted, heartfelt desire to draw close to God in accord with the ways He has told us to draw close? Do we go from a sense of requirement, or from a sense of desire to obey in love? Do we go to fulfill a salvation of works, or do we go in gratitude for a salvation of grace?

In this commercial age we live in, an incredible array of stuff is offered to us in the name of Christianity. We can have Christian t-shirts, Christian bumper-stickers, Christian jewelry, Christian pencils, Christian bubble gum. Shoot, just about anything the world offers, we can find with a cross or a fish stamped on it, and call it Christian. What's changed? Has that stamp made the object suddenly holier than it was? That's a return to out of balance mysticism and idolatry. A pencil is no more or less a pencil when Jesus' name is on it. It remains wood and lead with a bit of paint to make it look nice.

Jesus said that any disciple of His must take up his cross daily and follow after Him. This was not an endorsement for some line of clothing or jewelry. Nor was it to suggest that we should all go grab a good hefty timber and carry it around with us as a conversation starter. No. Jesus was looking at what that cross meant then and there. It was the symbol of everything that suffering and torture were to a man. It was the symbol of everything that was humiliating to man. Jesus was calling His disciples to be ready, willing, and able to endure whatever might come their way as they committed themselves to the course of Christianity; to be ready, willing, and able to persevere in the face of every abuse that might come their way in pursuing true devotion to the God of all creation.

The call and the cost haven't changed. The call is still to complete devotion, complete separation unto the Lord. Yet, it is not a call to asceticism or monasticism. It's a call to live in this state of separation even as we walk in the midst of the world. This is the most costly separation. To hide away from the world will not cost you very much. To live out separation in the face of the world will cost you everything. Following Christ will cost you everything. No lesser devotion will do. Count the cost, He told His followers. Don't come halfway. Halfway isn't enough, and the cost of coming halfway only to give up is just too high. If you're not willing to give it all, don't give it at all. You'll be throwing your effort away. The giving that comes from a works motivation will never be willing to give it all, only what seems to be enough. There must come the realization that the giving of works will never be enough. Only then can we reach to the heart of grace and find in ourselves a joyful desire to give our all in thanks for all that has been given us. Only then can we set aside all our idols and worship in Spirit and in truth.

They are One (11/29/02)

Zech 12:10 I will pour out on David's house and on all Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and prayer, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him, as for an only son. They will weep bitter tears over Him, as for a first-born.

In this verse, I see the unity of the Godhead. The Father declares that Israel will look on Him, that they have pierced Him. He then goes on to say that they will mourn this Other, as they would mourn the loss of their only child, or their first-born. That Other is Jesus. This is clear to us with the New Testament to reference. He was God's only child, His first-born Son. We also know from the records that it was His Son's physical body which they pierced. What God is saying is, in effect, "You hurt My boy, you hurt Me."

Jesus' great prayer for His disciples and for the church that would come from them was that they would be one 'just as We are one,' perfected in unity. (Jn 17:22-23). Just as we saw early in this study that our cross and His cross are one and the same, that the great burden of the cross is yet a light burden for us because He is carrying it with us; in the same way, we are each called to help carry our brother's cross. One as God is One. So united that what hurts our most distant brother or sister hurts us as well. So united that the well-being of each and every one of us is the concern of each and every one of us.

This is the perfect love that we are promised by the indwelling Holy Spirit working upon our hearts. It is the work of that third Person of the Trinity, as completely One with Father and Son as Father and Son are with each other, to bring us into the very same unity. Our devotion to God is to be so complete that our thoughts, purposes, reactions, and desires are all exactly as he thinks, purposes, reacts, and desires. Yet He calls us to even more. For, if our thoughts, purposes, reactions, and desires are in unity with His own, then they cannot but be in unity with all those others whose devotion is just as complete. The unity of the true church is so, because every member of that church is in unity with God, and so must also be in unity within its membership. Thus, Jesus continues in His prayers, the world may know that God sent Jesus, and that God loves His Church just as He loves Jesus.

As the Spirit of God infills us, He who is equally a part of that holy Unity which is the Trinity, we too are brought into that holy Unity. What awesome privilege! His love for us is exactly as His love for His Son. We are one. God says to the world around us, "You hurt My Church, you hurt Me." Mess with my kids, and you've got Me to answer to. That's the protection God places around His family!

That is also the attitude He calls us to have in regard to each other. When we see the Church under attack, we should most assuredly take it personally. We are to mourn with the mournful and rejoice with those who have received good tidings. We are to be one as God is One. We are to love perfectly as He loves perfectly. We are to be a community of believers: all things in common, and none suffering lack of any need.

A Remnant Remains (11/29/02)

What happens when we fail in our mission of holy unity? I think the comment regarding the crosses on the island of Iona speak to the point. "Of the 360 crosses formerly existing In the small but historic island of Iona, but one now remains." Here, at one time, a great work of God unfolded, an open heaven pouring missionaries into the darkness of Europe. But that work came under attack as the Vikings came to the British Isles, and the larger community of God's saints did not come to their defense. Many were martyred in that time, and this source of holy invasion seemingly closed down in ruins. Yet, we hear that among the children of those invading Vikings, the work of God became evident again, that He moved upon them with His gospel call, and the work of the Church on that island was rekindled.

Of the 360 crosses, only one remains. It seems a bleak testimony to us. It seems like darkness has overcome the light. It would be easy, like Elijah, to feel hopeless and isolated in our love for God. But, I think in looking at that one remaining cross, we would do well to remember the story of those who made the crosses. All who remained on that island were martyred. To a man, they passed from this life. It seemed like darkness had won the war. But history tells us that those who conquered in the name of that darkness were themselves conquered by the light! Those who sought to crush the work of Christianity were indeed brought into the light of God's love. Paul's story repeated itself in grand scale, as it ever seems to. Aside from that, there remained all the seeds of mission that this small island had scattered into the fertile soils of Europe. All was hardly lost.

Today, with church attendance supposedly on the wane, with so many denominations in decline both numerically and morally, it would be easy for us to assume that the darkness is winning the battle. But the darkness cannot win. The Light has already overcome the world. There will ever be a remnant, and the remnant will ever carry within itself the light of God, the love of God. And that love of God is the very power which has overcome this dark world. That love of God is the most potent of weapons in our arsenal. There may be but a remnant, but that remnant, in devoted service to God Almighty, will ever persevere, will serve as eternal seed, will grow again in His light, watered by the Spirit of Truth. The remnant will once more flower and bring forth fruit.