Christianity's Most Important Symbol

The cross is Christianity’s most important symbol.  There is nothing pretty about it, for it was meant in Jesus’day to be a brutal method of punishment and a deterrent to anyone who rebelled against the Roman Empire.  It was a lesson to anyone to show what would happen to him or her after rebelling against the government.  Scripture gives the message of the cross.  “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1Cor:18)  

Christians gave the cross a different significance than the Romans had.  To them, there was power in the cross.  They understood that God had chosen it as one of the “foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -and the things that are not -to nullify the things that are, so that noone may boast before him.”

(1Cor.1:27-29) 

The message of the cross is to cause us to understand that out of the outflow of God’s love for mankind He gave us “the cross.”  God established a process by which He took up residence with us.  He took upon Himself the nature of man.  It was decisive for each of us and for the entire universe that the cross would be the basis by which people can be reconciled to God.  The cross was the means by which a ransom or a price could be paid by God on behalf of any individual for the sinfulness of mankind.  Because God is of infinite character, the debt incurred to God by our sin was correspondingly infinite.  By our sin we rebelled against God who Himself is of infinite nature.  The debt was too great for mankind to repay and only God could repay it.  All explanations are inadequate.  Any image that we may use to describe the repayment of our debt to God is not an alternative, but is complimentary, with each adding a part to the explanation.  What happened on the cross is the most important thing that happened in all of history.  God, because of His great love for us, gave His life on the cruel cross to pay mankind’s sinfulness towards Him.

The word “foolishness” was derived from the original word that means “moron,” and it also means, “no sense,” and “moronic.”  Scripture is saying that this is what the Gospel is like to those who are perishing.  They just don’t understand that the cross represents God’s outpouring love which makes it possible for anyone to ask forgiveness for transgressions and be assured of it when he or she should ask in sincerity.

Jews demand “signs” to prove God’s presence and intervention.  Nicodemus, a Jew, began his dialogue with Jesus by saying no one could perform the signs that Christ had shown except if He was of God.  Still, he wanted another sign.  

Why was the cross still offensive to the Jews?  A Crucified Messiah is whom they didn’t want; not a Messiah who would die on the cross.  They had different specifications: a Deliverer, and a King, but not a prophet who was calling people to personal righteousness.  They considered that a sinful person could only be considered as an offender, one who required the most brutal punishment, and be so gravely treated, as to be hung on the cross.  

For the Greeks, they preferred wisdom, and they chose to make their own decision about who God should be.  For them, the message about a God who had to suffer pain had to be foolishness.

Why did God choose this method of reconciliation?  It was so God could reveal to us what He is like.  The Christian believer’s all-wise God did an act of inestimable cost to Himself.  God who created the universe, who is all-powerful and who has the intricacy of mind that expresses utmost wisdom, is glorious on the cross where we see His greatness, His power and infinite love.  On the cross, God is glorious because He paid our penalty for sinfulness, allowing us to go free.

Our problem is pride, wherein we could think that personal heroic deeds would pay for our sinfulness.  The depth of our need was revealed on the cross.  Punishment for our infinite sin required nothing less than the cross, with our infinite God paying for infinite sin.  Infinite sin is of man sinning against God.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross.  Anyone, even the vilest sinner can come to ask forgiveness.  One sin is equal to another as it relates to the purity of God, so God chose “the lowly things” to remove the pride of the individual.  Everyone is welcome to ask forgiveness at the cross when the request is asked with sincerity.  Because of the cross, forgiveness and righteousness, (which is a right relationship with God, are both gifts from God that are certain and allow for a completely new beginning.