The Cross Is More Than A Symbol

  People love to wear the cross as a symbol these days.  You see it on tee shirts, tattoos, plaques, and jewelry.  There’s nothing wrong with wearing it, but we should be careful not to lessen its value.  We should never forget the gift from God that it represents.  The cross in and of itself had no meaning except in fulfilling God’s purpose for it.  God used the cross as a tool for our redemption from sin and death.  This verse from 1 Peter sums it up.  “By his wounds you have been healed.”  Jesus Christ by way of the cross took the punishment that we deserved for our sin.  You might argue that you and I were not even alive then, but God’s divine wisdom knew that we would sin, so He included our transgressions in with those who came before us.  “He bore our sins in his body.”  That means He suffered physically and spiritually in order that we would not have to.  He gave us a choice to “die to sins and live for righteousness,” or reject Him and be eternally lost to sin and death.  Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the cross is made with beams that form a crossroads. One shorter beam reaches right and left, but leads nowhere while the other beam, starts in the earth but points to heaven.  Jeremiah 6:16 tells us to stand at the crossroads and determine the right way and walk that way.  Certainly, it’s no coincidence that God allowed the same image that evil men meant to represent suffering and death to become the symbol for eternal life.  He turned the significance of the cross around by loving us so much that He willed for His Son to take our punishment and die in our place.  Yet, He didn’t stop there.  He resurrected Christ from that death to prove to us that our souls could also have eternal life if only we believe in Him.  So, the cross should never be taken lightly or used irreverently.  It is more than just a symbol.  It is the tool by which God proved His love for us through Christ Jesus.  “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.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV)