THe CROSS: REDEMPTION & HEALING

by wes allen

The cross has a different meaning today. When I see a cross it is usually in a church or hanging from someone’s neck. For me it points to Jesus and his death on the cross. But this wasn’t the original meaning.

Crosses were used (and still used today in places like Sudan) as a form of torture and capital punishment. Jesus was put to death because he claimed to be the Son of God – the Messiah. This offended the Roman Empire’s religious and political elite. They considered his words and deeds to be blasphemous. Leviticus 24:16 tells us that anyone who speaks blasphemy should be put to death. Similarly, Jesus’ claims would have challenged the authority of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. In the first century emperors were believed to be sons of the Roman gods – part human and part divine. Knowing this it’s not hard to see why he was considered a threat and sentenced to death by crucifixion.

So, how do we find hope, redemption, and healing in this heinous act of capital punishment? I think the Apostles Creed sheds some light on this. The Creed says that Jesus, “Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty…”

When I was in High School a friend of mine told me that we shouldn’t wear crosses around our necks but rather stone’s that represented the one that was rolled away to reveal the empty tomb. I found this interesting but later realized that we never get to the empty tomb without Jesus dying. I think the Apostles Creed makes that very clear.

I find great hope and healing in Jesus’ death. Scripture tells us that Jesus died so that we may live again. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:14, “We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” Through Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection we too are promised eternal life in the presence of God. What greater hope is there than this!?

I think the act of baptism is significant in helping us understand the power of the cross and resurrection. At First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown our baptisms are involve the minister making the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead. Other Presbyterian churches and Christian denominations baptize people by dunking them in water. My wife Jen was baptized this way. When the person is brought under the water it symbolizes their death, much like Jesus was descended into Hell as the Apostles Creed states. When the person emerges from the water they are a new creation – they are no longer enslaved to death but are resurrected to eternal life in Christ.

This is the healing and hope that the cross brings – we do not have to fear death, our own inabilities or suffering but can live in the hope that we have been resurrected with Christ and will one day revel in the presence of our Creator in heaven.

TAKE SOME TIME AND THINK ABOUT THIS OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK AND BEGIN COMMITTING THE APOSTLES’ CREED TO MEMORY … IT WILL HELP YOU REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST…

 HERE IS A CREATIVE WAY TO REMEMBER IT ….