“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:14-15
The cross is the most basic symbol of the Christian faith. We wear it around our necks, we tattoo it on our bodies, and we stick it on our cars. There are other symbols of the faith, so why is the cross the one people most identify with in Christianity? And why is it also used, worn, or displayed even by non-Christians?
The cross was an ancient Roman torture and killing device. Countless people died by crucifixion, including Jesus.
But the reason it must be a cross goes well beyond the favored method the Romans used to kill criminals. It’s a symbol for blood and shame (Deuteronomy 21:23), and it was on the cross that Jesus took our shame! We have the cross as the symbol of the Christian faith because Jesus was lifted up for us to look to and be saved. Just as the brazen serpent was raised in the desert for the Israelites to be healed from lethal snakebites, Jesus was raised up for the dying world to look at and be healed.
Don’t let the marvel of the cross fade as you see countless images of it. For it was there that your sins were forgiven!
The cross was an ancient Roman torture and killing device. Countless people died by crucifixion, including Jesus.
But the reason it must be a cross goes well beyond the favored method the Romans used to kill criminals. It’s a symbol for blood and shame (Deuteronomy 21:23), and it was on the cross that Jesus took our shame! We have the cross as the symbol of the Christian faith because Jesus was lifted up for us to look to and be saved. Just as the brazen serpent was raised in the desert for the Israelites to be healed from lethal snakebites, Jesus was raised up for the dying world to look at and be healed.
Don’t let the marvel of the cross fade as you see countless images of it. For it was there that your sins were forgiven!
Scripture Focus
Mark 15:21-37
Insight
“This the power of the cross,/ Christ became sin for us, took the blame, bore the wrath./ We stand forgiven at the cross.” (Stuart Townend, 2005)
Bible In A Year
- Numbers 14-15
- Psalm 68
- John 9
