Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
In all the centuries of church history and Christendom, the cross has taken on many forms. There is the Chi Ro Cross, the Celtic Cross, the Roman Cross, the Greek Orthodox Cross, etc. Most of us would admit that the real cross was very rough and had little beauty. Today, the cross is a universal standard in jewelry. Crosses range from lacy and ornate to sculptured works of beauty in silver and gold and often studded with gem stones. Many people wear crosses on their necks or earrings. Some people tattoo the cross to their bodies. Some people have the cross in their cars hanging from mirrors and some others have it on their windows and bumpers in decal form. Sometimes we look at folks who wear crosses and wonder if they know what it means. We wonder if the cross has become a symbol of peace like other symbols. Is this what the cross represents? Has the REAL cross been so long in our culture that its meaning has evolved into nothing more than symbolism and/or fashion?
For the Christian, the cross ought to remind us of the suffering we caused our Lord for our sins that He didn't deserve to die for. Carnal Christians (those who mix worldly influences with Scriptural teachings) often fall prey to wearing a cross without appreciation for what it represents or to whom their testimony impacts. We can be guilty of putting on the trappings of religious garb and not get the real central idea of what our main symbol means or have an appreciation for it.
So when we think of the question, "What Happened to the REAL Cross" we do not alone mean what did the real cross look like among the hundreds of designs upon it. What we ought to be aware of at this time of the Passion Week and every other day in our lives, is how much time do we spend thinking about and appreciating the REAL cross and the price paid for our sins.
The cross, the most important event in our lives, can get so familiar to us that we lose its sense of greatness and importance. The Cross can become an ornament on a bookshelf or a picture on a wall. While these things are well and good as intended to remind us of the cross and the price paid, do they really serve the purpose of remembrance? Time and space can somewhat distance us from the pain and suffering and the harsh feeling of separation that the cross awarded Christ. We become too desensitized to dread and shame that was supposed to be ours, but was cut off from our deserving soul. Perhaps it would not be so if we would have to endure some measure of this pain, but no, Christ never intended we suffer the first second of that awful misery.
So if the Cross has faded in its importance to our Spiritual senses, how do we retrieve a proper respect and devotion towards Christ's abundant suffering?
First, we must realize the gravity of our sins and the reality of Hell.
A man or woman cannot by themselves realize their depravity in its bold truthfulness. In fact most people deny their state of spiritual being. We all admit we make mistakes, but to admit that even that one mistake is condemnation sure, is a step unable for men to take. We can only be convinced of this pitiful reality when we read God's Word, believe it, and ask God to reveal it to us. When the revelation has come, the cross becomes the most welcome sight. The cross is no longer jewelry but THE symbol of our freedom. But what slave is free if he or she knows nothing of their chains? Christ on the cross not only shows us our chains, but brakes them.
Second, we need to focus on the love of the Savior for the lowliest of sinners.
As with the realization of our depravity, we do not in ourselves esteem ourselves to be objects of lowliness. The reason is twofold, 1. We don't understand the holiness of God, 2. We are conditioned to think of ourselves as objects of worth. Naturally we are of great worth to God, as the Cross demonstrates, but worth in the scales of Holiness, we cannot measure up. Thus we need to understand how great a standard God has and how great a depth God lowered Himself to suffer for sins He did not commit. Romans 5 makes this contrast clear as it tells us that even the best of people one hardly desires to die for, much less those class of people so low and grimy and sin cursed as we.
Third, we need to understand what Christ gave up so that we could be saved.
So often the agony of the cross has been beautified. We do this out of the notion of the Glory of God and out of some desire to hide the reality even now of our punishment He took upon Himself. Christ gave up for us His earthly dignity and His Heavenly dignity. I refer to the latter that while He all the time was fully God, He laid aside all His Glory and took upon the same wretched flesh that we have. He bound Himself to this mortal body with all its sufferings. He was willing to give up His relationship with the Father for the condemnation of sin. The Father turned His back on His Son for our sakes. He gave up His one earthly possession, His cloak. He gave up His power to reverse all the sufferings of the cross. So much He gave for us on the cross.
Lastly, we need to imagine the shame of the Cross compared to any shame we receive unjustly.
Not one of us has been accused of something we did not do and felt fine with it. Shame and a stained reputation is something none of us want. Jesus did not want it, but He knew that our shame cannot be remedied and our souls lost forever. The weight of the human race won out over the Righteousness He enjoyed forever. The cross, as stated before, has been beautified and lovely wrapped in flowers and scroll work. The truth is a cross was not just an implement for torture and punishment, but a public of example to the rest of the world to show the shame of crimes. A cross said to the world, "don't be as foolish as this poor dog." Not only was the cross a mark of shame but particularly the Center Cross on which Jesus hung was the greatest example of shame. We don't understand that in today's culture where shame isn't so unpopular anymore. Shame on the level of a thief or robber was bad enough, but the shame that only the Father saw was greater. This shame was my shame and yours...never forget. Never forget that we should face the howling mob but we will never do that.
After reading this smattering on the cross and its meanings, do we see the REAL cross as we should? Has the cross shifted back from a shelf ornament or a necklace to a literal monument to spiritual freedom? I trust we all shall so view it, for such it is.
Father, help us not to desensitize ourselves from the true meaning of the cross, made for our sakes who was the least deserving. Thank you for Your love, which spared nothing for us. In Your Name, Amen.
