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What Does The Cross Represent In The Bible

Five Lessons From The Cross

Does Wearing a Cross Represent Jesus?

People look at the cross for various reasons. For many it is a religious symbol that reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made. For some it is a piece of jewelry. And for others it is something used for interior decoration. I would like to share five things the cross can teach us.

The cross teaches us that sin will separate us from God. Isaiah 59:1, 2 says our sin separates us from God. Romans 5:8 says God showed his love to us while we were yet sinners. You see, Jesus was separated from God because of our sin and its consequences.

The cross also teaches us about forgiveness. According to Hebrews 10:10-18, Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for sin for all time. The cross teaches us that forgiveness takes sacrifice even on our part toward others.

The cross teaches about success. Jesus death might be considered a failure today. Yet, in John 19:30, as he was dying, Jesus said, It is finished. You see, he succeeded in his mission to do Gods will. A Christians success is accomplished by doing Gods will.

The cross teaches us a course about love. In John 15:13 Jesus says, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Jesus taught us about love by freely dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus says in John 14:15, If you love me, you will obey what I command.

We need to remember that the power is not in the cross but it is a reminder of what happened there and why.

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What Is The Real Meaning Of The Cross

Its position in Christianity has evolved dramatically, and the cross remains today as central and as debated an icon as ever

By Brian BethuneApril 13, 2017

An actor playing the role of Jesus Christ hangs from a cross during the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during Holy Week at Mi Peru, a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima April 17, 2014. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil

The Easter story, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has made the cross likely the most recognized icon on earth. But its meaning is very much in the eye of the beholder, whether Christian or non-Christian, devout or far from it.

From Crusader times onward, the cross accompanied or even led European military power. The cross has adorned schools, orphanages and hospitals around the world, including the residential schools that proved so devastating for Indigenous Canadians. Outsiders, especially Jews and Muslims brought within the fold, often by main force, have their own complex reactions to it. Within Christianityand within what was once Christendomthe meaning of the cross is just as multifaceted.

Close-up of Christa, a bronze figure of a crucified woman, in the Cathedral of St Johns the Devine, New York, New York, June 6, 1984.

The cross is seen as a tribal marker in both instances, but one response celebrates the solidarity inspired by such a symbol, while the other stresses the equally inherent theme of exclusion.

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The History Of The Orthodox Cross

The Orthodox cross is characterized by cross bars conveying a deep meaning to the faithful. The vertical line is crossed by three transversal bars, and each one allows the crucifixion of Jesus to be represented in a stylized way. The Orthodox Cross has a plaque in the top bar where we find the inscription Jesus Christ King of the Jews . Pilate requested this writing and ordered its posting to mock the Savior. The low bar in the Russian iconography is diagonal, while in the Greek one, it has the function of a footrest.

The slant of the lower bar has a symbolic meaning, as it represents Christs ascent into heaven and the concept that The Cross is the Balance of Justice. The reality is that the Orthodox Cross hides infinite symbols and signs in its particular form and the decorations with which it is embellished.

The first representations of the Orthodox Cross with the characteristic low diagonal bar were found in Jerusalem, Constantinople, and the Balkan region. But with the bar tilted in the other direction. This also allows us to understand a different meaning of the bar. Inclined upwards as if to represent the ascent through the Passion instead of the message of condemnation. In the first representations of the high bar, it is tough to find the inscription INRI, present instead in the crosses of Eastern Europe of the last centuries, instead replaced by the writing The King of Glory.

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The Cross Is Substitutionary

The cross is for us, in our place, on our behalf. He laid down his life for His sheep. He is our sacrificial lamb. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world . Just as Abraham raised his eyes and looked and saw a ram to offer as a burnt offering in the place of his son , so too we look up and see Jesus as our replacement. He became a curse for us , meaning he takes the place of all the enslaved, the rebels, the idolaters, and the murderers. If the conquering of the spiritual forces is the goal, then substitution is the ground or basis for this conquering . The cross represents not only the great exchange , but also the great transition .

Defining the kingdom of God as the interplay of the kings power over the kings people in the kings place, this volume helps readers understand God’s purpose for the world.

The Cross Is The Marching Order For Christians

The Cross as a Symbol

After Jesus explained to his disciples that he must suffer, he tells them, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me . Paul embodies the cross in his ministry, becoming the fragrance of death as he is lead on the triumphal procession , and he evens says he has been crucified with Christ . But Paul does not merely apply the cross to his own ministry, but he instructs the new community at Philippi to have the mind of Christ which is defined by Jesuss humility on the cross . The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity. As Rutledge has said, the crucifixion is the touchstone of Christian authenticity, the unique feature by which everything else. . . is given true significance.

Patrick Schreiner is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross Matthew, Disciple and Scribe The Ascension of Christ and The Visual Word.

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The Upper Bar Of The Orthodox Cross

Indeed, as anticipated, the upper bar is the point where the inscription that Pilate ordered to hang in mockery above the head of Christ on the Cross appears. Therefore, on this plaque was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Sometimes, this writing is replaced by a Christian inscription: So, the King of Glory. In the traditional image of the Orthodox Cross, this wording is placed under the knees of the angels.

E Crucifix Vs Empty Cross

When you talk about specific symbols of the Christian faith, one of the most important is the crucifix. However, a crucifix is no the same as a cross.

While both are similar in some ways, there is one very important distinction. The cross is simply that, two pieces that are crossed over one another. The crucifix, however, is a cross with a depiction of Jesus. The depiction usually shows Jesus in relief on the cross.

For most Christians, this is a more compelling symbol than a standard cross, though this also depends on the specific faith within Christianity.

Catholics are more likely to utilize the crucifix as a symbol for their faith. Protestants, however, are more likely to use a cross as a depiction of their faith.

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The Agony In The Garden

Let’s go to the scene of the agony in the garden. Jesus is praying to God The Father. He is sweating drops of blood because He is so petrified in His humanity of the events that were about to unfold. He knew very well that He was about to be taken away and sentenced to death on a cross. He prays the prayer, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Jesus knows that it is the Father’s will that He dies on the cross. Jesus willfully accepts this because of His perfect submission to God’s will and His Love for you and me.

He knows what He will go through will be painful, and he will suffer very much. But He knows that God’s plan will triumph and He will rise again on the third day.

The Cross Is A Symbol Of Obedience

The Meaning of the Sign of the Cross

Jesus showed an example of obedience by going to the cross: Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered . He took on the form of a servant not by forfeiting His deity, but by submitting to the Father.

Many believe that Jesus sacrifice on the cross guarantees our salvation and that this salvation is unconditional. However, this idea goes against what we have discussed throughout this article. Remember, we are to take up our cross . Just as Jesus showed an example of obedience through the cross , we will be saved if we obey: And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation .

Also keep in mind the following points about obedience that relate to what we have already discussed:

  • Obedience is an act of love Jesus said, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments .
  • Obedience is the response to grace Paul wrote, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds .
  • Obedience is the result of true faith James wrote, Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works .

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What Is The Significance Of The Cross

On the cross, Jesus defeated his enemies and was enthroned as king. In the entire history of this universe, I do not believe that any event has more significance than the cross and what took place that day.

The cross of Christ is at the heart of Christianity. The Bible is filled with references to it. Books have been written and sermons preached on it. And it is the most recognizable symbol of Christianity.

But what is the significance of the cross? Why do we make such a big deal over it? This article will explore just what the cross is, and why it has the significance that it does.

The Cross Has The Power To Convince Me That I Am Loved

One of the common issues found in diverse problems such as teen suicide, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and marriage breakdown is the problem of low self-esteem. Sometimes we just don’t like ourselves very much. We worry about our value as human beings, and we have trouble liking others because we have a poor estimate of ourselves. Sometimes it begins in youth when in different ways we get “messages” that tell us that we’re not ok, names other kids call us, failure in school, trouble between our parents. Whether these messages are accurate or not is not the problem the problem is that we think they are true and begin to store them away in our subconscious minds. In many ways these kinds of thoughts motivate us as we grow older we try to improve, to quiet the inner voice that says, you’re not worthy, you’re no good, you’ll never be good enough.

Children who grow up believing they’re not ok become angry, depressed, frightened and insecure adults who often end up raising the same kind of kids. But the cross of Jesus Christ has the power to finally break this cycle because it loudly and clearly says, “I love you,” “you’re ok now.” When nobody cares about you, even when you don’t care about yourself, the cross says, “I care.”

The cross convinces me that I am loved because in it I see that:

  • God loved me even when I ignored, ridiculed and even hated Him, He was planning my salvation.
  • The innocent died for guilty me.
  • My friend gave His life up for me.

John writes,

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The Cross Inaugurates The New Covenant

At the Last Supper Jesus interprets his death as bringing in the new covenant. It is by his body and blood that his new community is formed. Just as the people of Israel were sprinkled with blood as they entered a covenant with Yahweh, so the disciples are members of the new community by the pouring out of Jesuss blood. The new covenant community now has the Torah written on their hearts and they all know the Lord because of the gift of the Spirit .

The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity.

Through Christs Death On The Cross Those Who Turn To Him Are Delivered From The Power Of Sin

3. Grace Triumphant, Part 1

… that having died to sins, we might live to righteousness for by His wound you were healed. Some have wrongly applied the word healing to physical healing. But clearly that is not in the context . The for is explanatory Peter is explaining further what he means by the healing effected by Christs death: Rather than straying like sheep, as we formerly lived, we now have been turned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. In other words, Christs death delivers us from the ongoing power of sin.

There are three facts about the power of sin which we must grasp from these verses:

A. The power of sin caused us to stray continually as sheep.

For you were continually straying like sheep . Peter uses a verb construction that emphasizes the continual past action of straying. Before we turned to Jesus Christ as our sin bearer, we were characterized by straying from the Good Shepherd, going our own way. We were lost even though we may not have known it. We were in danger of harm and even death, although perhaps we were oblivious to it.

B. The power of sin required death and new life for deliverance.

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be rendered inoperative , that we should no longer be slaves to sin … For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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Suffer In The Flesh Cease From Sin

It hurts to go against what you are naturally drawn to to deny the thoughts that you naturally tend to think. Just like a physical cross causes suffering for the body, this metaphorical cross also causes suffering for your flesh, that part of you that is drawn to sin, and which is denied its demands. But you have a good reason to choose to do this, and that is what is written in 1 Peter 4:1:

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

Let this be your motivation! This verse promises that when you suffer in your flesh, that is to say, when you take up your cross and deny the sinful thoughts that come up in you during the day, you will actually cease from sin! And it is not just a promise that will be fulfilled some unknown day far in the future you see progress as you go. Perhaps you have a particular tendency to be harsh and cold to your peers. As you say no in temptation when these negative thoughts come, you notice as time passes that those thoughts dont come as often anymore. It becomes easier for you to be good and warm and kind to the people around you. This is the fulfillment of that promise you are becoming free from sin in that area!

What Does The Bible Say About Condoning Sin

There will always be sin in the world because Satan is the author of sin, and as long as hes allowed to roam around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, his intent is to entice with sin that opposes Gods ways. Thats exactly what sin is, going against God. You can profess to be a Christian, but if youre willfully choosing to sin, youre controlled by Satan, not God. Sometimes we cant see it in our own lives, and we need other believers to gently, lovingly, and compassionately use scripture to point out to us where weve slipped into Satans grip and bring us back into the fold.

I once had someone who had been married before ask me to condone her having sex with her boyfriend since neither of them were virgins anymore what did it matter? It mattered because Gods Word says sex is between a husband and wife. Again, like Jesus told the Samaritan woman, the man youre living with now is not your husband. Thats a sin.

Others want justification to live together for financial reasons. God cant bless something he condemns for any reason.

The entire Bible addresses not living in or condoning sin but repelling it. Here are a few refresher verses, but there are so many more:

Do you ever feel like God isnt hearing your prayers? Could it be youre condoning sin in your own life, the culture, or someone near you?

But your iniquities have separated you from your God your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.Isa. 59:2

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