Who Himself carries up our sins in is body on the pole, that, coming away from sins, we should be living for righteousness; by Whose welt you were healed
Peter to the Dispersion 2: 24, Concordant New Testament
Every good product needs a good symbol. I remember the old Marlboro man posters and ads which hailed that real men smoked Marlboro cigarettes. Not only that, but we will always associate those golden arches with fast food hamburgers. But what about the Christian religion, what symbols are we championing to the world? Well, look no further than the cross of Jesus and the virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. For years, I have been critical of the catholic religion for their almost idol like focus upon the image of Mary. It is well known that Catholics go so far as to idolize the virgin Mary in their version of Christianity. Idol worshippers I called them, for good reason. But what about the religion I followed for so long? Were we any different than those Catholics? Walk into any mainstream church and you will likely see the cross of Jesus displayed front and center. The symbolism is all too apparent, this is where Jesus is! When I first moved to the Portland, Oregon area back in 1994, I was looking for a Christ centered church that I could call home. My decision was made easier one day when I saw that building with the large white cross by the side of the freeway. This MUST be a good church. So it was that I made that building with the big cross my church home for many years. I don't regret my decision to attend the church, I only mention it to illustrate how the church draws people into its pews. I believe that simply having a church building does not let people know that a church is there, they need that cross. A good friend asked the question this week, do we need to celebrate the death of Jesus or His life? Well, I believe that the mainstream church has already made up its mind on that issue years ago. What does the image of the cross mean to you? To me it symbolizes one thing, the death of Christ on the cross so long ago. Of course, I'm not disputing His death, for this is what the Father intended to reconcile His children to Him once again. Which goes to my point, the death of Jesus on that cross was the end, but the beginning. Yet we continue to celebrate the very image of His death. The apostle Paul would add that it was not only Jesus who perished on that tree, but we did as well {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}. Indeed, our old sin nature was put to death by Christ Jesus on that cross {Paul to the Romans 6:6}. But it is the church which has used the image of the cross to its own advantage.
Christ reclaims us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for our sakes, for it is written, Accursed is everyone hanging on a pole
Paul to the Galatians 3: 13, Concordant New Testament
So, this is the question we need to be asking ourselves, is the cross a symbol of the life or the death of Jesus? If we indeed celebrate His life, why do we need to glorify the cross? Now, many in the church will bristle at my use of the term "Glorify," but I see no other way to describe how the church has symbolized the tree of death which Jesus hung from. Paul describes anyone hanging on a pole as being accursed {Paul to the Galatians 3:13}. Indeed, it is Jesus who became that curse for our sake. But does that symbolize who He is? I would say no. Yet I would say that celebrating the image of the tree of death fits right into the separation theology spoken by the mainstream church. They cannot let go of sin being a prominent part of our lives. So much so, that they proclaim that it is our sin which has separated us from God. I suggest that they use the image of the cross to continually remind people of the sin sacrifice of Jesus, of what He suffered for us. The message is clear, WE did this to Jesus. Our sin nature prompted God to dispatch His Son as the sin sacrifice for the world {Johns Account 3:16-17}. Yes, Jesus bled and died for the sins of mankind, but that has never been His legacy if you will. He is remembered for the selfless act which He took upon Himself for us {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. Make no mistake, WE needed to die on that accursed pole, not Jesus. I would say that the image of the cross is more of a reminder of our old nature than of Jesus Himself. For that sin nature is the reason for His sacrifice. What we should be celebrating is the aftermath, which is our life WITHIN Him which we now enjoy. It is Jesus Himself Who speaks to this union {Johns Account 14:20}. It is through His death on that tree that we were once again reconciled to the Father. That is worth celebrating.
~Scott~
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