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THE PARABLE OF THE CROSS
Two words in the New Testament refer to the cruel and humiliating form of capital punishment of crucifixion. Originally the Greek word “stauros” for ‘cross’, referred to a pointed stake used in fences or a defensive stockade. It could be used for impaling, hanging, or strangulation. The other Greek word “xylon” for ‘cross’ means living or dead “wood” or a “tree.” Jesus died on a cross as a Saviour to take the place of the sinner: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24). Christ’s death on the “tree” frees us from the penalty and the power of sin. Given the significance of Jesus’ death, the cross came to symbolize the Christian faith. For Christians the cross of Christ was the main event in history that demonstrated God’s control of history and his involvement in human history. As a sacred symbol of God’s love in Christ, it stands at the centre of the Bible’s theology of salvation. The Cross of Christ is also a one-word image or parable that represents the absolute devotion and total commitment a disciple of Jesus Christ has for his Master. Jesus used it as a symbol for the self-sacrifice required of disciples and for the denial or death of oneself to worldly interests. AN INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE AND DEATH In the ancient world the word “cross” became identified with crucifixion. Sometimes it consisted of an upright stake, but usually a cross beam was attached to the stake. In first century Palestine crucifixion was a punishment for rebellion against Roman rule, for desertion from the army, spying, and treason. It was reserved for criminals of the worst kind and a savage flogging preceded it. When the victim was fastened to the cross, he was stripped naked and made fun of. It was a cruel, extremely painful, and brutal form of execution. Finally the dead body was usually left on the cross as further punishment and as food for scavengers. Although the reference to a condemned person hanging on a tree in Deuteronomy 21:22–23 was not a reference to crucifixion, for Jews crucifixion had additional disgrace. In Israel the offender was first executed by stoning and later attached to a pole as a public display of God’s curse. Therefore the idea of a crucified Messiah was a special problem for all Jews. Paul wrote of the “offence [“scandal” or “stumbling-block”] of the cross” (Galatians 5:11): “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13) THE CROSS IS A SYMBOL OF DISCIPLESHIP A Disciple Must “Deny Himself” To “forget self and lose sight of his own interests” (Wuest), or to “put aside selfish ambition” (NLT), means to say ‘No’ to one’s sinful self and ‘Yes’ to God. God, rather than self, becomes the centre of one’s life. It means much more than denying oneself things or pleasures. It involves self-surrender, a setting aside of personal ambition, and giving God first place in one’s life. The choice between denying ourselves and living for our own selfish ambition must be made daily according to Luke’s gospel. The disciple renounces all claims to his own life day by day. This self-denial is required whenever our natural motives and desires conflict with the claims of Christ. A Disciple Must “Take Up His Cross” First century Jews often saw a condemned person carry the crossbar, as a part of his sentence, to the place of his execution, as Jesus was required to do. Thus the cross was an image of suffering and death. Jesus did not mean that every one of his followers would die a violent death. Discipleship involves a death that is like crucifixion. It implies a willingness to follow Jesus in humiliation, suffering and martyrdom if necessary. We suffer, like Jesus, the world’s ridicule, persecution and rejection (John 15:18-19; 16:33). To “take up the cross” is to live for Christ, not for self. It does not mean putting up with one’s personal problems or a difficult or tragic situation. It is a voluntary acceptance of one’s responsibilities and difficulties as a disciple of Christ. This radical commitment involves self-sacrifice in daily living, and not just crisis situations. Discipleship means becoming less self-centred and more Christ-centred. A Disciple Must “Follow” Jesus Christ “Follow” acknowledges a commitment of one’s life to obedience to his will: “Be taking the same road with me that I travel” (Wuest). Jesus explained what it meant to follow him: “For whoever wants to save his [earthly] life will lose it [eternal life], but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35-36) Living for ourselves instead of living for God results in disappointment, frustration, temporary fulfillment, and eternal loss but those who follow Christ wholeheartedly find significance, deep joy and personal fulfillment. The disciple who invests his life for Christ discovers the principle in nature that : “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24). This illustration teaches that life comes through death. The Christian Life is a Crucified LifeIn Galatians Paul argued that those who had started so well needed to come back to where they had begun, the cross of Christ: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3:1) Crucifixion becomes a part of the identification between Christ and the believer who is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) as opposed to self-imposed legalistic rules for Christian behaviour. The negative aspect of the new life in Christ means: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24). Paul said that he would never boast in anything except “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). The cross is as important to living the Christian life as it is to entering into it. The Cross is a Symbol of the Gospel of Christ In the New Testament the word “cross” is used as a summary of the gospel of Christ. The preaching of the gospel is “the message of the cross”; it is a message of “Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:17, 23). It is “through the cross” (Ephesians 2:16) that God has reconciled Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) to himself. It is “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20) that God has “reconciled to himself all things.” i.e. the cross restores the entire universe. By fulfilling the demands of the Law, Jesus “nailed it to the cross” and “disarmed” demonic powers “by the cross.” (Colossians 2:14-15). Paul used the word “cross” to represent the gospel of Christ that is based on his atoning death. FOR REFLECTION
PRAYER Father-God, I pray for grace to follow the crucified Saviour that I may find, not the ease of earth’s pleasures but Christ’s likeness and reward. Amen. Jim Peacock MA (Hons), Diploma of Education |
