Origins of the Christian Cross
Being attached to a cross of wood as a death sentence, or crucifixion, was the cruelest penalty in Roman times. Being crucified involved acute pain and suffering, and the process could take days.
A person who was crucified was usually being punished for a capital crime or committing a serious offense, and it was the utmost punishment a person could receive. It is therefore important to remember the image that a cross would convey – an image of ultimate pain and suffering on earth.
Even in modern terms, crucifixion still stands out as particularly cruel. There are many current media reports of people being tortured or subject to harsh interrogation techniques, but few of these reports measure up to the pain and suffering one would go through on the cross.
Unclothed, suffering wounds from beatings, nailed to a board with arms and legs mutilated, exposed to elements and creatures, and hanging for hours or even days until your life slowly ebbed away is an image that haunts the imagination in any era or civilization. Such punishment is or should be reserved for a truly evil being, a person who has defiled and mutilated fellow humans without remorse. In other words, a person who has forfeited their place as a member of the human family.
In contrast, punishing a just person, someone who healed and guided people, someone who demonstrated love to everyone, would be the ultimate injustice carried out, and an apparent triumph of evil. The victory of the cross is easy to miss.
Yet it is not just the triumph over evil that Christians celebrate on the cross, but the great sacrifice of a loving father, our father. He who wanted to show his love for us, to forgive us for all our wrongdoings, sacrificed his innocent son so that one day we could all learn of his love and come closer to him.
The cross was also a reminder for all Romans, a very stern warning, to avoid making the same mistakes or they too would face the same punishment. Displaying the cross in public was a deterrent against future transgression or it was supposed to be at least. Instead, it turned out to be quite a motivator for all members of the church to take up their own crosses and spread the word of this injustice against God’s only son.
What Christians must commit to memory is that wearing a crucifix does not make one clean or protect that person from injury. The purpose of the crucifix is to serve as a silent reminder. It is a reminder of God’s love for all people and his greatest sacrifice. It also reminds us of the wickedness within us that, if not constrained, could go on a rampage and demolish everything beautiful in its path.
For Christians, the cross is reminder of the price of life and the limitless reach of love.
Anton Petrov is a seasoned writer centering on themes related to education, religion and Christianity. For the latest Christian news, views and events, visit http://www.FreeChristianPress.com. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.