Title: The Meaning of the Cross

Text: 1 Cor 1:17-18

Date: 3-18-07.am

1 Cor 1:17-19

7 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.

18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. NASB

Introduction:

In just a few weeks it will be Easter Sunday. As Easter approaches I want us to begin to focus on the events leading to the resurrection. I want us to begin looking at the cross and talking about what that cross means.

It is interesting that the cross became the symbol of the Christian faith. There are other symbols we might have chosen; we could have picked an empty tomb, we might have chosen a lamb, or a dove, or loaves and fish, but we picked a cross. Like Jesus the cross was despised by the world yet it remains a powerful symbol of our faith and it evokes powerful emotions from people because of what happened on the cross.

Crucifixion didn’t originate with the romans. Alexander the Great learned it from Barbarians or at least the historians credit it to the barbarians from the East, but the you might say the Romans perfected it. Apparently when Alexander adopted crucifixion as a form of execution it consisted of a single vertical beam. The word translated cross did originally mean stake. That’s where the Jehovah’s Witnesses derive the idea of Jesus being executed on a torture stake instead of a cross. Why is this wrong? Why doesn’t the word mean stake in the New Testament? The Roman, added the horizontal beam to the stake. The horizontal beam was originally used by the Romans like a yoke. Prisoners were yoked or tied to this beam and they adapted it to crucifixion, nailing or tying the condemned person to this horizontal beam and the hoisting it up on the vertical beam. So when we get to first-century Palestine, crucifixion is no longer on a stake but on a cross and the word by connotation no longer refers to a stake but a cross.

I want to point out that there are basically 4 types of crosses that could have been used for the crucifixion. You have probably seen a number of different representations of the cross and wondered why there were differences or maybe you didn’t know that the traditional cross we use now might not have been what the cross of Christ looked like. You may have seen pictures that show Jesus carrying the traditional cross or others that show him only carrying the cross member. The Bible doesn’t give us a detailed description. It doesn’t say the upright beam was this tall and the cross beam this long and it was placed at this location on the upright beam. It simply calls it a cross. Let me say up front what the cross actually looked like isn’t terribly important. What happened on it is. But I want you to have some background information as we talk about it.

Crucifixion As I said, there were basically 4 types of crosses known to have been used for crucifixions in the ancient world. They are know by a variety of different names.

(See Power Point Slide)

The "Latin Cross," is the traditional cross. It’s the one most often portrayed in illustrations and used in "crucifixes." It is generally assumed that because of the sign nailed above Jesus’ head (John 19:19), there must have been a section of upright post above the horizontal beam.

The second type is known as the "St. Anthony's Cross," It looks more like the letter T. This type of cross was actually the one most commonly-used cross used by the Romans for crucifixions. The upright post was generally already in place and was notched at the top for the cross beam. The executed man was tied or nailed to the cross-section, which was then simply lifted up and set into the notch at the top of the upright post. This kind of cross was probably the most usable because the upright beam remained in the ground. This is significant because crucifixions weren’t just an occasional thing. They were very common.

This also the strongest, because the weight of the condemned man was drawing down directly into the notch, where it couldn't go anywhere, unlike the traditional cross that had the cross section fastened to the side of the post, which could much more easily pull away. And, since the condemned man hung down below the level of the horizontal beam, there was still plenty of room for a sign to be nailed above his head. It is likely that this is the kind of cross Jesus was crucified on.

The other two are less likely to have been used. The "Greek Cross" which had equal-length vertical and horizontal sections. It looked like a plus sign like the one in our window on the West side.

There was also the "Saint Andrew's Cross," which was shaped like the letter X, with the two bottom legs set into the ground.

That’s the background on the cross itself, the Romans used it as a brutal method for executing criminals and rebels. But what does it mean? First lets look at what it meant to those who were there. Turn in Matthew’s gospel to chapter 27.

Chief Priests and Elders vs. 1-2

The first people we see here are the chief priests and elders the Jewish religious and civil leaders. The cross was a solution. They saw it as a way of being rid of trouble maker. They despised Jesus. As Nicodemus said in John 3:2 They knew He was from God, “no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” He told Jesus. They had seen and heard and questioned and knew, but He didn’t fit what they expected or wanted. He was upsetting their applecart, they had a pretty good relationship with Rome and didn’t want to see that change. For them the cross was the way to deal with Jesus, to be rid of this radical rabbi once and for all and at the same time crush His following and get back to status quo.

I think we see a similar kind of mind set in the world today particularly in society. I don’t think there is much argument even from those who are not religious and not Christian that as a society moral values are moving downward. Immorality is becoming more open and visible and immoral opportunities choices more accessible. Even in the church this is becoming more and more evident as people are willing to compromise biblical teachings to be more like the world. And Jesus is unsettling in that kind of environment. The thought, though not vocalized is “He died on that cross, let Him stay dead and not make waves.” That’s why there is continual efforts to discredit the Bible and disprove who Jesus was.

Judas Iscariot 3-10

The next person we see affected by the cross is the disciple Judas. For Jusdas the cross was a place of despair. What can we say about him. Jesus chose him as a disciple, but he doesn’t seem to fit the disciple mold. In Ps 41:9 the Bible says: Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. NASB

The information about Judas comes from the Gospels, a few verses in Acts, and a reference to the betrayal in 1 Cor 11:23. The information is very sketchy and for the most part unfavorable. Judas is described as the one who betrayed Jesus (Matt 10:4; 26:25; 27:3; Mark 8:19; Luke 6:15; John 6:71; 12:4; 13:2; 18:2,5). He was under the influence of Satan (Luke 22:3; John 13:2), and his greed prompted him to steal (John 12:4-6) and he betrayed Jesus for the payment involved (Matt 26:14; Mark 14:10). However, John’s Gospel indicates that Judas was the treasurer for the group (John 12:4-6; 13:29), a position not usually given to somebody one who is known to be greedy and irresponsible. So in a way Judas is a mysterious person.

Some have suggested Judas may have betrayed him out of ambition. That he may have thought by betraying Jesus he could speed the process of brining the kingdom of God into reality and that he would have an important part of that kingdom. Other’s believe he may have been upset because Jesus wasn’t going to use military means to overthrow the Roman government and he betrayed Jesus because he himself felt betrayed. The Bible doesn’t give us any idea of his thought process only that he was under the influence of Satan and he it for the 30 pieces of silver.

But for him the cross was a disaster. If he thought he would speed the coming of the kingdom when Jesus was condemned he realized the error he had made in judgement and that his personal ambition had run into a wall. Whatever he thought he felt remorse. The word Matthew uses means He really was sorry for what he had done. He repented the King James says. After Peter denied Jesus his sorrow Peter (same word) cause him to weep bitterly. It led Peter back to Christ. But Judas had only remorse that led to suicide.

That’s the way the cross is. We’re not so different from Judas. In a ver real sense sin is it is a betrayal of Jesus. The cross of Christ should always lead us to sorrow and to repentance, just like it did Judas. But the cross is also a place of hope rather than despair and unlike Judas the cross should lead us to Christ to receive His forgiveness to choose life and live for Him.

PILATE v. 11-25

To Pilate the cross was a crossroads and decision point. We don’t know a lot about Pilate.

Josephus, he Jewish historian, provides what little information is known about Pilate's life before the emperor Tiberius appointed him procurator of Judea in A. D. 26. Pilate was an Italian born Roman citizen from a middle class family. Probably he held certain military posts before his appointment in Judea. He was married (Matt 27:19), Scripture doesn’t use her name but tradition says she was Claudia Procula, granddaughter of Caesar Augustus. Pilate governed the areas of Judea, Samaria, and the area south as far as the Dead Sea to Gaza. As procurator he had absolute authority over the non-Roman citizens of the province. He was responsible to the Roman governor who lived in Syria to the north (Luke 2:2)

Pilate never became popular with the Jews. He seemed to be insensitive to their religious convictions and stubborn in the pursuit of his policies. But when the Jews responded to his rule with heated opposition, such as their opposition to Jesus and insistence that He be crucified, Pilate often backed down. He greatly angered the Jews when he took funds from the Temple treasury to build an aqueduct to supply water to Jerusalem. Many Jews reacted violently to this act, and Pilate's soldiers killed many of them in this rebellion. It may be this or another incident to which Luke refers in Luke 13:1-2. In spite of this, Pilate continued in office for ten years, showing that Tiberius considered Pilate an effective administrator. Of course he was later removed from office and exiled to Gaul (France).

When Jesus was brought before him he stood at a crossroads. Pilate is an example of the unprincipled achiever who will sacrifice what is right to accomplish his own selfish goals. Although he recognized Jesus' innocence and had the authority to uphold justice and acquit Jesus, he gave in to the demands of the crowd rather than risk a personal setback in his career. This is a real temptation to all people not only those who hold positions of power and authority. Sometimes we are willing to sacrifice what is right to be accepted, to be popular, to get a promotion, to become bigger or faster. The cross of Christ is a crossroads where like Pilate we have to make a decision.

MARY - John 19-25-27

Another person affected by the cross was Mary. I’m not sure it is possible for us to even imagine what the cross meant to Mary. It was certain a place of deep emotional turmoil. The emotional impact of having a child die would be terrible, to watch your child be put to death as Jesus was would be unimaginable. Again we have no insight into her thoughts there but you know as a mother she remembered her little baby all that transpired before and all that happened after his birth, His presentation at the temple, His getting left behind there years later. His miracles and His message. I would imagine she remembered the words of Gabriel: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."

Luke 1:32-34 NASB And how her soul and Spirit rejoiced in what was happening. And did she also remember the words of Simeon to her in the temple those years ago "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:34-35 NASB

The Scripture doesn’t give any insight into her thoughts. John is the only one who mentions her at the cross in John 19:25-27

5 . . . But there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household. NASB

For some today the cross is also a place of emotional turmoil. They see and recognize the dying Savior on the cross and they weep. But it is only a place of emotional response they leave the scene of the cross and nothing changes about their lives, they have cried they have perhaps found a sense of release they have made no commitment to the Savior.

The Disciples - Lk 22:49 (see also Jn 1925-27)

Let me briefly mention on other group and that was the disciples. For them the cross was a place of misunderstanding. The crucifixion seemed to be an ending. It was a place where the teacher they followed the beloved friend the one whom they thought was Messiah lost His life. Their relationship seemingly came to an end. All their hopes and dreams seemed to die as well. They were dejected, hurt and alone.

For some today the cross is place of misunderstanding. They have no idea of it’s real meaning. They have no concept that it is a place of beginning rather than ending.

What does the cross mean to you? Is it just a symbol? Is it an unsettling place you’d rather not deal with? Does it represent despair and defeat where you feel hopeless because of what’s happened in your life, choices you’ve made, things you’ve done? Is it a cross roads where you know you must make a choice but it’s not the choice you want to make? It is just a place of emotional release where you can unload a burden have a cry and leave unchanged? Is it a place where you are unsure, where you sense a hopelessness and defeat because you haven’t experienced the rest of the story?

Well the cross is all of those in a different way:

It is a symbol - of faith

It is a solution - the solution to the problem of sin

It is an unsettling place - because of what happened there it’s where God judged sin

It is a cross roads - where you must make a decision what will you do with Jesus

It is a place of emotional release - where you let go of sin.

It is a place of defeat - when sin is defeated once and for all.

It is the place where Jesus Christ the sinless Son of God died and paid it all for you?

This morning if the God’s speaking to your heart about a decision you need to make, whether it be for salvation, rededication, church membership, we invite you to come.