Monday, September 14
Holy Cross Day
John 3:13-17
13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.
…so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
I sometimes wonder what people in the first century, when crucifixion was still a common method of execution in the Roman Empire, would have thought about celebrating the Cross of Christ. Of course, the first generation of Christians would have understood the importance of the cross. But even they must have struggled to find anything but horror in the symbol.
Today, we’re not likely to ever witness a crucifixion, or even hear about it happening to anyone. Apart from historical records and dramatic reenactments, it just doesn’t happen anymore. We only experience the horror of Jesus’ crucifixion second hand.
In many ways, this separation through time and space frees us to recognize how Jesus’ death on the cross for our sake was the perfect expression of God’s great desire to reach us in a way we could understand and appreciate. In other ways, our appreciation of the Cross of Christ is sanitized and packaged for our consumption.
Can we find ways to acknowledge the absolute horror and suffering of crucifixion without becoming lost in the intensity of the emotions that produces? Can we thank Jesus from the depth of our being for all that he has done for us without retraumatizing ourselves every time we do that? Is it OK for us to look at the cross without horror or romanticizing, and just allow ourselves to be profoundly grateful?
Prayer: Precious Lord, we come to you as we’re able, from the depths of our own gratitude, and you meet us there. Thank you! AMEN