The cross, one sees them on church buildings and worn as necklaces and jewelry. Many will be offended when the atheist pushes for it's removal from public view. All shout that it is the symbol of Christianity, bu as Stephen Seamonds puts it in his book "Give Them Christ", the cross was more a shocking, revolting and offensive symbol if anything. But does anyone really understand what the cross signifies?
Crucifixion was the most horrendous form of "capital" punishment polished to its maximum by the Romans. To hear in those days of some one being crucified was scandalous. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:2, "we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness". Why was it a stumbling-block to the Jews? Because it was a scandal, a punishment for the lowest of society, the criminals. The horrible sight of men completely naked hanging in horrible agony, and the sight and smell of them having lost all their bodly functions. Being jeered and ridiculed by passers-by who didn't care. "...foolishness to the gentiles..". The agonizing physical pain associated with crucifixion. The word 'excruciating' is derived from the Latin word for cross, 'crux'. Being pinned up like an insect was deliberate and intentional to display and humiliate the victims. I was designed to be vulgar, revolting and obscene.
The cross, better put, the cricifixion shows us the gravity of sin. The price that each and every human being must pay. But it also shows us what a loving God He is, for God Himself, took that punishment, that humiliation, the excruciating pain, hanging naked on the scandalous cross, being beaten and disfigured, on Himself. "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;.." (Isaiah 53).
Yes God Himself through the miracle of the incarnation took on our humanity, being 100% man and 100% God, He took on our sins and paid the price owed by us in order to reconcile Himelf to us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Time is short, today is the day of salvation.
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