The Cross… a sublime symbol of victory and salvation

Since the early days of life on our Globe, there have been several methods to exact capital punishment. The term "capital punishment" implies death.  Among the most modern methods used nowadays is beheading by using sharp guillotine, while in old days crucifixion was a popular method to punish thieves and criminals.

 

In old days, the Cross was a sign of humiliation or rather a sign of degradation and shame of those crucified. It was a sign of profound humiliation and a public declaration to viewers and passerby who look down upon the crucified.

 

Yet 2,000 years ago and up to any point of time in the future, the Cross is no longer viewed as a sign of humiliation. It is rather a sign of honor, nobility, sacrifice, and dedication to a new life marked by blessings, hope, and assurances that a noble and scared life is in the offing. It is rather a beacon of hope.

 

This radical change in viewing the Cross as a symbol of salvation started by the time Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, sacrificed Himself on the Cross in a move designed to save humanity and ensure those who believe in Him eternal life, after having all their sins cleansed with His precious and pure blood that was shed on the Cross.

 

That is why Crosses are placed on top of churches, while people are proud to reveal Cross necklaces with impressions of joy and pride indicating that the One Who was crucified assures them safety and protection in life and in being in the Kingdom of God in the after-life.

 

On Wednesday, April 31, looking ahead to Holy Thursday and the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Pope recalled Christ’s washing the disciples’ feet, His new commandment of love, and His institution of the Eucharist as the abiding memorial of the sacrifice of His body and blood for the salvation of all. He said, "We will be presented with the Crucifix to adore. By adoring the Cross, we will relive the journey of the innocent Lamb sacrificed for our salvation." He added, "Ever since Jesus took upon Himself the wounds of humanity and death itself, God's love has irrigated these deserts of ours, He has enlightened our darkness."

 

Actually following the Crucifixion, Lord Jesus died but later rose from the dead to signify that despite the fact that the Cross represented condemnation to death, it turned out later to be a source of salvation for when Lord Jesus rose from the dead, He gave life to those who were already dead, and provided eternal life to all those who follow in His footsteps.

 

One of the clearest symbols of Christianity is the sign of the Cross:  “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Amen.  
 

The Holy Bible includes numerous verses on the "Cross'', yet among the most interesting verses are these two verses:  

 

For the word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (Corinthians 1:18)

 

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

 

Furthermore, the Holy Bible accentuates the mystery of salvation embodied in the Cross for it is the sign of God that the righteous and those worthy of salvation will be distinguished. This is signified as an angel instructed the four angels: “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads" (Rev 7:3)

 

With the Christians worldwide marking the Feast of Easter, the symbol of victory over death, it is time to ask Lord Jesus to overwhelm the entire world with the Holy Cross, to eliminate wars, pandemics, and violence as well as to overwhelm the children of humanity with His love and peace.