Home » Mind & Soul » Lutheranism » The Meaning of the Cross

The Meaning of the Cross

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

The cross. It is a common site in our society. Churches use it as a symbol of their faith. Many wear a cross around the neck as jewelry. But often the meaning of the cross is lost to many. Just what did it mean to die on a cross? And why did Jesus have to die on a cross?

We recall that the at the "trial" at the high priest's palace Jesus was found guilty of blasphemy. That is, he claimed to be God. In effect, Jesus' claim is true. He even performed miracles that defied physical laws and medical realities to prove his divinity. Even the Roman centurion on Good Friday uttered: "Surely this man is the Son of God."

But in the Mosaic law blasphemy was punishable by stoning! So why was Jesus crucified?

Here is where the "fullness of time" axiom comes into play. You'll recall that Satan, taking the form of a serpent (likely a snake) tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempted this couple at a tree-namely the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God had decreed that because mankind fell by a tree, a tree would redeem mankind. The cross is a representation of a tree.

There is no honor in dying by a tree. American history is littered with the lynching of minorities so that others would think twice before bucking the status quo. The Romans were no different. People were crucified so that others may see them as an example of what may happen if they themselves attempted the crimes listed above each sufferer. People left to hang on a tree were abandoned so that carrion would feed on the flesh. There was no honor to the person, living or dead.

The Roman government used crucifixion as a form of punishment that inflicted a slow, torturous death. Once crucified the criminal was left to the mercy of the soldiers who carried out the punishment. If a criminal found favor in a soldier's eyes, the soldier might offer a drink laced with drugs to ease the pain. If the criminal made life miserable for the soldier's, they could increase the pain and discomfort and prolong death. There was a sense of cruelty to this form of punishment.

Crucifixion was reserved for the vilest of crimes, which in Rome's eyes were insubordination, treason, rebellion, and the like. Realize that the emperor considered himself a god, thus traitors would be seen as blasphemers in the eyes of the empire. Rebellious slaves were known to be crucified. People who started uprisings against the empire were crucified. They were hung outside city walls, as all dead bodies were removed from the life of a city (historians often can trace the growths of cities by locations of cemeteries. Even in America new cemeteries are established outside of towns and cities). The people were hung in public places, usually along well-traveled roads. Again, the purpose was as much deterrence as punishment of the evil-doer.