When it comes to a symbol to represent the Christian faith, just think of the possibilities. The early Christians could have selected a crib or a manger to celebrate Jesus’ entry into this world. Or, a carpenter’s tool could signify his work in the early years and elevate the status of manual labor. Another possibility would be a boat, since he taught crowds on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. An apron could have selected to represent servanthood and washing his disciples’ feet. The stone could have been the most popular symbol of the Christian faith since it reminds us of Jesus’ empty tomb. Other choices could be a throne, since Jesus is our King, or a dove, reminding us of the empowering of the Holy Spirit that took place on the Day of Pentecost.

It’s fascinating that the church throughout history picked Jesus’ crucifixion and the cross as the symbol that is most often used to represent our faith. In his book, Cross of Christ, John Stott observes: “It seems certain that, at least from the second century onwards, Christians not only drew, painted and engraved the cross as a pictorial symbol of their faith, but also made the sign of the cross on themselves or others” (Stott, page 21).

The followers of Jesus were well aware of the horror of crucifixion and they still chose that as the symbol of their faith. When the Romans adopted the practice of crucifixion, it was used for murderers, armed robbers, and insurrectionists, provided that they were also slaves, foreigners or (in their minds) insignificant persons. It was against the law to crucify a Roman citizen except when treason was involved.

Stott continues: “If the Romans regarded crucifixion with horror, so did the Jews, though for a different reason. They made no distinction between a “tree” and a “cross”, and so between a hanging and a crucifixion. They therefore automatically applied to crucified criminals the terrible statement of the law that “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deuteronomy 21:23). They could not bring themselves to believe that God’s Messiah would die under his curse, strung up on a tree” (Stott, page 24).

The writers of the four gospels give a disproportionate amount of space to the final week of Jesus’ life on earth. About a third of the gospel of Mark deals with the story surrounding Christ’s crucifixion. About a fourth of the gospel of Luke speaks of these events and about half of the gospel of John focuses on the death and resurrection of Christ. The gospel writers were very concerned that their readers received a clear picture of what happened.

Long before Mel Gibson created a movie called “The Passion of the Christ,” the word passion was used to describe Jesus’ arrest, trial, and horrible suffering on the cross. When we think of the word “passion,” it evokes images of strong emotion, possibly related to love, lust, anger, hate, or a desire for something.
However, the English word for passion has its roots in the Latin passio, which simply means “suffering.” In light of that, the final days of Jesus’ life came to be called Holy Week or Passion Week, and in this Lenten study we will begin the story with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and follow the steps of Jesus to the cross and his subsequent resurrection.

In this final week, we will see the worst of humanity showing up as flawed and insecure people react to events and make decisions regarding Jesus. In contrast, we will also see the best and most complete expression of God’s amazing love, not just for the people in the first century, but for you and me!

Prayer

Dear God, please open our eyes to see the reality of what Jesus did on our behalf. Help us to set aside the time during this Lenten journey to slow down, to seek you, and get to know you better. Spirit of God, we’re inviting you to be our teacher and our guide. May the scriptures come alive to us in a fresh, new way. Thank you, Jesus, for who you are and all that you accomplished when you laid down your life for us and then gloriously triumphed over death.

Question

When you think of the journey of Jesus to the cross, what thoughts and feelings come to mind?