The Cross and Beyond

[HKHaugan]

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”---Mt.16:24

There is no configuration of lines, figures or symbols that embraces existence like the Cross. It points to two realities, the seen and the unseen. What we take in with our eyes is the horizontal dimension of the physical universe in all its grandeur, the cross beam. What we take in with our hearts is from the unseen, that which motivates us, the values we use to move in what is seen, everything spiritual, the vertical beam. In both a glory is revealed that gives us the foundation for all thought and behavior. The first brings us to the conclusion that it is awesome in its created immensity and infinite detail. The second indicates the Creator’s mind behind it. Where the two converge brings us to the heart of God and also to the hearts of the images and likenesses of God called man. What we see in the Cross of Christ is the focal pint of all existence, the heart of God’s grace and love given to restore the hearts of all people and make them one in and with Him.

It is impossible to see a highway crossing, a fence post and its wires, railroad ties and the rails, telephone poles and wires, window frames, trees and their branches and many other such intersecting objects without seeing a cross. There is no sunrise or sunset without the vertical line of the sun crossing the horizon. You see the Crucifixion in the setting of the sun and the Resurrection in its rising.

And when you consider the reality of relationships, nations, contracts and how we live within them, there are the horizontal and vertical concepts behind them. All of our social contracts from nations to families carry a cross. The way they are constructed is horizontal, framed to accommodate living horizontally. The qualities that govern them are looked up to and agreed ‘up’on vertically.

The most obvious thing is the way people relate. Each individual may have their own ideas about what should be communicated and how, but each places a common agreement above them in order to live together. Behavior (horizontal) is always governed by a value (vertical). Law is determined by the value that begets it. Paul expresses this beautifully in Php.4:8, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things.”

The Cross does four things:

First, it points up to God; His mind, His heart, His Spirit, His love, His grace, His Word, His Kingdom, His glory and His perfect eternity.

Second, planted in the earth, it points down to man’s sin, the devil who introduced it and the final resting place for evil, the evil one, his darkness, his spirits, all that he represents and what had to be done to defeat them.

Third, it’s horizontal beam points sideways in two directions showing the extent of His reach over the universe and the people He created. Further, it shows how His reach extends across every generation of people from the beginning on into the future until Jesus returns.

Fourth, the intersection of the Cross, where the two beams cross each other, is its focal point. It is what makes it the Cross. It is no coincidence that God chose this symbol, this dimensional intersect, this all-inclusive figure, to have Him who is His Son, hang upon it, His heart in the middle where the two beams converge. And it was in His heart that Jesus, loving His Father, faithful to His Father and obedient to His Father, chose to submit to the agony of the Cross for our sake. It is His heart open for all to see, urging His head upwards, directing His eyes above to the Father. It was His heart that accepted His feet to be nailed to the beam on the ground and His hands nailed outstretched to include all sinners. The very immobility of the position the devil and the world thought would humiliate Him, eliminate Him and destroy any future following of Him, became the symbol of the restoration plan for all humanity.

The Cross is the way to recovery God has chosen for each of us. His Cross was the physical sacrifice of His body to show a spiritual truth, Jesus is God the Son. His Resurrection proved He was right. Only God the Son could be a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the spiritual death sentence due every human being for sin. In Lev.17:11 God says, “For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. For it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

God the Son chose to be that sacrifice in our place because He is the only One who knew when, where and how it had to be done to redeem fallen human nature spiritually. His spiritual/physical sacrifice set the tone for our heart and who we trust to direct our physical lives. Jesus chose spiritually to be obedient physically. When the Holy Spirit resurrected Jesus that was the moment we were given our freedom to experience that Resurrection not only at the end of our lives but whenever we choose to let Jesus be Lord of our lives. Now perhaps, we can glimpse why Jesus would tell us to take up our Cross and follow Him. When we begin to see and live life spiritually, everything else falls into place. Pray today, it's Friday, but Sunday's coming!