Contemplating the Cross

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Contemplating the Cross

I have a very strange friend who is an orthodox priest. We like to hang out and eat East Indian food together—which is also a bit strange. It is not that my priest friend is weird or anything, he is just so different from me.  What makes him seem so strange is that his way of thinking is so different then mine.  However I would imagine, in his eyes, I must be the strange one–and considering what I do for a living I think he would win that argument.  Our paths are quite opposite as well, he started out as a word faith guy, then joined ywam, smuggling bibles into Russia, then the Four Square church movement, was involved around the fringes of the Vineyard, and then converted to Orthodoxy.  Me on the other hand, started out Mennonite Brethren, became a charismatic, ministered in the renewal movement, and then got involved in the Vineyard.  Opposite as night and day, yet we sit together eating Tandoori every week and drink Chi tea.

We were recently discussing why the Orthodox have Jesus portrayed in their icons (paintings of historic people and events) as being up on the cross. Growing up a Mennonite and then stepping into the Charismatic movement, that is not something that either group I have been involved in, do.  In fact, as I sat with my friend, an old charismatic statement I remember hearing was rolling through my mind “Our savior isn’t on the cross, He has risen!”  Which of course is a true statement. However the context of the statement was often the problem, as sometimes my charismatic friends would speak it when they talked about why the Catholics (and Orthodox by extension) have Christ up on their crosses. For some reason, while choking on a piece of naan bread, I decided to bring it up.

My Priest friend’s comments were once again, from a point of view I had not entirely considered. But I have spent some time pondering since.  From my point of view, as a protestant, when I think of the cross, I think of victory over sin, relationship restored with the Father, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.  Which are all incredibly significant aspects of the cross—the purpose in fact! To sum up I think about what was accomplished at the cross—what it did. But my Orthodox priest friend, in between bites of samosa, thoughtfully added, that we must stop and look at Jesus on the cross. The cross is not just about what Jesus accomplished (which the orthodox fully embrace btw), the cross also tells us about the nature of God—who God wants to be seen to be.  The Apostle Paul actually asks us to consider the same thing:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   Philippians 2:5-11

Take a look at verse seven again, “taking on the very nature of a servant,” my priest friend would say when we look at Jesus on the cross, what we are looking at is the very nature of God. This is how God displayed himself to the world, humble, a servant, displaying love when none was returned, carrying our sin, laying down his life, being willing to be misunderstood, abused and forsaken, for our sakes. That when we look at Jesus on the cross, it is in that moment of time, we understand why 1 John 4:8 says “God is love.”
As a charismatic, and especially as a minister, what Jesus “did” on the cross for me is often the most important (seemingly).  Therefore I “do” as well: I teach, I pray for people, I witness the power of Christ’s resurrection at work, and I enjoy it greatly. But I realize I sometimes make a mistake…in my application of what happened at the cross, it often becomes about what I can do because of the cross (I serve, I minister, I witness, etc.) but I can forget why I “do” it sometimes.  Because of what Jesus modeled about the nature of God on the cross, perfect love and forgiveness.

Therefore this is what I have resolved to do, and maybe you want to do it with me. When I get stuck, I don’t know the way forward, my head hurts, I am trying to navigate my way through life, I often first want to “do” something. Because of Jesus’ resurrection I want breakthrough, I want revelation, etc., I want to “do” something about the issue. And when it doesn’t happen right away, I have discovered another posture—a way to approach the cross. I need to just “be.” I think of Jesus on the cross, laying down His life for my sin, my friends, my family, and ministry.  And I spend some time just being in awe of the nature of God, “God is love,” and suddenly I realize it is all going to be ok. I don’t need to figure it all out, I just need to grasp the concept that Jesus doesn’t need me to succeed for Him, in a modern expression Jesus “took the bullet” meant for me. I am covered, loved–known. Jesus isn’t waiting for me to figure it out and get on with it. Jesus often just wants me to “be” with him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matt 11:28-29

The description Jesus gives of himself, why we should come to Him, is what we see Jesus display on the cross, and why, as a charismatic, I too sometimes stop and remember Jesus on the cross, and just be. And why, it is said, Christianity is sometimes compared to an old jazz song, “dobedobedo.”   Do, be, do, be, do, be, do.  We need to both learn to do for the Lord because of what He did on the cross. And we need to come to the Lord and just “be” because of the love and friendship Jesus modeled to us while on the cross.
And I am sure that some of you are pondering something completely different; is talking about theology over butter chicken good for the digestion? That is a mystery I am still working on.

One thought on “Contemplating the Cross

  1. Kim

    Oh the cross….
    I have recently been faced with the same icon of Jesus on the cross….
    It rattled my belief system just a little….
    But then a strange thing happened as I stood for 90 minutes and gazed upon this picture of Jesus on the cross…. Allowing myself to let go of my own ideas and just contemplate the fact that He did die like that…My heart litterally became overwhelmed by His amazing love. What an amazing love was displayed upon that cross while Christ willingly hung there. I finally began to grasp, in some small way, the words “no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friend”. I left that service, (and the icon of Jesus hanging on the cross), more aware of the depth and width and breadth of His amazing love and days later realized that I am changed in the face of that love.

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