The Crux of the Matter September 2, 2013
Surveystell us that the tall sweep of McDonalds’ golden arches is the most recognizedlogo in the world. Another is the smooth curve of Nike’s fattened checkmark,aka “the swoosh.” Fast rising to the elite level of these two is that alluringsilver piece of fruit with a single leaf and a missing bite. And then there’sthe iconic five interlocking rings of the Olympics, each a different color withthree above and two below.
What is theuniversal symbol—i.e., the logo—of the Christian faith? There might be severaloptions. Perhaps you think of the ichthys, i.e., the fish, which originated asan acronym (in Greek) for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” Or maybe the dove,symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Or perhaps bread and wine, the elements ofcommunion, which are themselves symbols for the body and blood of Jesus.Certainly the steeple is a well-known symbol which marks out certain buildingsas places of Christian worship.
All ofthese are fitting and important, but none can rival or replace the cross. Thecross is the central Christian symbol. Why? Quite simply, withoutthe cross, there is no Christianity. It is the crux of our faith, the crucialelement. In fact, these two words—“crux” and “crucial”—both mean central,critical, vital; and both derive from the Latin stem for “cross.” These twowords have come over into English with their current meaning because theconcept of the cross is, to Christianity at least, central, at the very core,of the essence.
This shouldbe no surprise to us if we’ve read our Bible with any attention to detail. “Idelivered to you,” Paul wrote, “as of first importance what I also received:that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he wasburied, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”Note the priority: “as of first importance.” Nothing greater. Nothing prior.
The crossis central to our faith. But is it central to our reputation? Is it evencentral to our lives? Is it the thing we are best known for, the message wemost often repeat, the theme that’s most frequently on our mind? People theworld over see that shiny yellow “M” and immediately think “Hamburgers!” Whatwould it take for them to see a Christian (you!) and involuntarily think “Ohyeah – Christ died for our sins”?