“Lift High the Cross” of Easter
In the Easter candy section of some stores, Kim and I were pleased to find chocolate Easter crosses prominently displayed amidst all the bunnies, chicks and jellybeans! As a child, I recall receiving such a cross once or twice in my Easter basket, but I have not seen them sold for years.
Apparently, some candy-maker has wisely recognized that the cross remains the essential symbol of Easter and has re-introduced this item. Whatever the manufacturer’s motivations (it would be nice to think they include the spiritual as well as the commercial), a valuable service is being rendered to Christians. The cross of Jesus Christ, the central symbol of Easter, is being brought to the attention of the world in yet another way.
Many of us tend to think of the cross as a symbol of death rather resurrection. Indeed, in first century Roman society the cross was a brutal symbol of a slow, horrible death. Jesus embraced this dreaded form of suffering on our behalf on the first Good Friday. But, on that first Easter, the meaning of the cross was forever transformed. The empty cross, like the empty tomb, became a symbol of eternal life – of victory of Christ over sin and death. Today, churches around the world are adorned by crosses of all designs and sizes. That is because the cross is no longer a fearful symbol of death. Now it is a joyous sign of life – the eternal life that is yours and mine through our faith in the Risen Lord Jesus.
At Holy Baptism, in some traditions, the forehead of each believer is marked with the sign of the cross. This reminds us that we Christians are called to make our lives a testament to the power and joy of the cross. In the words of the magnificent hymn “Lift High the Cross”:
“Each newborn servant
of the crucified
Bears on the brow the seal
of Him who died.”
Chocolate crosses may seem a little ‘hokey’ to some of you, but I think they have their place in a child’s Easter – and an important place it is. Thus, Kim and I have asked our friend the Easter bunny to please bring a chocolate cross to our grandson this year. Perhaps, the Easter bunny will bring some to your house, too. If so, you will have another reminder that the cross of Jesus is a sign not of death – but life and joy! A blessed and happy Easter to you and yours!
Pastor Ken
