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April 8, 1992...The Portland ()bserver...Page 7
Portland Observer
Scripture o f the Wkefi
RELIGION
Matthew, Chapter 7
Insight on the Word: When You Look at the Cross, What Do You See?
BY MICHAEL LINDSEY
Dean, North Portland Bible College
These weekly columns are based
on the International Sunday School
Lesson, used by churches in many de
nominations. We are presently survey
ing incidents in the life o f Christ from
the Gospel o f Mark. Today's text is
M ark 15:22-28.
In modern times we use crosses
almost everyw here, especially as jew
elry. Crosses com e in many shapes and
sizes and designs, each with its own
history. And thccrosses are often richly
adorned with gold and gems, so that
they are quite beautiful and appealing.
But that was not so in Jesus’ time.
The cross was an instrument of public
torture and humiliation, the worstmeans
o f execution used by the Roman sol
diers. Crucifixion so appalled even the
Romans that a Roman citizen could
never be executed on a cross. As I noted
in an earlier colum n, Jesus’ require
ment that his disciples “ take up their
cross, and follow m e” was a serious call
to suffering and death.
So how on earth did the cross so
totally change its symbolic value? Per
haps it seems trite to say this, but it is
still true: by his death Jesus trans
formed the cross from a symbol of
suffering and rejection into a symbol of
new life and reconciliation with God.
The early Christians had other symbols
for various truths of their faith, such as
the fish, the dove, or the butterfly. But
the cross demonstrated best the neces
■
a n a i
sity for new life to come out ol death,
particularly the atoning death of the Sav
ior.
We would do well as we approach
the annual celebration o f the Resurrec
tion, to move back in time and observe
the effects of the cross o f Jesus on those
around him, and to exam ine our own
hearts carefully.
First we can watch the Roman sol-
dierscharged with carrying out the grisly
execution. These battle-hardened men
had little respect for the troublesome
Jews, who always seemed to be stirring
up some little trouble. The soldiers
received their victim from Pilate (Mark
15:15), and all got together in the Roman
palace, next to their garrison, to have
some cruel fun at Jesus’ expense. They
pretended to honor him as a king, while
they were savagely beating him, and
culling his skin with a crown made ol
thorn briars (15:16-20). They finally led
him out to G olgotha, where they com
pleted their task. [Notice how the Gospel
writers share no details of the actual
crucifixion; they pass over the Lord’s
agony in reverent silence.]
W hile they watched the condemned
men on their crosses, the soldiers take
Jesus’ clothes, his only earthly posses
sions, and divided them into separate
piles, one for each soldier on watch.
The “casting lots upon them” was their
simple form of gambling, to see who got
which garment.
D idn’t they know how important
this Man was, whose garments they di
.
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i
vided among themselves? Didn’t they
see how nobly he accepted their taunts
and beatings? No, most of them quickly
forgot who he was, and focused on the
little bits of clothing they could rightly
claim for themselves.
So it is today. Every year the
churches call our people to recognize
the marvel o f Jesus’ love, which led
him to die for our sins, to “ redeem us
from the curse o f the Law.” And we
ought to rejoice in the victory which is
the Resurrection! Instead, many focus
their attention on the new “garm ents”
people are wearing to church, or the fun
and games of bunny rabbits and egg
hunts. Though Jesus hangs on the cross
before them, pouring out his life for
them, they arc too busy to look up to
him.
There were plenty of people just
passing by; cruc i fix ion was supposed to
be a public deterrent, after all. Many of
these same people had cried “H osanna”
at Jesus’ entrance less than a week
before. But now they mocked him,
throwing in his face his claim that he
would destroy the temple, and in three
days rebuild it (15:29-30). They did not
understand the Almighty Power hang
ing before them, nor the fulfillment of
those very words in his death and resur
rection.
So many people around us today, if
they stop and think about Jesus at all,
have the same attitude as these Palestin
ians and Jews around the cross. Are you
one of them? Do you look at the life of
Jesus, and see someone powerless to
influence and give purpose to your life
today? Is he irrelevant, or a joke? If you
think that way, I’m glad you’ve read
this article so far.
Before you dismiss Jesus’ death so
lighdy,carefully reconsider. Thepeople
who “railed on him ” have disappeared
from the pages o f history. Jesus’ mes
sage of hope and new life, o f rcconcil -
ation with God, has spread to all com ets
of the globe. If you haven’t found ti e
answers to life, you haven’t really trit d
Jesus Christ. His life transforms drug
addicts and drunks into responsible
adults and happy parents. His love
heals the wounds caused by abuse, ne
glect, poverty and dispair. Try Jesus!
Standing back a little from the
crosses and the roadway, we can sec
some of the “chief priests” and scribes
(15:31-32). They didn’t want to con
taminate themselves in the midst o f the
Passover celebration, but they just had
to sec their adversary’s death, the suc
cessful conclusion of their schemes.
The words recorded here indicate they
were having a great time, ridiculing
Jesus (among themselves, o f course),
calling him “Christ the King of Israel,”
saying “he saved others; him self he
cannot save.”
They didn’t believe a word o f it,
though they might have been uneasy as
they recalled the powerful healings he’d
performed, the demon-possessed he had
rescued, even Lazarus whom he had
just raised from the dead. Perhaps their
fears were calm ed as they saw Jesus
helpless, dying before their very eyes.
Many have followed in the path of
these religious leaders. The history o f
the church contains the accounts o f many
skepticsand false religious teachers who
have confidently claim ed the demise o f
the Christian faith. Voltaire often pro
claimed the end of Christian faith in his
own lifetime; he’s been dead over 150
years. Thomas Huxley, the great biolo
gist and champion o f evolution in the
late 1800’s, publicly taught that D arw in’s
theories o f evolution would make the
Bible a forgotten book by the end o f this
century.
Obviously they were mistaken. Jesus
Christ, and the Book which presents him
to humanity, have proven invincible
against the attacks o f atheists, agnostics,
culls, and various world religions. Sure,
lots of people today still ridicule Christ,
the cross, and the Christian faith. And
many will tell you it is intellectual sui
cide to defend that ancient creed in the
modem world, given our advances in
knowledge, technology, and cultural in
teraction. But Christianity has always
been mocked and ridiculed; that’s noth
ing “m odem .” And yet somehow its
truth continues to attract people from all
walks o f life, and from hundreds of
ethnic groups worldwide.
L et’s take one final look at the scene
before the cross. W e sec one lonely
soldier, a centurion (like a master ser
geant in today’s arm y), overseeing yet
another crucifixion in Jerusalem. This
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Jesus Loves You!
Allen Temp le C M E C k urck
Psalm 34:3
4236 NE Eighth Avenue
(corner of 8th £ Skidmore)
Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 287-0261
Birth Announcement
10th Annual women
Fellowship
The Christ M emorial D epartment
o f W omen Affairs will sponsor its 10th
Annual women Fellowship and Sem i
nar on April 22 thru 26, (W ed.-Fri.) at
7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.-
3:00 p.m., and Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Location: 1552 N. Killingsworth
and The B estW estem Coliseum Inn, 19
N. W eidler, Portland.
Please contact Marlene W ooten
for further information at 284-9665.
t
Phillip S. Nelson Pastor
time the officer was drawn to the M an
on the middle cross, the one labelled
“ King o f the Jew s” by Pilate. Very
funny. He couldn’t get over the calm
com posure in the midst o f agony; this
Jesus never lost consciousness before he
died— he was able to cry out in a loud
voice, even as he “gave up the ghost”
(15:37). [This expression in the original
is simply “expired, died.” N o com m ent
on Jesus’ spirit is implied in the choice
of words.]
The soldier’s com m ent has becom e
a ringing affirmation o f faith through
the centuries: “Truly this man was the
Son of G od.” From a pagan Rom an, this
probably meant that Jesus was a divine
man or deified hero, like Hercules. But
even so, the centurion was the one man
? involved in the crucifixion who took an
honest look at Jesus— and his response
was more truthful than he even knew.
According to ancient and reliable
tradition, this centurion becam e a fo l
lower of the risen Jesus C h n st through
the witness of Joseph o f A rim athea
(15:43). The soldier was later tran s
ferred to Britain, and Joseph w ent w ith
him, establishing one of the first C h ris
tian congregations in m odern-day E n
gland.
W hen you look at the cross today,
do you see a defeated m artyr? A w on
derful, though m isunderstood, teacher?
Or a fool on the hill? Like the Rom an
soldier, may you see Jesus the Christ,
willingly giving his life aw ay, that we
might have new life in him.
Denise C. and M ark A Johnson o f
Portland are the proud paren ts o f Alesha
Marie Johnson, bom 3-25-92 at 1:07
a.m., Alesha w as 19.5 inches long and
weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. at birth.
Alesha has a none year old brother,
Terrance M itchel.l and grandparents
Norma and A1 Brown here in Portland.
M a llo ry Avenue Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
126 N.6. Alberta
Portland, OA 97211
(503) 288-5173
?
Denise fl. Sell, Pastor
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EASTER BREAKFAST
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MALLORY AVENUE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, O regon 97203
CHURCH OF GOD
1601 N.E. KILLINGSVORTH
Church Pho.ie: 289-0147
PASTOR: MARCUS IRVING
M allory
C hurch of C hrist
NE M A L L O R Y
SUNDAY - APRIL 19, 1992
Study Phone: 289-1911
Sunday Service
10:45
Sunday School
9:30
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6:00
Evening Service
7:00 P.M.
Spring Term
March 30 - June 12,
North Portland Bible College
3908
126 N.E. ALBERTA
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COSTS :
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SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES FOR ALL AGES (CHILDREN AND ADULTS)
Pastor. Rev. James C E Faulkner
Theme: Whatever you're going to do
lo r the Lord, do it now
AVENUE
I P e t e r h r .il
Bible Study
9:30 am .
Morning Worship
10:45 am .
Men's Training Leadership
FU N ERA L
W om en’s Bible Class
5:00 pm.
D IR E C T O R S
Evening Worship
Family Owned and Operated
Since 1954
Serving the City of Portland
for over 37 years
In your hour o f need
Vann &Vann are there to serve
6:00 pm.
Attended nursery for all
services
Wednesday prayer meeting
Minister Gregory Fobbs
Radio Ministry tach Sunday, 11:00 AM - KBMS
Cleodus Vann
288-1092
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WORSHIP SERVICE
PROCEEDS FROM THE BREAKFAST GO TO BENEFIT
THE YOUTH CAMPSHIPS FOR OUR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS
5211 N. W illia m s P o rtlan d , Or. 97217
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MT OLIVET
B aptist C hurch
Has moved Sunday services to
Stone Tower Church,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30th
Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
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10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00 a.m. on KBMS
A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry
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503/281 -2836
RESTORING
NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY
.
11:00 A.M.
CALL VI AT 288-5173 FOR RESERVATIONS
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
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8:00 - 9:30 A.M.
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Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler St.
(503) 284-1954