The Cross of Christ remains even after the glory of Easter's resurrection

The large ten-foot cross was deeply planted in the front of the church. Not much different than other churches in the community.

The cross was draped with the traditional purple cloth during the weeks of Lent. Not much different than other churches in the community.

On Good Friday the black material was hung over the arms of the cross and would remain there until early Sunday morning. Not much different than other churches in the community.

Then, come Easter morning and the black was replaced by the White drape in preparation for the soon to be gathering congregation and in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Not much different than other churches in the community.

Our church was slightly different from that point on since we left the cross with the white material in front of the church all through the 40-days of the season of Easter. A number of the members of the church would ask, “When are we going to take down the cross? We’re not Catholic or Episcopal.” Those were the two denominations in our city whose churches left the draped cross in their front lawns.

That is an interesting question isn’t it … When are we going to take down the cross? We are done with it. Time to move on. Let’s put it away for another year. It makes us uncomfortable. Let’s wrap it up soon and move on. Aren’t we dragging on this “cross thing” to long? It is a little tacky to still have it sitting there, much like leaving the Christmas lights on the house well into February.

There is something inside of us that causes us pause when we view the cross. It is better to make it a little trinket that we hang around our necks. Or, cover it with gold and place it on our altars. Or, carry a little silver one around in our pockets ... but, a large wooden cross in the front lawn of our church, something that we have to pass every Sunday to get to the sanctuary?

It seems to this old preacher that most of us would prefer the resurrection without the crucifixion. The empty tomb without the cross. Easter morning without Good Friday.

And yet, the cross remains, as the saying goes … as God’s plus sign in the face of our sin and rebellion. We cannot have the celebration without the sacrifice. There is no covenant with the shedding of blood. There is no Sunrise on Easter morning without the blackness and thunder of the six hours on Friday.

And so the Cross of Christ stood there for all of the 40-days of the Easter season draped in the white material of resurrection morning. We began to come to grips with its reality. It cast a large shadow across our lives. It helped us to understand the power of the Resurrection.

Quote for today: All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning. ~Oswald Chambers