A cross is a large, long piece of wood that people place into the ground. This piece of wood is much larger and longer than a human. A cross also has another large piece of wood that is attached to the other piece of wood. It is attached in a way that makes the shape of a “t,” “T,”or “x.” That is, the “t,” “T,”or “x” in the Latin alphabet.
During the Roman Empire, the Roman government killed criminals by tying or nailing them to a cross. The criminals stayed on the cross until they died from losing too much blood and not being able to breathe. The word cross in the Bible means a physical cross.
“Cross” can also be a metaphor. This metaphor is used to talk about Jesus’ death and the ways that his death cause people to be at peace with God.
The Romans killed Jesus on a cross. The Jewish leaders said that Jesus did things to disobey the law of Moses. Jesus did not actually do these things, but the Jewish leaders wanted to the Romans to crucify him.
In addition to Jesus’ physical death, the word cross is also used to talk about all things Jesus’ death means. The law of Moses said that anyone hung on a tree is cursed (see: Deuteronomy 21:23). Jesus himself was not cursed, but humanity was cursed because of sin. Jesus was punished for all people because all people deserved to die because of their sinning. But Jesus died instead of all people. He took the punishment for sinning from all the people who believe in him (see: Galatians 3:13; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24).
For people who do not believe in Jesus, the cross is shame and defeat for the person hung on the cross. It was shameful because the person was said to be a criminal and was hung naked for all to see him. Crucifixion was the most shameful death for a person during this time. People who do not believe in Jesus think that Jesus dying on a cross to save people from being punished for their sin is foolish (see: 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23; Philippians 3:1). Paul taught that God uses what people think is foolish to do what he needs to do. God wanted to shame people who thought they were wise. Also, he wanted to use what no one would have thought possible to save people from the punishment of sin (see: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31). For the people who believe in Jesus, the cross is God’s power to save people from being punished for their sinning. It is also God’s defeat of evil (see: 1 Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 2:15). Therefore, those who believe in Jesus do not need to be prideful about what God did for them through Jesus’ death on a cross (see: Galatians 6:14).
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