Why The Cross?

     Why the Cross?
     The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most central tenet and event of Christian belief that there is. It was horrifying and traumatizing when He was arrested and crucified, and there are no words for the overwhelming emotion when He rose from the dead. But why the Cross to begin with?
     The writings of the New Testament are explicit that Jesus Christ died for us. He died for our errors. Notice that these writings never say that Jesus died in our place, or that He took our place on the cross. This is a later, Reformation theological interpretation. But the New Testament is explicit that Jesus Christ died for our errors, and that He died for us. More than this, it says that He died for everyone, and in that He died for everyone, everyone died. Every human being died on the cross because Jesus Christ died on the cross. And, by the same logic, just as every human being died because Jesus Christ died on the cross, so also will every human being rise from the dead because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The New Testament says also that we were exchanged with God (this is the literal meaning of the Greek word “KATAΛΛACCΩ,” which means to change or exchange something, especially money) through the death of Jesus Christ, and if we were so exchanged with Him, how much more being exchanged will we be delivered with His being alive? And so the cross is the means by which we are exchanged with God, and His resurrection, that is, His life the means of being delivered.
     The Logos, God the Son, entangled Himself with all of humanity when He incarnated with Mariam's DNA as the human being, Jesus Christ. As a result, when He died all of humanity died with Him through that entanglement. When He rose from the dead, all of humanity rose with Him. These were non-linear events which, while occurring in linear time, through entanglement, impacted the entire human race, every human being who has ever existed or will exist, in a non-linear way. Thus, every single human being has been and is already joined to Him, and through Him, God the Father. This is true of all human beings born after Him, and retroactively all human beings born before Him. As a result, all human beings have access to the Spirit of Christ through this union whether they are aware of the mechanics of it or not. All the "equipment" so to speak is already there with every human being. One simply needs to become aware that said equipment is there in some fashion, and trust it enough to make use of it whether one fully understands all the mechanics or not (of course the better one understands it, the better use which can be made). Deliverance from one's inherited malfunction though submission to and cooperation with the Spirit of Christ has always been voluntary. Recognition and trust in one's union with God has always been voluntary, as has one's cooperation with that union. The union itself, however, we are all born with without exception because of the Cross.
     If this is true, then why baptism? Why any of the Sacraments? Baptism was and remains the outward sign of belief and trust that these things are true. While all the mechanics may already be in place, one must believe that they are there in order to make use of them. Baptism provides an initiation point, a focal point that publicly declares to oneself and all those observing that this person believes and trusts that these things are true. There is an intention of belief involved which then actualizes one’s personal inclusion into His death and resurrection for that person, and once that bridge has been crossed there is no real going back. One can deny it or ignore it, but once one has genuinely trusted that these things are true, one cannot “unbelieve” and return to a state of genuine agnosticism or ignorance. One knows that it is there, and can consciously choose to turn away from it. This is potentially true for other initiation rights of belief as well such as “praying the prayer,” altar calls, baptisms of the Spirit, and so on. But when it come down to it, one must intentionally believe that one has been made one with Christ, and through Him God, in some way in order to make use of that oneness in being delivered from one’s malfunctioning responses and behaviors, as I have previously written concerning. If one does not genuinely, even intentionally believe that they are one with God, they cannot make use of that fact. (Which itself is the reason why many of the “Spiritual Gifts” have all but ceased among many churches and congregations, because those congregations teach in the clear and total separation of God and “sinners;” and so these members don’t know about their union with Him, and are taught to be afraid of any such teaching.)
     Why the Cross? Because within eternity, union with Him was God’s immediate answer to our malfunction, and this was accomplished across time and space to impact every human being ever born through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.