The Way of the Cross

In Christianity, the symbol of the cross of Jesus Christ or Yeshua the Messiah is everywhere: on church steeples, in churches, on gravestones, hanging from the review mirror of cars, tattooed onto people’s bodies, hanging around the necks of millions of Christians worldwide, behind church pulpits and in countless other places. Moreover, the cross is mentioned from pulpits the world over again and again. But one message concerning the cross is not popular and hardly ever mentioned: it is “the way of the cross.” What is the way of the cross?

 The way of the cross is not a popular message. In fact, it might even turn a lot of potential Christians off to the message of the gospel. For example, a popular Christian evangelistic tract starts out with the following words: “Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” While this is certainly true, it is not the whole story about the Christian walk. Yeshua never made such a statement to his disciples, for, in a sense, to do so would have constituted a form of false advertising. A bait and switch tactic. Following Yeshua is not easy; rather, it is a rigorous against many adversaries and is full of difficulties. No. Yeshua’s message to his disciples upon calling and then commissioning them was slightly, no radically different, than what contemporary Christianity typically promotes to new converts. By contrast, Yeshua declared,

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! (Matt 10:16–25)

Yeshua was a realist who was not known for sugarcoating the hard facts of the truth, and as if to make following him even less palatable, we then went on to say,

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’; and ‘A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matt 10:34–39)

The way of the cross is the way of Yeshua, the way of suffering, death, sorrow, persecution, rejection, grief and tribulation. It is a path that is necessary to walk if one is going to follow him, how to be his true disciple and to receive unimaginable rewards in the life to come. The way of the cross, like so many other aspects of Yeshua teachings was radical and life-changing. In fact, it often involves doing the opposite of what most humans want to do. Heaven’s way of doing things is almost always contrary to man’s way. In the kingdom of Elohim, for example, the way down is the way up. Thus, to embrace the cross is to walk in the footsteps of Yeshua the Messiah. In fact, it is the duty and destiny of his disciples to learn (this does not come automatically or naturally!) to enjoy the ride downward in anticipation of glorious future trek upward into the presence of our Father in heaven. What does this really mean? Yeshua set us the example to follow.

Let this mind be in you which was also in the Messiah Jesus, who, being in the form of Elohim, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore Elohim also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord, to the glory of Elohim the Father. (Phil 2:5–8)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. (Heb 12:1–4)

The Way of the Cross Brings Heaven and Earth Together

The cross was a unique way of death and emblematic of what followers of Yeshua must go through in order to be reconciled to YHVH Elohim through the death of Yeshua on the cross. The cross as a means of death is highly metaphorical and symbolic of much. It suspended between heaven and earth like a bridge for man to walk on to reach Elohim in heaven. The vertical of heaven and horizontal of earth are brought together in the cross’ literal configuration, for Yeshua the Messiah as the central figure on the cross was the nexus or connecting point between the earth and heaven.

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