2-minute read
Hi friends,
Have you ever thought about how weird it is that we wear crosses as jewelry?
I say this as someone who has a cross necklace.
Seriously, imagine someone from ancient Rome seeing a cross on a silver chain.
They’d probably be horrified, because, to them, the cross wasn’t a fashion statement—it was a death sentence.
But that’s the thing about Christianity, isn’t it?
It flips the script on everything.
Take crucifixion, for example.
The Romans didn’t just kill people with it—they humiliated them.
It was public, shameful, and absolutely horrific.
And yet, the cross is now the universal symbol of redemption.
In the Roman world, the cross was a spectacle of disgrace.
You didn’t even talk about it if you could avoid it.
It’s where we got the word “excruciating.”
It was so vile that Cicero, a famous Roman orator, said the very word crux was too harsh for polite conversation.
And yet, Jesus chose it.
He didn’t just accept the humiliation—He embraced it.
Why?
Paul puts it perfectly: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
To the Romans, a crucified savior was laughable.
To the Jews, it was scandalous.
But to Christians?
It’s everything.
Fast-forward a few centuries.
The cross, once the epitome of shame, became a symbol of triumph.
By the time of Emperor Constantine, it wasn’t just acceptable—it was revered.
He banned Crucifixions.
But artists started carving it into ivory and painting it in gold.
Jesus didn’t sidestep suffering—He conquered it, and in doing so, He turned the greatest humiliation into the greatest glory.
Isn’t that how God works in our lives, too?
The very things we think disqualify us—the mess, the pain, the shame—can become the places where His power shows up the most.
So, What About You?
What parts of your life feel too messy or broken for God to redeem?
Maybe it’s a relationship that feels beyond repair, or a mistake you can’t seem to move past.
If God can take a Roman execution device and turn it into the most recognized symbol of hope in the world, He can absolutely redeem you.
The cross reminds us that:
God meets us in our mess. There’s no situation too far gone for Him to step into.
Our weaknesses aren’t the end. They’re often where God does His best work.
True power is found in surrender. Jesus didn’t win by force but through sacrifice.
Maybe spend a little time this week reflecting on Philippians 2:5-11.
It’s one of my favorite passages, where Paul talks about Jesus humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross and being exalted above all.
What might it look like for you to live out that humility and trust in your own life?
What might God want to redeem in your life?
Until next time,
-Nils