The Stauros of Yeshua – John Young

On a hill far away stood an Old Rugged Cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain…

What is this Old Rugged Cross we sing of…?

The cross is generally recognized worldwide and symbolized in many forms; hung ornamentation upon churches, visible in various jewelry we wear, displayed throughout our homes, even markers along roadsides. So does the cross bear any important significance? For some, the Cross is an image that is difficult to think of because it is understood in relation to the horrific punishment known as crucifixion…more specifically -The Crucifixion.

Unfortunately, to understand crucifixion as practiced in the ancient world we must include some pointed, even disturbing facts related to (1) the act itself, (2) the effect on the condemned victim, and (3) the way it affected the surrounding cultures when such punishment was imposed and on display. Each part holds significant impact and consequence, yet when understood as a whole, it evokes abhorrent thoughts nothing less than the indescribable. To the Jewish people of Biblical times, the cross symbolized just that – a lingering, violent, and degrading death, associated only with the worst of those who were condemned. It was barbaric and cursed by God.

In the Greek, the word for “cross” is stauros, literarily meaning an upright, pointed stake. Mainly traced back to the early pagan practices of Persians, Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and the perfecting Romans, it was designed to punish through a lengthy period of torture, usually long-lasting, before a much welcomed death. At its basics, crucifixion involved hoisting and either nailing or roping the condemned upon a pole or natural tree, thus exposing the individual to public view and mockery. It’s been noted that Roman executioners had perfected the art of slow torture while keeping the victim alive. Most hung on the cross for days before dying. The images become unspeakable and beyond imagination.

The effect on the condemned victim was usually predicated on the various levels of beatings undertaken prior to the hanging itself. In case of Roman soldiers and their reputations, beating rituals were ambitiously administered to the likings that cannot be described. Flesh was torn both back and front, muscles frayed from bone, and the endless flowing of blood. Once hung upon the cross, arms were stretched to the side leaving the victim having to raise their body upward (via the legs also nailed or roped to the cross) in order to fill their lungs with air. Thus, moving up and down with an open and flesh-torn back, rubbing on wood, inflicted the most excruciating pain – simply to take a breath. Commonly misportrayed, crosses were in fact placed low to the ground and usually at the main entrances to the city with victims rarely clothed. Its announcement of warning to new arrivals that was unavoidable and piercingly effective.

Among the Jews, crucifixion carried an additional problem specifically regarding Jesus Christ and His work upon the Cross – the thought of a crucified Messiah. Here again is another issue to the Jewish acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. Looking to the Torah, Yĕhovah amar Mosheh (And the Lord said unto Moses)

“…For anyone who is hung (on a tree) is cursed in the sight of God.”
Deuteronomy 21:23

This was completely contradictory to accepting Jesus as Messiah. Consistently troubling the many unbelieving Jews at the time, the Torah “clearly” established the Law while Jesus taught something that appeared contrary. Yet Jesus addressed this by declaring, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). Paul further explains, “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown…

So why do we cherish this Old Rugged Cross?

Jesus himself accepted all things unto Him. While the O.T. sacrificial system demanded blood in forgiveness of sin, man himself could not attain such forgiveness under the Law. The sacrificial system God put in place was foreshadowing the ultimate ransom He would require through His Son. Only the Dearest and Best was able to fulfill this substitutionary atonement for mankind, for He was pure and of no sin (Rom. 3:25-26). Since Jesus interceded and became the sacrificial Lamb, we hold its imagery in this regard as something we should cherish. This is our Cross of refuge, hope, and ultimate salvation.

Jesus was clear in the teaching of not only what would be required of all disciples, but also what was lying ahead for Himself. He described the process of an individual dying to oneself if they were to truly follow Him. Jesus said, “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine” (Matt. 10:38; 16:21,24). This phraseology not worthy of being Mine describes those who are not willing to fully follow Christ, usually because it means the shuffling of our most important relationships (i.e. forsaking our spouse, parents, children, and others for Christ first). While He was abandoned to death, we too are to be willing to forsake-it-all for the glory of His name.

It was only a few years prior to the mention of the word “cross” by Jesus during His teachings that the Romans suppressed a local riot that ultimately ended in devastating consequence. This rebellion was swiftly crushed with the ordered crucifixion of over 2,000 Jews and was visibly marked by the roads of Galilee being lined from end to end with its hung victims. Clearly, no one within the time period, and certainly no one within the surrounding biblical land, would have mistaken Jesus’ pointed reference in this regard. It was too fresh in the minds of the Jewish community to be mistaken for anything else.
The impact of crucifixion was pretty substantial in its warnings and the way it impacted public perception. Imagine being sent forth to deliver a message of “hope” requiring total devotion of oneself and the understanding that bearing one’s cross was utmost in its process; it is now a requisite to discipleship. Consequently, the jury pool was thereby tainted with horrifying imagery and the promise of persecution, even to the point of death by the cross. The Talmidim was surely challenged to undertake the Great Commission in this regard.

Jesus did not mean for the Cross to be revered in the context that we sometimes place it in, especially today. The Cross we adore now is indeed reflective of His ultimate love through sacrifice, yet as spoken of during His time, it was still future forthcoming. Thus, we need to understand He meant it as the imagery of sacrifice and persecution that is to be expected of one who is truly worthy to follow Him. Jesus would not ask us to endure something He himself would not face.

His work on the Cross was volitional, our obedience to follow His ways is mandatory…