Free Christian Illustration: Cross of the Christian Faith

Free Artwork: Cross of the Christian Faith

The cross on which Jesus died for the sins of the world was likely a very crude death machine made of of two pieces of rough timber. There was no point in decorating the thing. It was used because it was easy to build, portable and cheap. During the first century, the Romans made heavy use of this device, but it had already been around a long time.

The base and arms of a cross did not need to be straight. It didn't matter how the cross beam was positioned, exactly, so crosses probably varied quite a bit in their appearance. The idea was to stretch out a human body, to make a gruesome spectacle of the death and to add the element of torture. For Rome, the cross stood as a tangible warning as much as a means of execution. It was a sign, a billboard, an instrument of propaganda that said: Do not defy Rome. In the years when Rome occupied Palestine, thousands of crosses sometimes lined public roads in and out of the cities.

Jesus Christ was not a political prisoner. Nothing in His message or actions defied or threatened Rome. Pontius Pilate, the Roman official assigned to govern Judea publically declared that he could bring no criminal charges against Jesus. But religious leaders wanted to be rid of Jesus of Nazareth. They were jealous of His popularity and envious of His ability to influence the people. They put pressure on Pilate until he agreed to have Jesus executed. What they did not foresee was the resurrection of Christ. When Jesus conquered death and proved Himself alive to His followers, the murder was eclipsed by the miracle.

Today we use the cross as a symbol, not of death or suffering but of life. We show the sign of the cross on our Christian churches, on the covers of hymnals and Bibles, in pictures, paintings, in jewelry, and in countless other ways. The whole world recognizes the cross as a symbol for faith in Jesus and as a sign of eternal life.

In our modern depictions, the cross is often perfectly proportioned, balanced, straight and in light colors, such as gold or white or yellow. We use the emblem to indicate hope and faith, not despair or death or defeat. Since the days of Constantine, the cross has been carried in battle, painted on shields, woven into flags, and used to represent not only the Christian church but entire nations and empires.

The above picture of a cross is an example of our modern day usage. It shows a highly stylized and simplified cross, a symbol only and not a realistic image of the actual cross on which Jesus died. No one today really knows exactly what that cross looked like. We only know that Jesus suffered and died on Roman cross for the sins of humanity. He bled and died for sinners, as He said He would, the innocent for the guilty, the clean for the unclean, the just for the unjust.

Jesus always knew He would die and how He would die. He willingly gave His life for sinners like you and me. He knew you before you were born, and He took your sins to the cross so that you would have the opportunity to live with Him in eternity, after this world is long gone.

To learn more about how and why Jesus died, read the New Testament portion of the Holy Bible. The Old Testament also has a lot to say about Jesus' death and resurrection, but it will be much clearer to you after reading the New Testament, where much is explained.

Jim Sutton

The graphic above may be freely used by Christian churches, domestic and foreign faith missions, Sunday schools, VBS and other Bible study leaders, and individual believers actively involved in non-profit personal or group ministry. It may not be used commercially without written consent of the artist and publisher of this site.

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