Why do Catholics portray Jesus on a cross, isn't he risen?
Some of my Evangelical friends think the only value of a crucifix is to ward off vampires. I find it interesting that mythology would intuitively know the significance of that symbol.
Yes, Jesus is risen and Catholics honour and pray to the risen Christ. He also died on a cross. On that cross he redeemed us, he suffered for us. Catholics feel this is extremely important. Catholics have no problem kneeling before the crucified Christ on the cross (Crucifix). It is there that he saved us.
I took this picture in Guatemala City during a song festival where I sang.
Most Evangelicals loved the movie "The Passion." It is based on the book "The Dolorous Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ" by the Anne Catherine Emmerich. She was a nun who lived from 1774-1824. (Download the book here). There is power in a personal encounter with Christ on the cross. Jesus conquered our sin on that cross. "Thank you Jesus for dying for us. Thank you Jesus for saving us."
An Evangelical friend of mine said:
Why do Catholics worship a cross? The cross was an awful instrument of torture. It is not something to be revered. You are making it an idol!
The first problem I see in that statement is that Catholics are not worshipping the cross, they are worshipping Jesus on the cross. Yes, the cross was an instrument of torture, but when united to the body of Christ it takes on a distinctly Christian connotation. That is part of the reason why Catholics portray Jesus on their cross. The cross gains its significance by Jesus' presence on it.
If anything would make the cross an idol, it would be removing Jesus from the cross.
Personally I have no problem with a cross with or without Jesus on it. I always love it and I loved that scene in the "Passion" where Christ embraced the cross, and the other prisoner said "look he embraces the cross." That is true, no one ever embraced a cross before Jesus, but since that fateful day many millions of faithful Christians have embraced the cross of Jesus.
I took this photo in Ottawa, Canada
Evangelicals also portray the crucified Christ in art. However, the art I am speaking about is music. How many great Evangelical songs vividly portray him on the cross. I say that is great. Catholics use visual art to honour Jesus on the cross and Evangelicals use audio art (music) to portray this most important event. Praise the Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, let Your prayer of unity for Christians
become a reality, in Your way
we have absolute confidence
that you can bring your people together
we give you absolute permission to move
Amen
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