Cross in the new sanctuary at
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Lake Mills, Wisconsin USA
As I travel in Lutheran circles, I am intrigued to see the different ways that the cross of Jesus is presented.
Very commonly the focal point of Lutheran churches is a crucifix—a cross with the body of Jesus represented as suffering and dying (the corpus). This was the practice among the earliest Lutherans, and it certainly fits with Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:23: “We preach Christ crucified.”
Many Lutheran churches have a bare cross, without any figure of Jesus. Some would say that the emptiness of the cross is a subtle testimony to Christ’s resurrection. Historians note that the bare cross was a common symbol in the Christian Church before the crucifix became popular.
A third possibility is the Christus Rex—a cross with a robed, triumphant Jesus. With this symbol, both the crucifixion and the resurrection can easily be taught.
No doubt we each may have our own personal preferences in this regard. My home church has a bare cross. In my college classroom I have hung a crucifix. I recently saw a beautiful Christus Rex in a new WELS church.
What we all can agree upon, however, is that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ together provide the indispensable and marvelous foundation of our Lutheran Christian faith. By his death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the world. By his resurrection, Jesus shows that the payment was accepted and that are ours are truly forgiven. The gospel necessarily includes both events.
Recall how Paul summarized the gospel: “What I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Whatever church calendar you are following, this is the time of year when we are commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in a special way. I pray that the good news of salvation in Jesus will resound in all the churches of the CELC, and that it will give hope and comfort to you and all who hear.
As for news in the CELC, the Planning Committee has established dates for the international convention planned for 2023 in South Korea. We expect to begin the first session on Friday, June 2, 2023 at 8:30 am. The convention will end with an excursion on Monday, June 5. Look for more information in the coming months. Of course, all of this is God willing, as disease and war are ongoing concerns in our world today.
God bless your Holy Week and Easter worship.
Thomas P. Nass
CELC President
