The Cross: Crucified with Christ and Christ Alive in Me

What do you think and feel about the cross of Christ? You live in a Christian land. You probably attend the worship of a Christian church. You have perhaps been baptized in the name of Christ. You profess and call yourself a Christian. All this is well; it is more than can be said of millions in the world. But all this is no answer to my question, "What do you think and feel about the cross of Christ?"

Those are the opening lines of the small book The Cross  by J. C Ryle published in 1852. Simple lines, easily understandable and yet asking an urgent question-what is the cross to you? I resonate with these lines though far removed in time: I live in a Christian land, I am part of a local congregation, I bear the name of being a Christian, I acknowledge that the symbol of the cross is dear to me, and today, I too still have to pause and ask "for what reason is it dear to me?" Ryle answers this question by pointing to apostle Paul and the passion that he had to preach and boast in the cross of Christ. So what is the cross exactly for Paul?Among the other meanings that it can be identified with, for Paul the cross represents the message of the death of Christ on the cross as "the complete and perfect sacrifice for sin." 

Among the many other things that Paul could have been proud of or boasted about (chapter 1), the cross becomes central theme of his message and ministry. We might ask "why?" and in asking that we do well to reflect on our own answer to the question that Ryle asks right at the very beginning of the book (quoted above) as we get to explore why it was dear to Paul (chapter 2). On the centrality of the cross Ryle writes,

Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book. It is like the Egyptian hieroglyphics without any key that interprets their meaning - curious and wonderful but of no real use."

So as we think on "why we should glory in the cross of Christ" the final chapter (chapter 3) provides a thought provoking response. Ryle deliberates on a series of questions and possible answers but ultimately each question finds the cross as the answer. 

This is not one of those deeply theologically heavy book used in the academic circle. The language is simple and easy to understand but that does not mean it is light in terms of the learning. The key thought of the book is clear - making the death of Jesus Christ as the central foundation in our lives. The book has just three sections or chapters or sections and that is about 10 pages in the settings on my device. At the end is also included a short biography of J. C Ryle which in itself is also a delight to read. It is both enriching and challenging to know of the origin and the life of J. C. Ryle. As I write this piece, the book is currently available for free on Amazon as an e-book. And I close with these beautiful lines and invite you to read the book for yourself:

As the sun that is gazed upon makes everything else look dark and dim, so the cross darkens the false splendor of the world. As honey makes all other things seem to have no taste at all, so the cross that is seen by faith takes all the sweetness out of the pleasures of the world. 

Thank you for your time,

kk