by Ji-Sub Chung

One of the more popular pieces of jewelry is a cross. We can see just how pervasive it is through its appearance on the necks of rappers, singers, waiters, actors, strangers, friends, family, and maybe even you. Each of these people may wear a cross for different reasons. Some may choose to wear it to show a spiritual side; others may wear it as a fashion statement or simple keepsake. In biblical times the cross represented something offensive – something the average person avoided talking about. So what implications does this have for us?

The 19th century poet and hymn writer Henry Francis Lyte had convictions about the cross. His conviction enabled him to have the confidence to say to Jesus that he had taken up His cross. To Henry Lyte the cross would have been much more than just a chic piece of jewelry. The hymn that Lyte wrote, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” was not written on the basis of hollow beliefs. Throughout the hymn there are theological and practical implications bursting from the seams. Due to his weak health (many report him suffering from tuberculosis), several common themes shine through: a prominent focus on the brevity of life, the joy in trials, the comfort of God, the dependence on Christ, and the bliss of heaven.

So what kind of convictions come from the cross? The cross is a reminder of what the Savior saved us from. Christ did not sacrifice Himself for any merit that we had. We were dead in our sin (Ephesians 2), we were the ungodly (Romans 5:6), and we were bearers of a deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9). The cross reminds us that, like Paul, the only response we could have to the condition of our soul is “wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24). Then grace upon grace, we are reminded that it was Christ that washed, that sanctified, and that justified us out of our lives of sin (1 Corinthians 6:11). The cross also reminds us of the Savior Himself. Consider that Christ, the same glorious King that Isaiah saw in his vision of Heaven (Isaiah 6), submitted Himself to the will of the Father and did so to the point that “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). The Son of God willingly chose to be the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). He chose to be mocked, derided, and insulted. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father. He lowered Himself to serve humans. He humbled Himself to die for us.

There is no end to the myriads of volumes that could be written about what the cross of Christ signifies to the believer. If we truly understand just how amazing the work on the cross was, then how could we ever run out of reasons to direct all glory and majesty and praise to Him? Our response should be to seek to praise Him, and praise Him not only through one or two things, but in all things. For Henry Lyte, hymn writing was one way to bring God glory. Is this not a natural characteristic of the Spirit-filled life that Paul describes (Ephesians 5:15-18; Colossians 3:16-17)?

Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, Show Thy face and all is bright.

The hymn begins by heeding the call of Christ in Luke 9:23 by declaring “I my cross have taken.” What are the implications of this statement? This implies that to lose everything, to have nothing, and even to perish every fond ambition that this world has to offer in order to follow Christ are the richest of conditions. What else could we need or want (Psalm 73:25)? Therefore, what matters to us is not the world and its opinions. The world responds to our confession like they have with Christ: rejection. Though the world may darken our days, the Lord is ever brighter still. Let us then challenge the onslaught of trials and troubles for our response is joy (James 1:2).

Man may trouble and distress me, ’Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure, With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather; All must work for good to me.

The second half of Lyte’s verse may be a bit confusing. So to make more sense of the 19th century wording, a 21st century translation could be along the lines of “harm will not bring me grief while God loves; it would be no joy at all if that joy were mixed with anything other than You Lord.” Our confidence is not in our earthly position but in our spiritual placement. Our comfort is not from having our best life now, but earnestly seeking the return on the Lord (1 Thess. 4:18). We have confidence and comfort knowing that our Father has divinely appointed trials that would aid in our sanctification, what else is there to fear (1 Corinthians 10:13)? In light of this, we are each called to challenge our own soul to remember the work of the cross.

Soul, then know thy full salvation Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station, Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee, Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee, Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

Haste thee on from grace to glory, Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee, God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Think about the Spirit that dwells within you, think about the love that the Father has for you, think about the Savior that died for you. In light of this how sweet do the delights of eternal paradise seem? Let us actively look forward to His return with full faith and propelled by prayer. Furthermore, the Lord will return soon and unexpectedly (1 Thess. 5:2); so let us keep firm in our earthly mission while “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:36-38). Let us await with joy the culmination of the work of the cross in the eternal presence of our King.

The proper question then is not if you wear a cross or not. Rather, the question is: have you taken up your cross and left all to follow Him? If you have, then you need to live like it for “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). The Christian cross is the symbol of the gospel. It shows the sinful heart, the holy God, the righteous punishment, the perfect Sacrifice, the infinite grace, and the eternal home. The cross needs to sink into our everyday thoughts and practices and if a piece of jewelry or hymn lyrics help you remember the cross so be it. May the glory of the cross permeate through your thoughts and actions for as long as you live.