In Jesus day the cross only meant one thing, Death. Now we wear it as jewelry and place it on our churches. Why the change? The change is because to us the cross no longer represents death and cruel punishment, but rather it represents salvation, hope and victory.

The one's who crucified Jesus intended a cruel death for him and a victory for themselves in putting an end to his teachings and his followers. However exactly the opposite happened. Jesus showed victory even over death itself by bodily rising from the dead and the ones that wanted him killed are shown to be spiritually dead.

Jesus bodily rose from the dead and showed himself to numerous eyewitnesses for a period of 40 days. This caused his followers to become bold witnesses. After all what are they going to threaten them with? Are they going to then threaten them with Death? Jesus already showed them victory over death.

The disciples did indeed claim to be eyewitnesses and never denounced this fact even when they themselves were put to death. This showed those who they taught that they really were eyewitness. After all who would be willing to die for what they know to be a lie? This fact still today gives great emphasis to the truth of Jesus resurrection and victory over death on the cross.

We have symbolism of the cross and crucifixion in the Old Testament before Jesus was born. In the book of Numbers we read of the people being bitten by fiery serpents and Moses was told to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. The people that were bitten and looked upon it were healed. This bronze serpent is still seen in our medical logo on Ambulances and hospitals.

Jesus said "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.  (John 3:14-15)

Jesus here is comparing his coming crucifixion to what the happened in Moses day in the book of Numbers. The people bitten by the fiery serpents were doomed to die unless they came to look upon the serpent on the pole. They then passed from the sentence of death to life. We as Christians come to the cross where Jesus died for us and pass from the sentence of death and hell to everlasting life.

I suppose in the New Testament our best explanation of what the cross means was spoken by the Apostle Paul.

1 Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 The Cross today is still meaningless to the unsaved people in the world. Yet the Christian sees here great victory even above the wisdom of the wisest of the world that mistakenly identifies the teachings of the cross as foolishness. We recognize God's power in the resurrection and that horrible fate that we were saved from; that is eternity in hell. We also see all over the world the power that has changed the lives of millions by coming to the cross of Christ.

The Christian is also applies the cross to his daily life.

Mark 8:34-38

34        And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

35        "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it.

36        "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?

37        "For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38        "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

We as Christians are to walk in the manner that Jesus walked. Taking up our cross is another way of speaking of being willing to suffer if necessary and self denial of things of the world that would hinder our walk with him. Jesus always put others first and was willing to die for us. Our focus is not to be on the things of this life that will only perish, but our focus is to be on eternal things that do not perish. In this sense we lose our lives in Christ and by doing so our lives are rescued or saved from the eternal consequences of a life without Christ.

So for the Christian the cross represents the victory that Jesus showed over death. It shows us the power of God for our salvation to those who believe. It also reminds us the manner of which we should live. A symbol of death became a symbol of life when God purchased us with his own blood.