A Brief Discourse on the Cross

The following is something I've been thinking on for some time. I'm not sure if it's articulated well or not (or even biblical/correct, for that matter). What do you think?

Whether or not you follow Jesus, I am sure you have taken notice of someone wearing a cross before. Perhaps it's on a necklace or in the form of a sticker. Some way, some how, you have almost certainly seen a cross being worn as jewelry or an identifying mark.

If you're confused as to why someone would wear a cross, I am too. I just think we might be confused for slightly different reasons.

At least in theory, Christians wear crosses as a symbol of them following Jesus of Nazareth and their celebration of His Gospel. That Gospel, or good news, is this: In the beginning, God created everything, including man. He was in perfect relationship with man, and man was pure before God. After some time, man was tempted and broke God's only given command to them, acting as rebels against the ruler of literally everything and thus introducing sin and death in the world and separating man eternally from a perfect God. There was no way and is no way man can fix this problem, so God, knowing from the beginning that He would have to save man, prepared a way. 

He began by showing His people that death by the shedding of perfect blood is the only payment He can accept for the debt of sin. This began with animal sacrifices. After some time, God became manifest, fully God and fully man, in the form of Jesus, son of God the Father. Jesus was and is the complete revelation of God's character. In order to atone for sins once and for all for those who would and will depend on Him, Father allowed Son to be murdered unjustly, but without sin. This death was carried out in the gruesome death of crucifixion on a cross of wood. Three days after He died, Jesus resurrected, thus proving Himself to be King over everything and proving His defeat of death. Any who would depend on Jesus are adopted into God's family again and are at peace with God. 

That's a very crude and simple explanation, but that is the literal truth about the deepest reality that exists. It's not a detached moral philosophy. It's what the world is like and it's what all of creation points to.

My confusion is this: the cross is not a gilded or happy thing. It's tough to swallow. Sure, the cross represents God's willingness to save us of His own accord. But think about this: we murdered God. Let that sit on you. God allowed us to murder Him so that we could be in relationship with Him again. Obviously, praise Him for His seeking us out. And praise Him for the atoning death of Christ. What pride do you really have in the fact that you and I are the reason that God suffered a humiliating  death for our sake? How much sense does it make to take pride in your sin being epitomized? Would you brag about how nice your cross is when in fact it's an execution device?

If you wear a cross, please don't hear me saying you're wrong to do so. It may be a beautiful expression of how you remember what God has done for you. In fact, it may be something worth doing for me. I'm not sure. Furthermore, Jesus told us to carry our crosses. That almost certainly doesn't mean that we should necessarily wear jewelry around our neck, but it's worth considering what He means.

The most beautiful of crosses is that which reminds us of our unrighteousness and calls us to repentance. All I'm saying is this: the cross is not our own victory, but ours through God. It's tough. Embrace it.