The Wooden Cross

The Cross that Jesus carried to Calvary and died on, has become the symbol of Christianity, and today it is also the symbol of triumph, victory over death. The two piece wooden frame which had been looked down upon with so much of contempt has suddenly become so very different, thanks to Jesus. What did Jesus do to the wooden frame to transform it altogether? Has anything changed in the wooden frame that made it appear very different from what it was before it was placed on the broken shoulders of Jesus? Another associated question that we could ask is: has something happened to the wood or to Jesus, or to us who look at with different eyes and perspectives today?

I would believe that the wooden frame remained exactly the same, as it had been for all centuries, and Jesus would not have desired to give a new dimension to the commonplace wood either. Looking at Jesus as a human person, going forward to embrace the rough and hard cross makes him truly the Savior and Lord. As the son of a carpenter, Jesus would have known for sure all about the wooden frame, of what tree it is, the height and the weight. As he stretches out his hand to draw it close to his shoulders, he recognizes an unknown familiarity with the wood, a familiarity which had taken him to the Garden of Eden peopled with trees of all sorts, and the special tree of knowledge which stood in the middle.

What is this familiarity between Jesus and the wooden cross? We all know that it is through the cross that Jesus would save the world. Every Jew and Roman would dread the very word, the Cross! How did the cross become so easy for Jesus to accept, especially knowing well that he would be subjected to the death of a hardcore criminal? Was there some magic hidden behind the wood which the Jewish religious leaders failed to take cognizant of? There is no hesitation on the part of Jesus, he seem to be longing to embrace it. The cross is sanctified by the touch of the master craftsman, who in his lifetime might have made several crosses, but this time however not made with a chisel, but with his body and blood.

The wooden frame which had taken years to harden and toughen, seeing several winters and summers is now ready to give space to the God of creation to lay down his head. The tree would have never thought it would receive such a honor. As the creation of the creator, it is only too happy to allow the Lord to sanctify its fibers. The seasoned wood is prepared to present to the Lord its best qualities, even as the hard hearted soldiers pierce the hands and feet of the Master with the wood. The juice of the wood which had preserved a part of it all these years, today mingle with the blood of the Savior, to ease his pain as he goes through untold pain and agony.

If only I were a lifeless wooden frame, it would have been my great honor and privilege to behold the Lord and receive his touch, which alone is enough to transform my life. The lady suffering from hemorrhage received instant healing when she dared to touch the fringe of his garment, and how much more would it be a wonderful experience for me, when the Lord would rest on my frail frame! This is the only thing that any tree can long for! The lifeless tree would then be honored to behold the Savior rather than the more privileged people who stood at the foot of the Cross!