the emblem of suffering and shame.

That's how an old Christian hymn rightly

depicts and describes the crucifixion,

the execution of Jesus Christ on a cross

which is the emblem of suffering and shame. It's a curious thing that in the history of Christianity

it was the cross that was chosen as the symbol of our faith. The early Christians

had to determine what the symbol of our faith might be.

And beginning with the early church father, Tertullian, they decided that it would in fact be

the sign of the cross.

And so Christians started making the sign of the cross. They started making the sign of the cross.

They started wearing the cross around their neck.

They started decorating their home

with the presence of the cross and artwork.

And if you were to visit an ancient city

in what is modern day Turkey,

and you were to look upon the marble streets

and you were to witness a cross carved into the marble that was to tell you that God's people were there.

That the followers of Jesus were present, that there was a church somewhere in that city.

And if you were to see a cross... that there was a church somewhere in that city.

And if you were to see a cross posted outside of someone's home,

that was to notify you, that they were a Christian,

that they were followers of Jesus, that they were believers in his work on the cross.

...