Why Is the Cross Important In Christianity?

The cross is the ultimate symbol of the Christian faith, recognized worldwide by Christians and non-Christians alike.

While Jesus is the absolute center of the Christian faith (including its theology, liturgy, and practice), the cross is the visual symbol that encapsulates what Christ accomplished, and why His life has meaning for practitioners of the largest religion on the planet.

Although those who practice religions other than Christianity typically recognize the cross as a symbol of the Christian faith, most (outside of the three Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) do not understand why the cross is the primary symbol of the Christian tradition or even what exactly it represents.

Although Jesus spoke openly of the cross as a symbol for one’s burdens, trials, or spiritual obligations (See Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23; Mark 8:34), He spoke less often about the Cross as the instrument through which he would give His life, and by which He would accomplish His mission and redemptive work. (Perhaps His most explicit direct reference to the cross as the instrument of His death is found in Matthew 20:18-19.)

The Cross as a Retrospective Symbol

Indeed, most Christians seem unaware that the cross was only embraced as a Christian emblem in the fourth century. Prior to Constantine’s claim of having a vision of the cross, the Christian Church didn’t employ the symbol at all. The Christian historian, Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260-340), gives us one of the earliest accounts (circa AD 337) of the Emperor’s remarkable vision and how it introduced the cross as a new Christian symbol:

“[The Emperor, Constantine,] said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, ‘Conquer By This.’”

The Difference Between a Cross and a Crucifix

It is important to distinguish between the cross and the crucifix. The cross, as a Christian symbol, is the empty torture device. A crucifix, on the other hand, is the common High-Church symbol of a cross with Jesus affixed to it.

Christian Denominations and the Cross

There are actually a few denominations of Christianity who do not utilize the cross or crucifix as one of their symbols. For them, the cross is important, but the symbol of the cross is not.

• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Used to employ an empty cross but now depict a “torture stake.”
• Seventh-day Adventists: Prefer to focus on Christ’s resurrection rather than His death.
• Latter-day Saints (Mormons): Believe Jesus was crucified on a cross but do not use it as a symbol.
• Anabaptists and Christadelphians: Avoid the cross to emphasize simplicity in worship and avoid superstition.

Why Christians Use the Cross

So, what is the ultimate reason that Christians use the cross? Well, its initial adoption was under the direction of a pagan turned Christian, Constantine. Thus, for Constantine, the cross was a tool that he employed to unite his kingdom and to conquer his enemies.

For most Christians today—for those who wear a cross or crucifix, or who display one in their home or in their Church—the cross largely serves as a reminder of what they personally believe, where they place their faith, and upon Whom they rely for aid, direction, and ultimate salvation.