Throughout Christian history there have been various ideas about how to understand the mystery of the cross of Christ. Each view of what is happening in the cross, how it saves us and unites us to God, has some value and at least an element of truth. However, some views are more helpful and expansive, while others more limited and may even be misleading if taken apart from any others.
A succinct way of describing what I believe is at the heart of the cross and orients us well in our thinking is to say, “Jesus does not die instead of us, but ahead of us.” This statement emphasizes a participatory rather than substitutionary view of the cross.
If we think generally and predominantly that Jesus dies instead of us, then we don’t have to die. He dies so we don’t have to. But if he dies ahead of us, then Christ has opened for us the way forward spiritually, and we are to join him in the whole mystery of his death, burial, and resurrection.
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21
Jesus spoke about taking up the cross and dying to self. He described himself as the way to relationship and union with God. Jesus did not die so we don’t have to, but in order for us to be able to.
In a strictly literal sense this might not sound like good news, but when understood metaphorically, the way we should be thinking of the meaning of the cross, we remember that the only way to life is through death. Dying is the means of spiritual progress and renewal, and therefore is our true hope.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24
Both baptism and eucharist image a participatory understanding of the cross in the acts themselves. We figuratively and truly, in a spiritual sense, die, are buried, and are raised with Christ in our baptism. The ritual points to a reality beyond the bare simplicity of the rite.
Likewise, both figuratively and actually, at Jesus’ table we receive his body and blood as our spiritual food. A real union happens in a spiritual way that is beyond our participation in a physical action. In both baptism or communion, we do something earthly and tangible which is representative of a real, though unseen, spiritual participation with Christ in his cross.
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
Dying is always gain in the economy of the spiritual life, which is strange to us because dying, in physical terms, we rightfully call a “loss”. The death which is the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26) is not our death unto life in the cross, but all the ways in which we are living in death apart from the cross.
Mortal life is about constantly being given over to death, but spiritual dying is the powerful grace of coming alive to God in Christ.
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