倘若十架会说话

作者海默斯·威尔逊，道学硕士，社会工作硕士，退休牧师、顾问，现居加拿大安大略省奥沙瓦。

我在奥沙瓦的商场里看到了一个小十字架，那十字架是不锈钢材质的，其上粘着黑色的施华洛世奇水晶。它的价格还不足100美元，但如果这个小小的十字架会说话，它就会提醒我们它象征着无价。耶稣基督被钉十架，这永远改变了十字架的功用。十字架已经成为了全能上帝宽恕全人类与对抗死亡势力的象征。

马克斯·卢卡多写道：“十字架。

 “它就像一颗璀璨夺目的钻石，镶嵌在历史的年轮上。它的悲伤呼唤着所有遭难的人。它的荒谬吸引着所有的嘲讽者。它的希望牵引着所有寻求的人……

 “……历史崇拜它又鄙夷它，为其镀金又焚烧它，戴在身上又把它丢弃了。历史做了一切，却无法忽略它本身。

 “十字架尚未给予这样一个选择。

 “没有人能忽视它！你不能忽略这块木头，因其上悬挂着一个最伟大的宣告……

 “……其中最后一行发人深省：如果所记属实，十字架就是历史的转折点。如果不是，十字架就是历史的骗局。

 “这是十字架举足轻重的缘由。” 1

如果十字架是一个骗局，那么它将是有史以来最大的“假消息”。相反，如果十字架的故事是真实的，它就是人类大家庭得以存活的保障。如果十字架会说话，它所分享教训必给人带来医治和启示。

1.十字架显明我们堕落的深度

1969年7月20日，尼尔·阿姆斯特朗和巴兹·奥德林登上月球，那年我16岁，正在瑞士的苏黎士旅游。阿姆斯特朗在5亿人的注视下走出登月舱。在我所看的第一台彩色电视机前，阿姆斯特朗说出了那句闻名至今的话：“这是我个人的一小步，却是全人类的一大步。”这一成就的确象征着人类惊人的进步。我们拥有了登月所需的一切——技术、脑力和创造力。我们热切地相信人类正在进步，更好的知识和教育将成就更美好的世界。而十字架却讲述着一个截然不同的故事。

十字架使我们认识到，人类有能力杀害一个医治病人又使死人复活的无辜者，扼杀那宣扬仁爱和接纳者的生命，试图钉死上帝的爱子。它揭露了一个事实：人类能够堕落到只因观点不同就杀害他人的地步。“人心的堕落、违法的罪辜及罪恶的毁灭性质，都藉着十字架显明了，而基督再十字架上为我们开辟了一条逃生的道路。” 2

2.十字架揭示我们得救的必然

人类需要从自我中被拯救出来。自然历史学家戴维·阿滕伯勒的一部纪录片凸显了人类的贪婪。“地球生物多样性的退化是何等迅速啊。”阿滕伯勒沉思道，如果不加以控制，就可能导致地球上的森林、海洋、大气的消亡，以及最终人类自身彻底毁灭。3

各国都怀疑他国的动机。那些试图开展国际合作的国家正不断竭力地应对违背契约、同盟变节和长期纠纷的问题。竞争使国家分裂。国家之间的两极分化不断加剧。对立的势力不再交流，而只和他们各自认同的国家对话。我们不仅有能力毁灭自己，还会犯下可怖的罪行，发动战争，杀害无辜的平民。我们漫不经心地使用“附带伤害”这个词语，像是在谈论一个破损的罐子或是几根扭曲的管子。

十字架宣称，我们要从可怕的自我中得赎，而这仅靠人助将无法完成；那么，这揭示了（上帝）实施救赎的必然性。“因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。”（罗5:6）。

3.十字架反照上帝的慈爱

十字架宣称，唯有上帝的大爱远超人类的惨状。十字架显明，无论你我的过去和现在多么不堪，耶稣都为我们死在十字架上。E. J.瓦格纳说：“祂赎买你正是因为你不配……祂赎买你，不是因为你过去或现在的价值，而是因为祂能让你拥有价值。” 4

诸天表明上帝的公义和荣耀(诗97:6；19:1)，松树和黎巴嫩的香柏树诉说对恶者的审判(赛14:8)，旷野欢喜(赛35:1)。十字架也会说话，它为自己提供了确凿的证据。“唯有基督在我们还做罪人的时候为我们死，上帝的爱就在此向我们显明了”。(罗5:8)

在有史以来最伟大的交易中，人类对上帝的反叛被一笔勾销了。F. W.费伯用诗歌的形式描述了上帝的爱：

上帝的仁慈何其广大，

如洋海之宽阔

祂的公义中存着良善，

不仅仅给人以自由……

因上帝的慈爱宽广，

人心不能测度

亘古常存者的心，

何其良善。

4.十字架证明上帝的品格

以赛亚书第14章和以西结书第28章告诉我们，宇宙间善恶之争的核心是显明上帝的品格。奈克多和索尔曼评论道：“撒但歪曲了上帝的品格……”，“……宇宙中发生了一场危机——即对上帝缺乏信心……”，“……祂必须设法向人们揭露反叛者真实的品格和目的，只有这样，才能恢复宇宙对祂的良善和慈爱所存完全的信心”。6上帝子民对“叫那受压制的得自由”的热情，是祂给诸世界的无可辩驳的证据(路4:18)。

有人说，“既然真正的公义只有在耶稣复临时才会到来。那么，为何要在此时奋力反抗压迫呢？”正如蒂莫西·凯勒所说，我们“反抗”是因为 “如此生活可以彰显上帝的品格。” 7 上帝的品格不是在耶稣来时赐给我们的，而是现在要显明出来。我们若无法彰显上帝的品格，就是在阻碍基督的复临(彼前3:12,14)。

5.十字架显明上帝的公义

耶稣在十字架上的牺牲表明，宗教领袖也可能将宗教制度提出的要求凌驾于百姓的需求之上。

作为在教会中长大的年轻人，我们常被教导要远离社区的抗议，要“专心传扬福音”，并相信一切不公都会在基督复临时终结。我们时常发现自己在公义和教会两种观念之间挣扎。

凯勒说：“当许多人听到基督徒论及‘伸张正义’的话题时，他们的担忧是有理由的。这个词通常只是一个吸引听众卷入某种政治浪潮的口号。然而，当你试图遵照《圣经》的要求生活时，理解公义和被公义召唤（付诸行动）总是无法避免的……它包括大量广泛的活动，从日常生活中简单、公平而诚实地与人相处，到定期、慷慨地付出时间和资源，再到（主动）寻找并终结特定形式的不公、暴力和压迫的积极行动。” 8

6.十字架彰显上帝的义

我记得我们曾在教会唱过一首诗歌：“这世界非我家，我不过是客旅”。9 我听到过我们关注的焦点应是三天使的信息，也读到这些信息的核心是因信称义，因为十字架彰显上帝的义，“祂自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义” (罗3:26)。由此，我了解到，义、称义和公平乃为一家，并非是不切实际的。 (见摩5:24)

克里斯汀·埃里克森说：“不难看出，耶稣是我们成义的标准。耶稣基督过着完美、无罪的生活，献上自己为祭物，后又复活，补偏救弊。正是因为耶稣和祂在十架上的救赎大工，我们才得以称义并与上帝和好。在新约中耶稣为我们树立了一个美好的榜样，祂关爱无家可归的人，以怜恤扶助那卑微的人。耶稣寻求公义，在身体和精神上拯救缺乏的人。” 10

在经历大流行病和全球污染的痛苦时，十字架告诉我们，这世界是我们的家，十字架是我们成义的标准。

7.十字架肯定上帝的恩典

耶稣在十字架上的牺牲，为所有接受祂并效学祂榜样的人提供了一张可以获得真正自由的“出监自由”卡。当我们看到耶稣遭受的苦难时，我们便知道救恩绝不是廉价的。当祂激励我们背起十架跟随祂时，我们为此所付出的牺牲也绝不廉价。

我们要照顾饥饿的人，爱护我们的地球。我们要用心理解人们为何同情移民和难民，并起身宣扬生命的可贵。我们要向世人（甚至是那些我们不认同的人）显出仁爱和怜恤。我们要为更美好的社会共同努力——就像耶稣所做的那样。我们的行动并非基于人类进步的理念，而是出于祈求上帝恩典的祷告：“愿祢的国降临，愿祢的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。”(太6:10)

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1.马克斯·卢卡多，《难怪他们称祂为救主：在最不可能的地方发现希望》 (田纳西州 纳什维尔：托马斯·纳尔逊，2011)，34

2.怀爱伦，《信心与行为》(田纳西州 纳什维尔：南方出版社1979)，96

3.娜塔莉亚·温克曼，“戴维·阿滕伯勒：生命之源”评论：毁灭与再生，《纽约时报》，2020年10月4日

4.《基督和祂的义》(加利福尼亚州 旧金山：太平洋出版社，1892)，72

5.弗雷德里克·威廉·费伯，《上帝的慈爱何其广大》，1862年

6.埃米利奥·克内克特尔和查尔斯·索尔曼，《基督对末世的启示》(加利福尼亚州 山景城：太平洋出版社，1971)，16，18

7.蒂莫西·凯勒，《慷慨的正义:上帝的恩典如何使我们成义》(纽约州 纽约市：河源图书公司，2012年)，第18页

8.凯勒，18岁

9.《这世界非我家》，1924年

10.克里斯汀·埃里克森，“《圣经》正义和社会正义”，《共享希望国际》，2018年6月4日

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IF THE CROSS COULD SPEAK

By Hymers Wilson Jr., MDiv, MSW, a retired pastor and counselor residing in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

I saw a cross at my local mall, made from stainless steel with black Swarovski crystals glued to the cross pieces. It was valued at just under $100, but if this little cross could talk, it would remind us that its symbolism has infinite value. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross, and this has changed its function forever. The cross has become a symbol of the power of an almighty God to forgive the human family and defy the forces of death.

Max Lucado writes: “The cross.

“It rests on the time line of history like a compelling diamond. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. . . .

“. . . History has idolized it and despised it, gold-plated it and burned it, worn and trashed it. History has done everything but ignore it.

“That’s the one option that the cross does not offer.

“No one can ignore it! You can’t ignore a piece of lumber that suspends the greatest claim in history. . . .

“. . . Its bottom line is sobering: if the account is true, it is history’s hinge. Period. If not, it is history’s hoax.

“That’s why the cross is what matters.”1

If the Cross is a hoax, then it is the greatest “fake news” of all time. If, on the other hand, the story of the Cross is true, it is the one event that ensures the survival of the human family. If the Cross could speak, it would share lessons that are both healing and revealing.

1. THE CROSS EXPOSES THE DEPTH OF OUR DEPRAVITY

I was 16 years old and visiting Zurich, Switzerland, when, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Armstrong stepped off the lunar module with half a billion people watching, including myself. As I looked at the first color TV I had ever seen, Armstrong uttered those now famous words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The achievement indeed symbolized the astounding progress of humankind. We now had what it takes—the technology, the brain power, and the ingenuity, to get to the moon. We passionately believed that humanity was improving, that better knowledge and better education would create a better world. But the Cross tells a different story.

It forces us to recognize that human beings are capable of killing an innocent Person who healed the sick and brought the dead back to life, snuffing out the life of a Person who preached kindness and acceptance, attempting to destroy the Son of God Himself. It lays bare the reality that we human beings are capable of sinking so low as to destroy persons just because we disagree with them. “The depravity of the human heart, the guilt of transgression, the ruin of sin, are all made plain by the cross where Christ has made for us a way of escape.”2

2. THE CROSS REVEALS THE CERTAINTY OF OUR SALVATION

Human beings need saving from themselves. A documentary featuring natural historian David Attenborough highlights the greed of human beings. “Mapping how steeply the planet’s biodiversity has degenerated before him,” Attenborough muses that, if unchecked, this could lead to the total destruction of the earth’s forests, oceans, atmosphere, and finally human beings themselves.3

Nations are suspicious of the motives of other nations. Those who make attempts at international cooperation constantly struggle to overcome the hurdles of broken promises, shifting alliances, and old feuds. Rivalries tear apart nations. Polarization within nations steadily increases. Opposing sides no longer want to talk to each other, preferring to speak only to those with whom they agree. We not only are capable of self-destruction but also commit terrible crimes and start wars that cause the deaths of innocent men, women, and children. We casually use the term collateral damage as if we are talking about a broken pot or a few twisted pipes.

The Cross announces that we need saving from our terrible selves and require more than human help; it then reveals the certainty of that taking place. “And we can see that it was while we were powerless to help ourselves that Christ died for sinful men” (Rom. 5:6, Phillips).

3. THE CROSS REFLECTS THE LOVE OF GOD

The Cross declares that the wretched condition of human beings is surpassed only by the greatness of God’s love. The Cross demonstrates that no matter how bad you and I have been, or how terrible we are right now, Jesus died on the cross for us. E. J. Waggoner states, “He bought you for the very reason that you were not worthy. . . . He bought you, not for what you were then or are now worth, but for what He could make of you.”4

The heavens declare God’s righteousness and glory (Pss. 97:6; 19:1), pine trees and cedars of Lebanon speak of judgment on the oppressor (Isa. 14:8), and the wilderness shouts for joy (Isa. 35:1). The Cross also speaks. It offers itself as incontrovertible evidence. “The proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8, Phillips).

In the greatest transaction ever, humanity’s rebellion against God was cancelled. F. W. Faber described God’s love in poetic form:

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,

like the wideness of the sea.

There’s a kindness in His justice,

which is more than liberty. . . .

For the love of God is broader,

than the measure of man’s mind,

and the heart of the Eternal,

is most wonderfully kind.5

4. THE CROSS VINDICATES THE CHARACTER OF GOD

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 inform us that the heart of the cosmic struggle between good and evil was a vindication of the character of God. Knechtle and Sohlmann comment, “Satan misrepresented the character of God. . . . “. . . There developed a crisis in the universe—a lack of confidence in God. . . . “. . . He had to find a way to demonstrate to them the real character of the rebel and of his purposes. Only thus could He restore complete confidence in His goodness and love.”6 God’s incontrovertible evidence to the universe is to see His people with a passion “to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

Some say, “True justice won’t come until Jesus comes. So, why bother to stand against oppression now?” We ‘bother’ because, as Timothy Keller says, “This kind of life reflects the character of God.”7 The character of God is not bestowed on us when Jesus comes, it is to be demonstrated now. When we fail to reflect the character of God, we effectively hinder the coming of Jesus (2 Pet. 3:12, 14)

5. THE CROSS VALIDATES THE JUSTICE OF GOD

The death of Jesus on the cross showed that it is possible for religious leaders to put the wants of the institution above the needs of the people.

As youngsters growing up in the church, we were often taught that we should avoid protests in the community and ‘focus on evangelism’ and trust that injustice will be ended at the second coming of Christ. We often found ourselves wrestling with the concept of justice and the church.

Keller states, “There are valid reasons why many become concerned when they hear Christians talk about ‘doing justice.’ Often that term is just a slogan being used to recruit listeners to jump on some political bandwagon. Nevertheless, if you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. . . . It consists of a broad range of activities, from simple fair and honest dealings with people in daily life, to regular, radically generous giving of your time and resources, to activism that seeks to end particular forms of injustice, violence, and oppression.”8

6. THE CROSS EMBODIES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

I remember a chorus we used to sing in church: “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.”9 I heard that our focus was to be the three angels’ messages. I read that the heart of these messages was righteousness by faith because the Cross demonstrated God’s righteousness, “that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26, NKJV). Then I learned that righteousness, justification, and justice were all members of the same family and were far from being otherworldly (see Amos 5:24).

Christine Erickson states, “We do not have to look far to see that Jesus is our standard of righteousness. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died a sacrificial death and rose again to make right that which was wrong. It is because of Jesus and His work on the Cross that we can be justified and made right with God. And Jesus also demonstrates a beautiful example for us to follow in the New Testament as one who cared for the outcast and reached out with compassion to help those most often overlooked. Jesus pursued justice. He physically and spiritually rescued those in need.”10

While passing through the pain of pandemic and the anguish of global pollution, the Cross teaches us that this world is our home and the Cross is our standard for righteousness.

7. THE CROSS AFFIRMS THE GRACE OF GOD

Jesus’ death on the cross provided the ultimate free “Get Out of Jail Free” card for anyone who accepts and follows His example. When we see what Jesus suffered, we realize that grace was not cheap. And when He challenges us to take up our cross and follow Him, the sacrifice involved in doing so will not be cheap.

We need to feed our hungry and care for our earth. We need to take the time to understand why people have sympathy for the immigrant and refugee and rise to declare that lives matter. We need to show love and compassion even to those with whom we do not agree. We need to work together for a better society—just as Jesus did. Our actions will not be based on a notion of human betterment but on the prayer for divine grace, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10, KJV).

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1. Max Lucado, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior: Discover Hope in the Unlikeliest Place (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 34. ^

2. Ellen G. White, Faith and Works (Nashville, TN: Southern Pub. Assn., 1979), 96. ^

3. Natalia Winkleman, “ ‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet’ Review: Ruin and Regrowth,” New York Times, October 4, 2020. ^

4. E. J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness (San Francisco, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1892), 72. ^

5. Frederick William Faber, “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy,” 1862, public domain. ^

6. Emilio B. Knechtle and Charles J. Sohlmann, Christ’s Message to the Last Generation (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1971), 16, 18. ^

7. Timothy Keller, Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2012), 18. ^

8. Keller, 18. ^

9. “This World Is Not My Home,” 1924, public domain. ^

10. Christine Erickson, “Biblical Justice and Social Justice,” Shared Hope International, June 4, 2018. 

^Please find the original article at https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2021/06/If-the-Cross-could-speak