Should the cross be offensive?

"Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished."
Galatians 5:11

Look at this photograph and ask yourself: “Are you offended?”

This picture, taken by the 10 year old Jackson Potts, depicts what is known as the Seventh Station of the Cross, the place where Jesus falls for a second time. The artistic boy, organized the volunteers who played each part, arranged them in the photograph, and choreographed the entire thing. No one was actually hurt. His own brother played Jesus on the ground and his father watched him the entire time.

And yet, for the offensive nature of the photograph, it was banned by the Ecclesia Church in Houston, Texas where it was to be shown as part of an art exhibit. The church officials stated "Artwork being provocative in nature can be beneficial to the church if it's provocative in the right way. We felt it was provocative in the wrong way. The image, being as graphic as it is, did not draw people closer to the risen Christ."

You can read the entire article here.

The whole event gave me chills. On the one hand, the photograph is highly offensive. Who wouldn't be offended! An innocent child lies on the ground, bloody, and crying out as he's being beaten by a police officer, while others just watch! It is an offensive photograph. It makes your stomach turn because it's just not right!

But that's what happened to Christ! That's exactly what happened! Christ was beaten by the police of his day while others just stood around and watched. Christ was innocent of sin. He was a child in a sense. He was sinless and blameless and innocent, the Holy Lamb of God, and he was led the slaughter! And he wasn't just killed. He was beaten and tortured. He was forced to crawl his way through Jerusalem, while the crowds sneered at him and his own disciples abandoned him. He was the lamb of God, beaten, tortured, and killed by the Roman police. It was offensive! That's just what this picture shows!

But this offensie is a good thing. A holy thing. Paul says that the cross is offensive. It's not what we want for Christ. It's not the end we hoped for. We wanted him to rise to victory and ascend the thrones of our world. We want to jump to Easter, to the risen Christ, and forget all the blood and pain and suffering that brought him there.

But we can't. We can't get there without suffering through the offense. We can't get to the Risen Christ without going through the crucified Christ. And that crucified Christ leads us through the uglyness of suffering and death. Through the pain of being beaten by those who should protect and ignored by those who should act. Christ takes us through pain without leading us to victory.

And it is in that valley of pain, on the way to the cross and on calvary's hill, that we see God made flesh. It is there that we see God suffering for the sake of the world. It is there that we are saved, redeemed by the innocent one who took upon himself our suffering and death. It is on the cross that the Christ of God is cursed...so that we might become the righteousness of God.

That is offensive! And it should be! I applaud Jackson Motts for "getting it!" Way to go! Thank you for offending me with another image of Christ. Thank you for understanding and seeing the offense of the cross and for seeing how Christ's crucifixion isn't just some event out of the past, but is something real and alive for us today. Thank you for knowing how deeply offensive that death truly is. For their do not fall upon Christ for nothing. They fall upon him...for US! Amen!