Themes of the Cross:
Stumped about what you want to say at your Table Talk? Never fear; everyone one hits one of these creative dry spots once in a while. Check out these themes as a way to break out some of your own ideas.
The Cross of Christ contains themes in it that pertain to many aspects of our human existence. Any of these themes is huge in scope and can be used quite well as core ideas in your Table Talk. For example, you may have had an occasion in your life when you were presented with an opportunity to serve someone, but were reluctant to accept until you thought about Jesus’ service to us.
Or perhaps you have someone in your life that hurt or disappointed you and forgiveness seemed to be a long way from you until you thought about the theme of forgiveness inherent in the cross. Etc.
- The theme of suffering as the way to victory. It was only after Christ suffered through his human experience and death that he defeated Satan and honored the Father.
- The theme of service is also within the cross because Christ was willing to go through the cross in order to serve the needs of human beings. This service was also seen when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples just before his capture and crucifixion.
- The theme of obedience is present in Jesus’ willing to follow his Father’s direction in coming to live among mankind. Hebrews 5:8 says “…he learned obedience through what he suffered.”
- The theme of weakness as a paradox to strength. Jesus, by his death, proved that death and suffering are disarmed by the weakness of the cross.
- The theme of the cross as every person’s responsibility to bear. “Take up your cross and follow me.”
- The theme of forgiveness is a huge theme in the cross. On behalf of the ones crucifying him Jesus said to God, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they do.”
- The theme of discipleship has to do with the cost of following Jesus. Jesus expects that we will give our all to him as his followers.
- Sin is the reason the Cross had to occur in the first place. Jesus’ death occurred in order to defeat the power of sin and death, released when the first humans exercised their free will and rebelled against God.
- The theme of crucifixion is, of course, the description of what Jesus had to endure in order to defeat Satan.
- Bread and Nurture are best described as the nurturance that comes from taking into our being the person and teachings of Jesus. Jesus called himself as bread and invited us to take him into ourselves.
- Insight is what happened to the two people on the road to Emmaus after they ate bread with Jesus. “Their eyes were opened.” That is what happens to us when we eat this divine bread.
- Baptism is the way in which disciples of Jesus symbolically imitate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In baptism we are forgiven and empowered by God.
- Transformation is the goal of being a disciple of Jesus. Baptism begins that process which continues throughout a lifetime as we become more and more like Jesus.
- Fellowship/church are terms which describe the union that occurs between people that choose to follow Jesus. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we do so together and Paul even calls that act Koinonia or fellowship.
- Resurrection is the theme of renewal or rebirth into something new. Paul describes this process as putting on new clothes or rising from the death of our past life of sin.
- Selflessness is the thorough giving up of one’s self. It describes what Jesus did when he gave his life for us. And it describes the way in which we should live in all our relationships.
- The Supremacy of Christ is the idea that in the Cosmos there is no one above Christ in supremacy. He is part of God. He is the only God, not to be confused with any of the false gods that inhabit our world.
- Defeating Satan, is what Christ did when he died and rose from the grave.