Marked by the Cross

By: Lauren Thomas 

One of my hobbies is thrifting. There is some strategy involved in it. For instance, if you find something you think you like but you’re not sure about, grab it, because if you don’t, someone else might before you make up your mind. Another tried and true tip is to look for designer and high-quality labels. These items usually stand the test of time and trends. They are better made, of higher quality, and would cost much more if bought new. Those are the items to immediately grab and purchase.

 

Why? Because labels are important.

In Ezekiel 9, after God has shown his prophet the abominations and idolatry in the temple, God commands a scribe to mark all those who sigh and groan over the idolatry of Jerusalem. These marked individuals were to be saved from the destruction to come.

 

And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

Ezekiel 9:4 ESV

 

Don’t you feel curious about what that mark might have looked like?

 

In the Hebrew, it was “taw” which, in the script of Ezekiel’s day would have looked like an “x”. Ancient Christians thought this symbol prefigured the cross! Those marked by the “cross” were “saved” from judgement.

 

Just as labels mark an item of clothing, we are marked. But marked by what? Because the label does matter.

 

Revelation speaks about a mark as well – the mark of the beast. While there is a lot of conjecture about what this means, something to note is that we will all be marked by something. The question is, what mark do we wear?

 

Excuse the silly metaphor, but… Just as thrifters grab items that have certain labels, God rescues those who are labeled by the cross. God saves from destruction those of us marked by the cross.

 

How can we be marked by the cross? By recognizing our need for a Savior; by recognizing that Jesus is the only one who can save us from sin and judgement; and by putting our faith in the salvation he offers to those who believe.

 

May we be people marked by the cross. May we sigh and groan over the evils around us. May we look forward with eager anticipation to our salvation from judgement.

 

Reflection:

Though we do not bear physical marks that show who we belong to, what kind of things might show those around you that you follow Christ? What labels, or marks, your life

How does faith in Christ as Savior mark your life as one to be saved from destruction?