Holy Cross Day

September 14, 2021

Dear Friends,

For many hundreds of years, the church has marked September 14 as Holy Cross Day. This day has, at times, been connected with devotion to relics. There are some churches throughout the world that claim to have a piece or pieces of the cross in their possession. For us, those relics, even if they were authentic, pale in significance compared to what we possess. We have Christ himself by his Word, in his promises, and even in his body and blood.

Nevertheless, our churches have kept the tradition of marking this day to consider the instrument by which God won our salvation.

I think that the preface before Communion that we use during Holy Week is a beautiful description of why the cross matters:

“It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be over come. Therefore with angels and archangels…”

The Old Testament lesson for Holy Cross day is Numbers 21:4-9 – the story of the bronze serpent. Jesus tells us in John 3:14-15 that he is like the bronze serpent, lifted up to save the people. The bronze serpent was a marvel in its own right – how wonderful that God should save his people from venomous snakes in that way!

Even more marvelous is the cross, an instrument of torture and execution, used on Good Friday to give salvation from sin to the world!

Merciful God, Your Son, Jesus Christ, was lifted high up on the cross that He might bear the sins of the world and draw all people to Himself. Grant that we who glory in His death for our redemption may faithfully heed His call to bear the cross and follow Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God bless and keep you,

Pr. Buchs

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