Holy Cross Day has its origins in the supposed discovery of the cross upon which our Lord was crucified as well as the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It is highly unlikely that anyone has found even pieces of the cross upon which our Savior died. The Romans crucified a lot of people, and they didn’t find Jesus all that special. Indeed, many people probably died on the very same cross. It’s more likely that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is actually where Jesus was buried. But even of that we can’t be sure. We don’t need to be. The point of Holy Cross Day, properly celebrated, isn’t to worship the cross, but the One who hung upon the cross to accomplish our salvation. On this day we rejoice in something that was meant to be filled with humiliation and degradation that God in His wisdom filled with the greatest glory and honor. We rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ who despised the gore or the shame of the cross for the joy set before Him of opening the way of salvation to the whole world. And each Lord’s Day we have the great joy of eating the fruit of this blessed tree – the Body of Blood of our Savior for the forgiveness of all our sins. So let us rejoice to gather together for this richest of feasts, prepared for us by our Savior on the cross of Golgotha. And God grant that we would each take up our own cross and follow our Lord Jesus Christ in the way that leads to everlasting life. (I would encourage you to read through hymn 455 in LSB, “The Royal Banners Forward Go”.) I look forward to seeing you all this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer