LOGOS TRADING POST - JERUSALEM CROSS

Jerusalem in the Bible

Psalm 122:3-5 says, “Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.” Jerusalem was, scripturally and by divine design, made to be a capital where all the people of God, whatever tribe they came from, could come together and worship the one true God. Whether the Levite priest or the simple farmer, they could all worship the very same God. It is also in Jerusalem that the “thrones for judgment were set,” meaning in a literal sense that the kingship of Israel was established there through the line of David.

That said, still relating to the line of David, there is a deep spiritual meaning as to these “thrones for judgment” in Jerusalem. After all, wasn’t judgment upon Jesus when He was tried in Jerusalem and crucified within its outskirts? Didn’t he take the punishment we all deserved? The prophet tells us in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” He suffered for us, but He did so willingly, knowing that redemption and resurrection life for all was on the other side of His own cross and resurrection. Peter says on this matter in 1 Peter 2:22-24, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” The Father’s just judgment was upon Jesus on His cross, but the wrath of God was satisfied that day so that we can now live in righteousness. No matter how you slice it, Jerusalem was a very important place in the biblical narrative.

Jerusalem & The Jerusalem Cross

Naturally, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the edge of Jerusalem has enabled the cross to endure as a symbol for Christian faith, no matter what the background of that faith. Whether catholic, protestant, messianic, orthodox, or anything in between, all believers are united beneath the symbol of the cross. Mind you, there are variations of the cross as a symbol to represent these different expressions of Christian faith, but they are representations to remind us of Christ’s cross nonetheless.

The Jerusalem Cross is no exception to this rule. It is highly intricate, and those intricacies are rich with symbolic meaning, but at the end of the day its most important aspect is that it reminds believers of the price that Christ paid for their redemption and the chance to be ever present with them.

Now, a bit about the meaning of the Jerusalem Cross in itself.

The Jerusalem Cross can also be called the Crusader’s Cross, and the reason for this is because the crusades of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries eventually involved the capture of Jerusalem. Christianity was established there under what came to be called “The Kingdom of Jerusalem.” With this new moniker came a new coat of arms, which just so happened to be the symbol that we now call the Jerusalem Cross.

However, since it is thought to be as old as the twelfth century, it can be hard for historians and theologians to agree with one another or even among themselves what the intended symbolism within the Jerusalem Cross actually is. We hope that, whichever of the following interpretations you feel are valid, that by the rich symbolism of the Jerusalem Cross, your faith may be enriched and you may be encouraged whenever you have the chance to look upon it. One interpretation is that the small crosses surrounding the larger cross are representative of the four Biblical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Another interpretation is that the five crosses in all represent the five wounds inflicted upon Christ for our sake - the spear in his side as well as the nail driven through each hand and foot. Finally, there is also the interpretation that the Jerusalem Cross is evangelistic in nature, relating to the Great Commission given in Jerusalem, with the four small crosses representing the four corners of the earth and the ends of the large cross representing the cardinal directions like a compass.

Whether one of these interpretations in particular speaks to you or you find another, as long as it is Biblically sound, strengthening to your faith in God, and continues to turn your attention to Christ and all that He has done for us, we can encourage it fully! It is an intricate cross, so there is much that we can get from looking upon it and meditating upon the word of God.

The Jerusalem Cross in Your Life

All of this in mind, if you find the Jerusalem Cross to be a symbol of encouragement, we would encourage you to consider the purchase of one of our Jerusalem Cross products as continual reminder of the truth. Perhaps you want a Jerusalem Cross necklace that you can take with you wherever you go, or maybe you would be more interested in a standing Jerusalem Cross to display at home. In any case, we are happy to offer you Christian gifts and products of the highest quality. Whether it be forged in precious metal or carved in our authentic Holy Land Olive Wood, we hope to provide a product that is satisfying and is enriching to your faith. Even more so, we hope to provide these Jerusalem Crosses as an emblem of Christian faith, reminding you always of the hope that we all can have in Jesus and what He has done for us!