When Jesus told the crowd in Mark 8 to "take up their cross," nobody there pictured a piece of jewellery.
In the first century, a cross meant one thing only: Roman state execution, public, shameful, and slow, reserved for rebels and slaves.
This short video asks what it actually meant for Jesus to choose that image, and what it might mean for us today to follow a crucified Jesus ... worth thinking about before we settle too comfortably for what it doesn't mean.
This is part of the Discovering Mark series, this week working through Mark 8:27-38: Peter's confession, Jesus's first prediction of His death, and His call to costly discipleship.
Watch the rest of the Mark series here .
Info Retention Quiz
In Mark 8, what does Jesus tell the crowd to take up?
A. Their burdens
B. Their cross
C. Their staff
D. Their yoke
In the first century, what did a cross primarily represent?
A. A religious symbol
B. A form of state execution
C. A piece of jewellery
D. A military rank
According to this reel, who was crucifixion typically reserved for?
A. Roman citizens of high standing
B. Rebels, slaves, and those Rome wanted to make an example of
C. Only foreign kings
D. Religious leaders
What three words describe the nature of Roman crucifixion in the reflection?
A. Quiet, quick, private
B. Honourable, brief, dignified
C. Public, shameful, slow
D. Secret, painless, symbolic
What does the reel say has happened to this image over 2,000 years?
A. It has grown more vivid
B. It has been softened
C. It has been forgotten entirely
D. It has become more literal
Answers
B
B
B
C
B
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