Why do Protestants not have Jesus on their crosses?

Question

Catholics have Jesus on their crosses, and Eastern Orthodox Christians have Jesus on their icons.

Catholics "crucify" Jesus????

Answer 1

As so many Protestants have pointed out to you, it is because they believe that Christ is no longer on the cross. They believe that this truth somehow makes depicting Christ's body wrong. Such reasoning fails to hold any water unfortunately.

Though it is valid to wear a cross without the Body of the Lord depicted, it is equally valid to wear a cross with Christ shown to be on it. Both images are true Christian icons but happen to focus on different aspects or parts of the history and theology of the Cross.It should be mentioned that Papists have crosses without the Body portrayed just as Eastern Orthodox have icons of the cross without the Body and as some Protestants have crosses with the body.

The first icon of the cross focuses on (as has been said)1- the fact that Christ is Resurrected and hence no longer on it or perhaps 2- the power of the cross itself, which has become the emblem of Victory for Christians who hold that Jesus' death on the Cross defeated death and the devil and provides forgiveness of sins and immortal life.

The second icon, with Christ on the cross, is an image with a narrower scope of topic. It is the same as the first type of cross except that it lingers on the sacrificial and humiliating aspect of the Crucifixion. this is of course not to say that those who wear this type of cross deny the Glory of the Resurrection.

"Christ is Risen from the dead
trampling down death by death.
And to those in the tombs
bestowing life"
-Orthodox Chant during Pascha (Easter)

Answer 2

The main reason most protestant groups do not have Jesus on their crosses is because Catholics DO.

It was a lot more effective for the 15th century reformers to be against all things Catholic, than to simply try to outline a few minor differences of opinion.

It's the reason protestants stress the resurrection instead of the crucifixion, and the reason they go to such great lengths to minimize the extraordinary personal contribution the Blessed Virgin Mary made to the church.

It's also the reason they adopted apostate national Israel as their spiritual homeland, and the reason they embrace the old testament much more closely than they should.

If protestant leaders didn't actively attempt to radically differentiate their traditional beliefs from Catholic ones, it would simply be way too easy for their people to rediscover all the many advantages of the one, true, and Catholic church.

Answer 3

Jesus never died on a cross. That was brought into christanity much later by pagans who worshiped a God Talmas the symbol of a cross.
The Romans hanged the jews on an up right pole. Not with there arms out stretched. But by putting one hand inside another and driving the nail through the wrist. The arms outstretched and a nail threw the hand would have torn out by the weight of the body.
There hands was above there head, the only cross was were they crossed there hands. One over the other.
Read Roman history and the Jews Explains it.
Cross is not in the bible anywhere

Answer 4

Catholics and I assume the Orthodox Christians tend to stress Jesus’ sacrifice in dieing for our sins, hence Jesus on the cross. While Protestants stress Jesus’ victory over death (he rose again), hence the empty cross.

Answer 5

Protestants believe that if we have Jesus still on the cross we do not except the great power of the Resurrection.

The resurrection IS the greatest event in World history, but you do have to go through the cross to release the power!

Answer 6

Jesus is no longer on the Cross, It was not the Cross that saved, it was the Blood, a lot of people think figures of Jesus on the cross , do not tell the true story. and dwells on the Crucifixion rather than the Resurrection. again it is a Spiritual thing the Cross was of the flesh.

Answer 7

A good website, if you don't already know about it, is called Bible Christian society. Here is what they have to say about Crucifixes:

"First of all, you would want to check out 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 23. Paul says, "...but we preach Christ crucified..." Why does Paul preach Christ crucified? Doesn't he know Jesus has been raised from the dead? Of course he does! But, he knows that it is through the power of the crucified Christ on the cross that the bonds of sin and death are broken. As Paul says in verse 24, Christ crucified is the "power of God".

1 Cor 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Again, didn't Paul know that Jesus had risen from the dead? Of course, he did.

Paul preaches Christ crucified because an empty cross has no power. The cross that bears the beaten, battered, and bloodied body of Jesus Christ, however, that cross is the "power of God". This is why, we "keep Jesus on the cross," because we, too, preach Christ crucified. The Crucifix reminds us not only of God's power, but also His love for us - giving His only begotten Son up for suffering and death.

Also, here in this life we do not share so much in the glory of the Resurrection, as we do in the suffering of Jesus on the cross; after all, we must take up our cross daily if we are to follow Jesus, as it says in Lk 9:23.

And, we must die with Christ in order to live with Him as Romans 6:8 tells us. Where did Christ die? On the cross. The Crucifix serves to remind us of these things.

One other passage to keep in mind is Galatians 3:1, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?" Did you catch that? Jesus was publicly portrayed, before their "eyes", as being crucified. Sounds kind of like they may have been looking at a Crucifix, doesn't it?"
http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/2min_apologetics.php?id=6

Answer 8

It is my understanding that some Protestants originally did not wish to show an idol and have since shown the cross without Jesus because 'He is risen'. Be Blessed

Answer 9

Catholics have Jesus on their crucifixes to remind them that Jesus died for our sins. Protestants have an empty cross to remind us that after Jesus died, he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Both are signifcant events that are central to Chritianity. I'm Protestant, myself, btw, just as a matter of disclosure. I find that one is not better than the other. They are just icons that remind us of different parts of Christ's death and resurrection.

Answer 10

Some do. I'm Lutheran and some lutheran churches do. Most dont because Catholics "crucify" Jesus at every mass.