Why do Catholics have a crucifix instead of an empty cross? Protestants typically use an empty cross to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the belief that He has risen from the dead and is alive, no longer on the cross. This empty cross serves as a sign of victory over sin and death, highlighting the foundational Christian belief in the living, resurrected Christ and His promise of eternal life for believers. Catholics use and wear a crucifix, which depicts Christ on the cross, to emphasize that His work of salvation was accomplished through His crucifixion, reflecting the deep significance of His sacrifice for humanity’s redemption.
Among the seven last words of Jesus, the phrase “Τετέλεσται – ‘Tetelestai,'” recorded in the Gospel of John (19:30), translates to “It is finished.” This momentous declaration from the cross signifies the completion of His salvific mission. The term “Τετέλεσται” is rendered in the Greek perfect tense, a detail of profound significance within the New Testament framework. The perfect tense denotes an action completed in the past with enduring effects into the present and future, highlighting the perpetual impact of Jesus’ redemptive work.
When Jesus utters “Τετέλεσται” (“It is finished”), this proclamation transcends a mere conclusion, a basic completed act, but serving instead as a profound declaration that His redemptive mission is entirely fulfilled with its ramifications enduring eternally. The most accurate translation is: “It is finished, and its effects endure forever.” This singular expression encapsulates the totality of His salvific act, underlining both its adequacy and the lasting influence of salvation and reconciliation it secures between humanity and the divine. It stands as a deep affirmation of triumph over sin and death, asserting that the pathway to human salvation requires no further action, for Jesus has conclusively fulfilled it.
For Kathryn Tanner, the profound theological insights encapsulated in “Τετέλεσται” and the symbolism of the crucifix could underscore her innovative approach to Christian theology that emphasizes the unmerited gift of grace and the non-competitive relationship between divine and human agency. Tanner’s theology, which focuses on the gratuitous nature of grace as fundamentally transformative and liberating, finds a powerful illustration in the notion that Christ’s redemptive work is fully accomplished and its effects are eternal. This understanding supports her argument that God’s grace works in continuity with human freedom, enhancing rather than diminishing human agency. The completed and ongoing effect of Christ’s work on the cross exemplifies Tanner’s vision of grace as enabling humans to participate in the divine life without competition or contradiction, highlighting the inseparable link between the divine gift of salvation and human flourishing.
The crucifix, representing Christ’s sacrifice, and the declaration “Τετέλεσται” (“It is finished”), signifying the completion and eternal impact of His redemptive work, together encapsulate a profound theological truth. They affirm the belief in Jesus Christ’s definitive act of salvation through His crucifixion, a moment that transcends time with its ongoing effects of grace and reconciliation. This duality of the crucifix and the perfect tense of “Τετέλεσται” profoundly illustrates the Christian narrative of redemption, where the past action of Christ’s sacrifice continues to imbue the present and future with its transformative power. In this light, Kathryn Tanner’s theological insights, which emphasize grace’s unmerited and transformative nature within the non-competitive dynamics of divine-human interaction, find a vivid echo in the enduring efficacy of Christ’s salvific work, as symbolized by the crucifix and articulated through “Τετέλεσται.”
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