It is quite common to assume that someone is a Christian when we see a cross hanging around their neck. Similarly, when we spot a cross atop a building or on its facade, we may presume it to be a church. The symbol of the cross being a representation of Christianity is deeply rooted in the minds of people. But has it always been this way? Why has the cross become central to the faith of many Christians? And how did it come to hold such significance? If we believe in God, these are important questions to consider.

God’s Commandment Regarding Idolatry

Christians who follow the Ten Commandments given by God would know the second commandment which forbids worshipping idols.

Exodus 20:4-5 You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…

Exodus 20:4-5 (New Living Translation) You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them…

In this command, God makes it clear that we must never bow down nor worship anything in the form of a created object. Additionally, we must also not create idols in the form of anything. Can we say that the cross is exempt from the command not to make an idol in the form of anything?

It’s important to ask if the cross is just being used as an object of decoration, and would it not fall under the same category of idolatry that God warns against? By forging the cross or using it in a manner related to worshipping God, and even to remember God would turn it into an idol.

Let’s explore further with a few more verses on idolatry.

Leviticus 26:1 Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God.

In this passage, God reinforces the command: we are not to make idols—whether they are carved images, sacred pillars, or sculpted stones—and worship them. The following verses show that these objects, made from wood, stone, or metal, hold no divine power in themselves.

Jeremiah 10:2-5 This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”

Here, the prophet Jeremiah highlights the futility of idols—objects made from wood or metal, adorned with precious materials, but lifeless and incapable of doing anything. We might be reminded of a similar scene today: people placing crosses in their cars, wearing them as charms, or even using them in the hope of warding off evil. However, as Jeremiah points out, these acts of idol reverence are ultimately worthless. The objects themselves cannot protect us, nor can they harm us—they are just inanimate objects.

Looming Destruction for Those Who Worship Idols

Given God’s consistent commands against idol worship, we must take His instructions seriously. What happens to those who, despite knowing that the cross holds no inherent power to save, insist on giving it sacred reverence?

Deuteronomy 27:15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

Deuteronomy 27:15 (Good News Translation) “‘God’s curse on anyone who makes an idol of stone, wood, or metal and secretly worships it; the LORD hates idolatry.’ “And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

In this verse, God makes it clear that anyone who creates an idol—whether from stone, wood, or metal—brings a curse upon themselves. Such actions are detestable in His eyes. So, how can these individuals expect to be saved? Those who engage in idol worship risk being rejected by God, leading to their own destruction.

Jeremiah 2:27-28 They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.

In this passage, we see that the Israelites, despite claiming to worship God, turned to idols made of wood and stone. When they found themselves in distress, they turned to these lifeless idols for help. But God, seeing their idolatry, ignored their pleas. As a result, they lost His blessings.

Similarly, today, many people commit the same error by elevating the cross—an object crafted by human hands—into an idol. Churches that worship the cross are going directly against God’s teachings. As a result, those who attend such churches cannot expect God’s blessings. The cross, like any idol, has no power to save.

Use of the Cross in Ancient Civilizations and Christian History

The cross was not originally a Christian symbol. In fact, it was used long before the Christian era. The use of the cross by churches today has its roots in the ancient Babylonian Tau cross.

The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by Paganism to the same magic purposes, was honoured with the same honours. That which is now called the Christian cross was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians — the true original form of the letter T — the initial of the name of Tammuz— which, in Hebrew, radically the same as ancient Chaldee, as found on coins…

Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, page 197

This mystical symbol, the Tau cross, had no Christian origins but was associated with ancient idol worship.

Moreover, the Roman Empire adopted the use of the cross for executions as early as the 6th century BCE. Before Christianity was legalized in Rome, Christians were often persecuted and crucified. Crucifixion was the very method used to execute Jesus Christ. In such a context, the idea of beautifying the cross would have been far from the minds of those who witnessed such brutal executions.

The public use of the cross was adopted by the Christians as a symbol at the time of Constantine. For the early Christians, surrounded by crucifixion as a grim fact of common experience, there was no danger of beautifying the cross by sentiment.

Everett F. Harrison, Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, page 152

It wasn’t until Constantine legalized Christianity in the early 4th century CE, and eventually banned crucifixion, that the cross began to be seen in a more decorative light. Constantine’s Edict of Milan in AD 313 officially allowed Christianity to be practiced without fear of persecution. However, as Christianity gained favor and the church became more intertwined with Roman politics, it also became secularized. In an effort to make the faith more appealing to pagans, Christian leaders began to adopt pagan symbols, including the cross.

This transition is documented in Harper’s Book of Facts: A Classified History of the World, which notes that crosses began to appear in church architecture around AD 431 and were later placed on church steeples by AD 568. By the time of Constantine’s rule, the cross, once a symbol of suffering and death, has become a widely accepted Christian emblem.

Crosses in churches and chambers were introduced about 431; and set up on steeples about 568.

Harper’s Book of Facts: A Classified History of the World, page 212

Thus, the cross was not a central symbol of the faith during the Apostolic Age. Instead, it was a later addition to Christian practice, introduced as the church became secularized under Roman influence. In truth, the cross as we know it today was not associated with Christianity until around 300 years after the death of Jesus.

Cross Reverence Prophesied Through the History of Israel

The use of the cross in churches today was prophesied through an incident in the history of Israel.

Numbers 21:4-6 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

The Israelites had complained repeatedly, and in response, God sent venomous snakes that bit and killed many of them. Realizing their sin, the people repented and begged Moses to pray for their deliverance. God, in His mercy, provided a way for them to be saved.

Numbers 21:7-9 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

While the bronze snake itself held no power to heal, God’s word was clear: “Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” It was only by God’s decree that the people were saved, not by the bronze snake itself. Unfortunately, the Israelites misunderstood, and they began to worship the bronze snake as a symbol of salvation, even after their deliverance.

2 Kings 18:3-4 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

The Israelites worshipped the bronze snake for over 800 years, from Moses’ time until the reign of King Hezekiah. After he restored true worship by celebrating the Passover (see 2 Chronicles 30), King Hezekiah destroyed the bronze snake, calling it Nehushtan, which means “a piece of bronze.” This action was seen as righteous in God’s eyes, for the bronze snake had become an idol. If the bronze snake were truly a divine object of salvation, God would have punished Hezekiah for destroying it, but instead, God approved of the king’s actions. This event underscores that the bronze snake was never meant to be worshiped, but was merely a tool used by God.

In the same way, today the cross is often reverenced and worshipped as a symbol of salvation, but the cross itself is not the means of our salvation. As Jesus Himself pointed out:

John 3:14-15 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

Jesus draws a parallel between the bronze snake and His own crucifixion. Just as the Israelites were saved by God’s instruction to look at the bronze snake, so we are saved by the sacrifice of Christ, who was lifted up on the cross for our sins. But just as the bronze snake was not the source of salvation, neither is the cross. It is not the object that saves, but the act of God’s sacrifice.

Sadly, much like the Israelites who worshipped the bronze snake, Christians today have neglected the true meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice—symbolized by the Passover—and instead have come to revere the cross itself. This parallels the Israelites’ idolatry, where they placed their faith in a mere object rather than in God’s word. Jesus instituted the Passover to help us remember His sacrifice (Luke 22:15-20), yet many overlook this command in favor of revering the cross as reflected in the prophecy.

As we see from the historical example of the bronze snake, idolatry leads to destruction. We must reject all forms of idol worship, including the cross, and instead follow God’s commands, as King Hezekiah did. By keeping the Passover, we honor God’s new covenant and receive the true salvation He offers.