In the Armenian Apostolic Church there are a few feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross. One of them is “Discovering the Cross” (Kyud Khatch) dedicated to the discovery of the cross of Jesus Christ in the fourth century by empress Helen, the mother of emperor Constantine. The other is the “Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak” affiliated with Hripsimite Virgins, who came to Christianize Armenia and dwelled on Mount Varak. Supposedly they carried a small wooden cross, a relic of the cross of Jesus. Because of their persecution and sudden flight, they hid the cross among the rocks of Mt. Varak. According to tradition, that cross was found in 563 by a hermit named Todik.
The most popular feast dedicated to the Holy Cross is Khachverats, the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross.” The story behind this celebration is the liberation of the cross from captivity. According to the story, the Persians invaded the Holy Land in 614 and, among other things, seized the cross of Jesus from Jerusalem. Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor, waged a war against the Persians, recaptured Palestine and “emancipated” the Holy Cross. He brought the cross to Constantinople, the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. Later, the cross was transferred to Jerusalem. Thereupon, an annual feast was set aside in the Christian calendar to commemorate the liberation event on September 14.
The Armenian church celebrates Khachverats on a Sunday between September 11 and 17. This year, the date falls on Sunday, September 15. Beyond the story of its liberation from the pagans, the feast of Khachverats has a message about what the cross of Christ really means to Christian believers.
What is the cross? Actually, it was an instrument of death. Throughout centuries, people have created different tools to execute criminals: the gallows to hang people, the guillotine, the firing squad, the electric chair, gas chamber and lethal injection. The cross was like any one of these, and even worse. Crucifixion was a terrible way of dying. The victim was nailed to the cross, exposed to the elements, experienced agonizing thirst and slowly and painfully died.
This was the way Christ died on the hill of Calvary 2,000 years ago. And here is the irony! The cross has been the focus of Christian worship as an emblem of adoration. Christians wear the cross, cherish it and sing praises to it.
Why do Christians cherish the cross? What is unique about the cross? The uniqueness of the cross is that Christ died for the sins of mankind. Jesus came to this world for the salvation of mankind. Because of their sinfulness, people crucified him.
The cross also is a symbol of sin. At the cross, we see the dark side of human nature and realize that it is in us all. All of us have been guilty of the same attitude and actions that nailed Christ to a cross.
Moreover, the cross is also a symbol of redemption. Nothing but Christ, who died on the cross, saves us from our sins. St. Paul states the matter with unmistakable clarity: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world into Himself.” (II Cor. 5:19).
Finally, the cross is a symbol of victory. On the hill of Golgotha, Christ’s tormentors ridiculed him saying, “He saved others, himself he cannot save.” But see what happened. His enemies gave him a cross; he turned it into a throne. He took this notorious instrument of execution and made it a symbol of redemption. He took this instrument of violence and turned it into a symbol of peace. Indeed, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. As an anonymous writer put it: “The cross became the highest display of God’s love, and the resurrection became the highest display of His power.”
St. Paul described the cross in a beautiful way when he wrote, “God exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him a name above every other name, so that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2: 9-10). Thus, the cross became a symbol of triumph, an emblem of adoration. The unspeakable tragedy of Christ’s crucifixion turned out to be his greatest triumph.
Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian
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