Names are powerful and important. God allowed Adam to name all the creatures that He Himself had made (Genesis 2:19-20). There is no other name except that of Jesus by which we can be saved (Acts 4:11-12). In fact, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow (Philippians 2:9-11).
In this series of posts, we will look at the names of Classic Christian Rock bands and what those names have to say about God.
From their 1985 EP Believe through 2013's live album Birth Pangs, Barren Cross has given us thundering rock, and nothing could be better than their 1986 anthem "Rock For The King." Along with pounding rhythm and hard-driving guitar, the band's name gives us something else. It is a vivid reminder of what Jesus did.
No one in the ancient Roman world would have understood why so many people wear crosses for jewelry. The cross was a particularly torturous form of execution. If Julius Caesar were to appear in the 21st century and see someone with a cross earring or necklace, he would have the same reaction as if we saw people with tiny electric chair, complete with sparkling diamonds, dangling from their ears or neck. Most of us would find it in poor taste at best. We would think it revolting and offensive.
And so the cross would have remained were it not for Jesus. Jesus died of suffocation on the cross as did countless criminals in the Roman Empire. His body was taken down, just as theirs were, and buried. The difference, of course, is that Jesus rose from His grave, a fact witnessed by more than five hundred people in just a little over a month after His death.
People may wear cross jewelry because they find it attractive, but the barren cross should always remind us of the supernatural fact of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a fact that guarantees eternal life for all who believe.
© Classic Christian Rock