Have you ever seen the white or colored scarf draped across the cross? Do you know what this means or where it came from?
The Shrouded Cross is a cross adorned with the burial shroud draped over the cross; it is believed that it was the napkin that lay across His face, folded and set to the side in the tomb when Christ rose from the dead.
Some people believe that Christ, Himself, took that cloth and laid it across the cross to show that He was risen from the dead. That is nowhere in the Bible! So, where did this idea come from?
In the days before Easter, Christian crosses draped with colored cloth is a common sight, and each church has their own traditional colors they use. When Easter Sunday arrives, churches change the purple or black drapes to white, representing purity and Christ's resurrection. Catholic traditions have seeped into Protestant denominations, draped in purple, the color of the Lenten Season, this cloth will remain on the Cross from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (the day the Catholics believe to be the Last Supper) to remind us of the Season of preparing for Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. On Good Friday (the day the Catholics believe to be the date of the crucifixion) through Saturday (the Catholic Day of Silence) they will be draped in black. Easter Sunday though Ascension Day, the white cloth will remain on the crosses. The crosses will then be rendered barren until the next Lenten Season. This time period is known on the old Catholic liturgical calendar as Passiontide.
The modern color sequence of the Roman Catholic Church was first outlined in Pope Innocent III’s treatise De Sacro Altaris Mysterio (Book I, chapter 65, written before his election as pope in 1198 AD). That's over a thousand years after Christ was crucified! In the later Middle Ages other colors were used in various churches, such as blue for certain feasts of the Virgin Mary and rose color on the third Sunday in Advent and the fourth Sunday in Lent.
Pope Innocent III ordered the destruction of Christians in southern France. He burned down the city and 20,000 residents killed after a papal legate declared, "Slaughter them all!" He was responsible for raising troops to fight the Fourth Crusade, which killed thousands of people. He used his religious and political authority to demand that the secular rulers of Europe follow his wishes. Not a very "innocent" person.
He was an anti-Semite! “Blasphemers of the Christian name (Jews) ought not to be aided by Christian princes to oppress the servants of the Lord but ought rather be forced into the servitude of which they made themselves deserving."
It was through this man that the ordered annual confession of sins was instituted. Before this time people didn't confess their sins to a priest. It was common knowledge that God alone could forgive sins.
What do the Catholics believe happened to this bloody man? After his death, Innocent III was believed to be in purgatory because it is said that he appeared to St. Lutgarda in her monastery at Aywieres, Brabant, engulfed in flames.
Why would the "vicar of Christ" need to spend time in purgatory? I scratch my head at some of these ideas. But I guess the real question is why do so many Christians accept the traditions of Catholicism into their services?
There is no Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, or Lent in the Bible.
There's no way that Christ died on the cross on Friday and then spent 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb- anyone who can do basic math should be able to figure out that is impossible!
There's also no purgatory, no limbo, no infant baptism, or other such teachings in the Bible, nor is there any reference to the idea of such things.
So, why do some churches accept, and even teach, these traditions as facts?
It all boils down to lazy Bible teaching and even lazier Bible studying.
Matthew 15:3- But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Mark 7:9- And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Those who twist Scripture to fit in “traditions” are doing exactly what the religious leaders of Christ’s day did. They rejected Truth because they would have to admit they were taught wrong. They would rather crucify the Son of God than change their long-standing, but misguided beliefs.
You may want to hold on to your teaching, but what will the cost be? You cannot invalidate or twist Scripture to make yourself feel good about the bad doctrine you’re holding onto with consequences!
Mark 7:13- Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
But why would people do this? There may be a few who are innocently fooled, but the majority are going along with the crowd because that's where they get their paychecks.
Colossians 2:8- Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The Pharisees and Saducees weren't concerned with whether they were going against God, they were worried about their position and power.
John 11:48- If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
Christ, Himself, said in Matthew 12:40- For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Christ died on Wednesday. He was buried on Wednesday. His body will stay in the tomb for 3 nights (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening from 6pm to 6 am) and three days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 6am to 6pm). And then He will resurrect on Saturday evening after 6PM.
The stone gets rolled away from the door in the morning as the women were coming to the tomb- that's why people believe and teach that He rose on Sunday morning. The tomb was already empty!
Luke 24:1-3- Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
The stone was rolled away to let them see inside the tomb, not to let Jesus out. He walked through locked doors when the disciples were huddled in a room scared, why would He need the stone removed so He could walk out?
Luke 24:5-7- And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
The angels even reiterate that He would rise again the third day. But, sadly there will be many who will hold to their traditions and view this as the disciples did.
Luke 24:11- And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
One day, you will stand before God and He will ask you the same thing He asked the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Luke 24:25- Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Those who hold to Catholic traditions to be more inclusive must one day come to the realization that they allowed people to be deceived so they could get along with the religious crowd. Where will you draw the line and tell the truth?
Infant baptism won't save your soul.
You can't do whatever you want on a Tuesday and then get ashes on your head Wednesday, give up some things for 40 days, and be absolved of your sin.
Praying to Mary is useless because she was a mortal human who also needed a Savior.
There is no rosary mentioned anywhere in the Bible, and vain repetitious prayers are warned against in Scriptures.
II Peter 2:3- And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
You have a choice to study the Scriptures and stand for truth, or spout what you were taught like a parrot without ever checking it out by the Word. Whatever your choice, God will hold you accountable not only for what you teach, but also for all the souls you lead astray or to the truth.
