Dear Visitor!
During your walk, you have now encountered the sign of the cross in the garden. It is no coincidence: the cross is one of the most important symbols of Christianity, and especially of the Evangelical tradition.
But what does this symbol mean to us? Why do we encounter it in our churches, in our homes, or even in nature, in the garden? We would like to briefly share some thoughts about this.
The most important symbol of our Evangelical Church, and of Christianity as a whole, is the cross. It has its place on the altar, on church towers, in our homes and offices, at the edges of our fields and on our estates, because it reminds us of the center of our faith: the death of Christ
To understand why, let us briefly return to the founder of our Evangelical Church, Martin Luther.
He summarized our most important teachings in four points:
„Sola” principles
1.“Sola Scriptura” – Scripture alone
The Bible is the only authority and standard in matters of faith.
Good works do not save us; a person is justified by faith. Good deeds are the fruits of faith in our lives.
- Salvation cannot be earned; it is a free gift from God to all people.
- Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity.
The symbol of our faith in Christ is the cross. It reminds us of His suffering and His redeeming death. It reminds us that we could never earn salvation through our own merits or actions, for none of us is perfect. Day by day, we sin in thought, word, and deed.
The inclination toward evil is inherently within us. We do not learn it—it simply becomes part of our nature.
In the time of the Old Testament, the chosen people offered sacrifices to God for their sins. The punishment that humanity should have borne for its unbelief and sins against one another was carried by the sacrificial animals. The people of God did this with sincere repentance—at least for a time. However, the ritual became empty, soulless, and meaningless, and God grew weary of it.
Once and for all, He made the greatest sacrifice for humanity: He gave the life of His only Son for all of us.
He handed Him over to human hatred and anger, which ultimately led Him to the cross, so that one might die for the salvation of all.
For God so loved the world—and within it, us, who are far from perfect—that He gave His Son for us.
Yet the story did not end there: on the third day after His death, God raised Christ from the dead, so that we may trust not only in this passing, earthly life, but also in the life to come—eternal life.
