It’s very common for churches to drape the cross in their sanctuaries with white cloth during the Easter season. It reminds us that when the women arrived at the tomb that first Easter morning the only thing they found were Jesus’ burial cloths. The angel told them that Jesus was not there because he had risen.

While visiting St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Liberty, Missouri during the Easter season this year I found they had a unique way of draping the white cloth on their cross.

As the photo indicates, the cloth was draped around the cross but in the middle was a crown of thorns. This is a very powerful reminder of both the death and resurrection of Jesus. As 2 Corinthians 5:15 points out, the two events go hand in hand:

“And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

Verses like this remind us that our faith is simple. Jesus died for us, so we no longer live for ourselves but for him. And this points to the resurrection because we wouldn’t live for Jesus if he was still dead. We live for one who truly did die but rose again. This is why we keep both Jesus’ death and his resurrection foremost in our minds.