The "empty Easter cross" myth

American Protestants often rationalize their aversion to the crucifix by claiming that the empty cross symbolizes the resurrection. That, of course, is nonsense. If Jesus had rotted away in the tomb, the cross would still have been empty.

Actually, the crucifix symbolizes the scandalous fact that this visible, touchable human being is truly God, with all the prerogatives of being God available to Him- and truly present in the Eucharist. That is why Reformed Protestantism originally objected to putting the corpus on the cross. In its bondage to Platonic categories, it can't finally handle the implications of the Incarnation.

There is no logic in insisting that His presence in the Supper is only symbolic unless one wants to deny the Incarnation itself. No, the human nature of Christ doesn't assume the attributes of the divine nature. It's just that Jesus Himself has the attributes of both. And you can't have one nature without also having the other.

This is why I, as a Lutheran, wear a crucifix around my neck and so many Lutheran churches have them on their altars. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with having an empty cross, either- as long as it isn't meant to symbolize the Nestorian heresy, that is.

It's just Chalcedon, folks. You shouldn't confuse or conflate the two natures, but neither can you separate them. Where the human is, there is the divine- and vice versa.

Two natures- but only one Jesus. Two natures always to be distinguished- but never to be separated.