The traditional Christian view of Jesus’ death on the cross focuses heavily on an external, transactional dynamic –  appeasing an external deity’s wrath and Jesus taking on the punishment for humanity’s sin. It paints God as vengeful.

But when you shift the perspective to see the cross as a symbol, it opens up a metaphor for the surrender of the ego: Jesus’ crucifixion becomes a profound act of the dissolution of attachment to the separate self – an ego-based identity. The ego is that part of us that clings to separation, to a false sense of identity, to our wants, fears, and judgments. The emergence of the true essence, rising above the limitations of the ego, transcending death and the physical world’s constraints, is symbolized through the resurrection.

This way of looking at it, emphasizes the internal transformation of an individual. The cross becomes a symbol of spiritual awakening, where the small, limited self (the ego) is transcended, allowing the true, boundless essence of who we are to emerge. It’s a path to realizing one’s divinity through the death of the illusion of separateness.

The idea of a vengeful, reactionary (male) God is rooted in a time and culture that saw the world through a lens of hierarchy and dominance, projecting those patterns onto the divine. But when you see God as the essence that transcends individual identities and forms, it opens up a much more expansive, inclusive, and benevolent view of the Divine.

It is not distant or punitive – it’s the fabric that connects everything, the underlying truth of our being. We are invited to recognize that we are an expression of this same essence, this same divine force. There’s no “us” and “God” in the separate sense. It’s a realization of unity, not a submission to an external power.

This ties to the idea of the ego’s death. The ego is the part of us that resists dissolution of identity or, in other words, oneness, that holds on to separateness, individuality, and control. When the ego dies, we awaken to that deeper truth – that we are not separate from the Divine. And in that realization, there’s no need for sacrifice or punishment. Instead, it’s about liberation and remembrance of who we truly are.

This idea challenges traditional views, it feels like the truest path – one where we don’t need to fear a divine wrath but can instead embrace the divine nature within ourselves and others.