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I’m not being sarcastic, just drawing a parallel: He is no longer in a Manger, either. Do you keep Christmas?

I don't detect any sarcasm.

I DO celebrate Christmas.

Did you have the impression that I have a problem with the cross? Earlier, I wrote this: I love the cross - but my Savior is not on it anymore!

In that post I made a comparison of the words "crucify" and "raised" in the New Testament. Did you see it? What do you think?

The issue in this thread is not "What's the power of the Cross?" The depth and meaning of the Cross is immense.

The question is "Why Do Catholics Keep Christ on the Cross?"

For me, the answer has to do with the eternal perspective. He died to pay for the sins of the world: past, present, and future. God's love is so great that he sent His Son to pay the price for my sin. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin."

I am saying absolutely NOTHING that diminishes the cross.

I am saying (and you can see God's perspective on the subject by studying those 41 verses), the POWER for the believer's new life is in Christ's resurrection and ascension. That's why we celebrate on Easter Sunday.

Good Friday is a somber time of remembrance. For the only time in eternity the Father turned his back on the Son because of MY sin. That is where the real suffering was. And if it had not been for that, the debt would still be mine to bear (God will turn his back on all who do not accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.)

If you're still reading: thank you. You asked specifically about Christmas. Romans 6:3,4 says
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

Notice the believer's "identification" (some call it the "exchanged life") with Christ's death, burial and resurrection? Believers have been resurrected to new life with Christ. That perspective is an eternal perspective and it ends with my resurrected life - and later my ascended life, by the way ("glorification.")

Again, I am not diminishing the cross. If you think that, then you're wrong. I am saying that Christ was taken off the cross before the sun set. He was immediately buried in a tomb and three days later He rose from the dead. About 40 days later, He ascended into heaven. He is seated on the right hand of the Father.

I don't think of Christ eternally on the Cross. When I see the cross, I see the cost.

When I see the throne, I see my Lord and Savior. The manger is empty. The cross is empty. The tomb is empty. The throne is too magnificent to imagine - because of His Glorious presence!

Thank you for taking the time to answer as you did. In previous threads I've had people actually show contempt for the Corpus of Jesus on the Crucifix: one even called It a "thingy", even after I said that was disrespectful. The person saw it as sadistic and morbid, where I find it am inspiration (check out my previous post). When I said there could be no Resurrection without Calvary, I got mocked. The poster chose only to embrace the Risen Christ; since you mentioned a broader spectrum of Jesus' Life, I wanted to know what you thought about embracing His whole life. The whole reason I asked was because you didn't have a problem with the idea of the Crucified.

Thanks and God bless you!