THE POWER OF THE CROSS
I
think I am a good and confident driver in general, but I get overwhelmed when
driving in downtown Boston. It is like driving through a maze. Even more so
when I walk through the financial district of Boston, looking at the tall,
high-rise buildings where life-altering financial decisions are made. Walking
through Tremont Temple Street, I feel like a dwarf surrounded by giants. The Power
of commerce and finance intimidates me and makes me wonder who I am.
What
is our small Hope Church? What Christian gospel am I trying to preach? How
could I reach those highly intellectual and successful people? That's what was
happening in the Corinthian church. They were intimidated by all the talk of
so-called intelligent people who said the Cross is foolishness. Paul writes to
the Corinthian believers not to believe their sayings, because they have never
been true and are not true today. God has a different message for us!
God
is going to expose how foolish the Wisdom of worldly men and women actually is.
And he is going to display the Power of the message of the Cross to those being
saved and, through them, to the World. We will explore The Power Of The
Cross. I Corinthians 1:18-25
I. Man's
Fall & God's Restoration.
In the middle of the Garden of Eden, God planted two
Trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He
wanted to test the first couple; he commanded the man, saying, "You are
free to eat from any tree except from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil." Believing the Devil's lies, Adam and Eve disobeyed God's commandment,
ate from the forbidden tree, and became aware of good and evil.
Instead
of disciplining them for their disobedience, God has put into motion a
restoration plan. Genesis 3:15, "And I will make enemies of you and the woman, And
of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you
shall bruise Him on the heel." (NASB). God's restoration plan will be
fulfilled only in Jesus, who was the Seed of the woman.
We
see in Jesus' day that many Jewish people, though they read Genesis 3:15, did
not understand that Jesus was the Messiah who came to restore people to God.
Even today, many Jewish people don't believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and
Muslims only see Him as one of the prophets. The Cross and the Message of the
Cross remain stumbling blocks for them. Who will open their blind eyes and help
them understand what Christ has done for them on the Cross?
II.
The Message of the Cross
I
Corinthians 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness for those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
The message of the Cross here refers to God's revelation of the gospel in its
fullness. The gospel is God's redemptive plan and provision for sinners, which
was centered in the incarnation and crucifixion of Christ.
The
Apostle Paul was resolved only to know and preach Jesus, and Him crucified.
(2:2) But not everybody, everywhere eagerly accepted the message of the Cross.
For those who were perishing, it sounded rather foolish; hence, they rejected
it vehemently. But for those who were being saved, it was God's Power unto salvation;
hence, they believed and gladly accepted it.
Paul
reminded the Corinthians that God destroyed those who merely worshipped God
with their lips but not their hearts. Because they relied on human Wisdom, Isaiah
29:14, "therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this
people,.. and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of
their discerning men shall be hidden." ESV
The
main reason for the Israelites' folly was their reliance on human rather than
divine Wisdom. It was the same reason for the Greeks' downfall in Paul's time.
The ultimate fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy will occur when Christ establishes
his kingdom.
Rev
17:14, "Together they (rulers) will go to war against the Lamb, but the
Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings.
And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him."
III.
God's Challenge To Those Relying On Earthly Wisdom.
I
Corinthians 1:20, "Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the
law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the Wisdom
of the World?" Paul was reminding the Corinthian believers that God
challenged people who relied on their wise men, teachers of the law, and philosophers
who were great at arguing.
While
saying, " Where is the wise person, Paul paraphrases Isaiah 19:12, where
the Egyptian wisemen were helpless to deal with a crisis because they were
ignorant of God's plans against Egypt. God sent a spirit of confusion to
frustrate the wisemen of Egypt.
In
Biblical history, we read that God used this modus operandi whenever people
relied on human Wisdom and went against God's plans. For example, at the
construction of the Tower of Babel, he confused the languages of the people to
disrupt their plans to build a tower. (Gen 11:7). While interpreting the dreams
of King Pharaoh, the wise men of Egypt couldn't deliver the correct
interpretation, but God used Joseph to provide it, saving humankind. ( Gen 41:16),
etc.
Human
Wisdom is always unreliable and inadequate for knowing God and for the
salvation of humanity. The leaders and experts around the World think they can
fix the God-sized complex problems of the World, such as poverty, disease,
hunger, and global crises of war, climate change, crime, and violence, with
their human Wisdom and ingenuity. But can they really? While they may succeed
in a limited manner, they cannot completely eradicate these systemic problems.
Then who can save humanity and set all the wrongs right?
"If
our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If
our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If
our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our
greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our
greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour." —Roy Lessin.
While some wisemen, rich people, and the philosophers reject the message of the
Cross for their folly, those who believe are saved. The apostle Paul did not
rely on human Wisdom while preaching the message of the Cross, lest its Power
would be emptied. Instead, he relied on divine Wisdom. Let's see what that
Power Of The Cross is.
IV.
The Power Of The Cross
Visual
symbols are powerful as they reflect our deeply held religious, cultural
beliefs, and human experiences. Latin Cross. The Cross is the most well-known Christian
symbol and represents Christ's sacrifice. The T-shaped Cross has become the
ultimate symbol of Christianity. The tradition of Christians wearing a cross to
identify their faith began in the 2nd century CE when Christianity was still
outlawed in Rome."[1]
Just
to be clear, the object of the Cross in and of itself is not powerful, but it
is a powerful reminder of what Christ has done on the Cross to save humanity.
He offered himself on the Cross as an ultimate sacrifice once and for all for
the forgiveness of the sins of humanity. The Cross of Christ is a powerful
symbol of Christianity for several reasons.
First, Christ has the Power to save all humanity.
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." ESV
Colossians 1:20, "And through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by
the blood of his Cross."
Second, Christ showed us what love is on
the Cross and gave us the Power to love others. John 3:16, "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life." ESV
John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
ESV
Third, Christ gives us the Power to forgive others as he forgave
his enemies. Luke 23:34. "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do." ESV. Eph 4:32"Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." ESV.
Fourth: Christ gives us the Power to endure hardships. Hebrews 12:2-3
"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is seated
at the right hand of the throne of God." ESV.
Here
are a few takeaways. Let us not rely on our human Wisdom, as it is often
inadequate. We will rely upon the Wisdom that comes from above when it comes to
loving and obeying Christ. Our crucified
and risen Savior is our model. Let's resolve to follow Him closely and to live
a life that exemplifies. So that the World will know we are Christ's disciples.
