When you mention the cross today you get all sorts of reactions. Some look at it as a crutch for those who are weak. They view it as foolishness, something people want to identify with to make them fit with a group of people that make them feel good. Others mock it and see it as something that gets in the way of their personal desires and comfort. Yet, for millions, it is life, full and rich in blessings, and hope for the future.
How could one symbol of two pieces of wood in the position of a cross mean so many different things to so many different people? Since the beginning of the fall of man in the garden, when Eve listened to the voice of Satan, and he convinced her God was holding out on her, man’s heart has been full of deceit and pride. All our life is either spent building up that pride, seeking to “do it our way,” or seeking to “push out the pride,” and submit humbly to God. It was no different in Paul’s ministry over 2000 years ago.
In I Corinthians 1:17-31 Paul preaches this very topic.
I Corinthians 1:17-18 “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Paul had been brought up a Jew with the very best teaching. He had been taught at the feet of Gamaliel a Jewish doctor of the law, and a Pharisee by profession and sect. He was a man that was held in high esteem. He must have been a great orator because in Acts 5:34 he stands and speaks to the Jews and convinces them not to put the disciples to death. He tells them if what they are teaching is wrong it will come to nothing, but if it is of God no man can stop it. He was not seeking to listen and follow, but trying to prevent a riot to moderate the fury of these bigots, and stop the violence of the prosecution. Little did Gamaliel know the truth of this statement. When God is in something you cannot stop it! You may kill the messenger, but the truth will be carried on.
Paul was determined to preach the gospel as a simple truth. He was trained and could have used all sorts of flowery words and techniques to gain attention, but chose rather to present the truth so that it was simple enough for anyone to understand. We had a pastor years ago that was very intelligent, and a great orator, but one of his sayings that stuck with me was, “I speak not just to be understood, but to make sure I am not misunderstood.” If we all spoke that way today the media would become obsolete!
Paul did not want the cross of Christ to be of no effect. He feared the success would be ascribed to the talent and ability he had to use words in an enticing manner. He was determined to let the truth of the cross be heard. He wanted the plain truth of the crucified Jesus to be spoken in such a way the listeners could not misunderstand who Jesus is, and what the cross had brought to a sinful people. If he had spoken, as he had been taught, the gospel may have become no more than a successful speech, and the honor of the cross would be diminished.
Paul preached this simple message to any who would listen. The Greeks were a group of people that had many gods. Much like today, there are religions with false gods of all sorts. Some have statues that they pray to that are representations of their man-declared saints. Others such as Hindus have many gods they pray to and they continue to add gods to their list. These religions are much like those in Acts 17 on Mars Hill that were very superstitious. They were afraid they had missed a god, so they even had a place and a plaque for “the unknown god.”
The Jews were a group of people, much like the orthodox Jews of today, that were very steeped in culture and tradition. A Christ, born in a stable, to a young Jewish girl and a carpenter, did not fit their profile for their expected Messiah. He was a stumbling block to them. They could not get over it. They were a very proud people. They wanted God to send them a Messiah that would reign upon an earthly throne and oppress those who had oppressed them. They were not seeking a Savior that would free them from the rituals of the law and be the Savior of all mankind. They wanted a Savior that would exalt them and be their champion to greater pride, not one to which they could worship in humility. They despised Jesus and looked upon him as appalling, dreadful, awful, and terrible. This man was hung on a tree. He died the death of a criminal, yet he had never done anything wrong.
To the Greeks, he was mere foolishness. They laughed at the story of a crucified Savior. They despised the apostles’ way of telling it. They were men of wit. Men of much learning of the sciences, and for years they had been the epitome of an educated man. There was nothing about the plain message of the cross that enticed them. They mocked the message of a man that could save them, but could not save himself from death on a cross. They too were steeped in pride. There must be a more majestic way to die and go to heaven. Someone they could follow in a dignified manner. They thought it mere stupidity to believe such a doctrine and give high regard to such a man. Like many today they will be led by their pride and arrogance, and refuse the simple truth of a loving God. A God who was willing to send His only Son to die, and pay the debt of sin for them.
Is the cross foolishness to you, or a stumbling block? Despite all the knowledge and learning that God has afforded to man, millions upon millions still see the truth of this loving Jesus as a mere story. They run to books, doctors, fortune tellers, spas, and those who preach a gospel that makes them feel good about themselves. They seek a way to know God without having to submit to His authority. A head belief where you believe the facts of the crucifixion, but have never surrendered their heart and will. They don’t want a bloody Savior on a cross, they want a King that will make them rich and powerful. A King that will exalt them.
God has not changed, and the truth of the gospel has not changed. Jesus, God’s Son left the splendor of Heaven to come to die on a cross to offer us salvation if we would come to Him in repentance and surrender our will to His will.
So, where do you fit? Is the cross foolishness to you? If you do profess Christianity do you seek a leader that is rich and powerful? Telling you what you want to hear while taking your money to live a life of luxury? Do you spend excessive amounts of money to try to satisfy your soul, living on the surface of life and never getting to the heart of your issues?
There is no need to keep looking for answers to life’s problems. Jesus is, and always will be the answer. The love letter he wrote to us is the Bible. All throughout its pages, you will find the story of man’s redemption. He is waiting for you to surrender to Him. He has made it simple enough for a child to understand because He wants no one to perish and go to Hell. However, he wants you to love him and choose Him by your own choice. For those who are reading and have already chosen Him, he seeks your full daily surrender to His will for your life. Everyone who reads this today will make one of these choices. Either by submitting or omitting, both are choices!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Galatians 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”
