Page 1 of 11 *THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and
Page 2 of 11 redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." NIV For a Jew to die on a Roman cross for my sins seems utterly foolish to most people when they first hear of it. So why is the message of the cross of Christ so important? How do we help people who think that salvation through a crucified and resurrected man is an offense to reason and common sense to see the wisdom of it? *1. WHY IS THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST SO IMPORTANT? *(1.) THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS CENTRAL TO OUR SALVATION. *1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. NIV The message of the cross is the power of God to save us. Without Christ s death on the cross, God cannot save us. So for the one that rejects the cross of Christ there is no hope! There are not many ways to heaven. There is only one, the way of the cross of Christ.
Page 3 of 11 Without the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, humanity is lost. There would be no hope. Even though we were created by God s hands, we have all rebelled against God and sinned against him. There is not one righteous person that has ever lived that deserves to go to heaven. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. So we have all sinned. Without the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, we would all face the judgment of God and his punishment for our rebellion. T. S. THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST is central to our salvation and *(2.) THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS CENTRAL TO THE WORD OF GOD. *Luke 18:31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again." NIV In this passage, Jesus reveals that his purpose and mission was to go to the cross.
Page 4 of 11 -Christ s death on the cross and his resurrection is the central message of the New Testament. That is why Paul said For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 NIV -The cross of Christ is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices of the entire Old Testament. Those sacrifices were only a picture of Christ s sacrifice on the cross. Listen to what John the Baptist said in *John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! NIV T. S. THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST is central to our salvation and to the Word of God. So why is it viewed with skepticism by so many. *2. WHY IS THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST VIEWED BY SO MANY WITH SKEPTICISM? Paul illustrates the fact that many of the most educated and influential do not respond to the message of the cross of Christ in *1 Corinthians 1:26 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families.
Page 5 of 11 *27 Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, 28 chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? *29 That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. 30 Everything that we have right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language) T.S. So why do so many respond with skepticism? *(1.) THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH. *1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, NIV For the person who thinks he is good enough to go to heaven on his own, the cross seems foolish. Why do you need the cross of Christ if you can get to heaven by your own good works? This was the mindset of the teachers of the law and Pharisees in the days of the New Testament. There are many today who think like the Pharisees. They think, I am a pretty good person. Why wouldn t God let me into heaven? Besides, I am much better than that person over there. Many people think that God grades on the curve. Only the 10% of people that are real bad go to hell. I just have to be better than them.
Page 6 of 11 ILL. It is like the two guys hiking through Yellow Stone. One guy says, Aren t there grizzly bears around here? Yep! Well aren t you afraid? Nope, I can run faster than you. That s the way many people think it is with heaven. Listen to what Jesus said about the self-righteous Pharisees who thought they were so very good. *Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. NIV You see human effort to be good can only deal with the outside. It does not deal with the heart of a person. Only Christ s sacrifice on the cross can cleanse our heart and make it good. T.S. So why do so many respond with skepticism? *(2.) THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS NOT THE KIND OF MIRACLE THEY WANT. Look at I Corinthians 1:22 the "Jews demand miraculous signs " They were expecting a Messiah who would perform miracles to benefit them.
Page 7 of 11 Now the amazing thing is that Jesus performed many miracles - giving sight to the blind, making the lame to walk, and healing the lepers. His miracles were done for the poorest and the most destitute people. His final miracle was to rise from the dead. But those weren t the kinds of miracles they wanted. They wanted signs of power & success. They wanted a Messiah who would overthrow the Romans. They wanted a political messiah that would make them powerful rulers of the world. They wanted health, wealth, prosperity, and power. The miracle that people want today is for God to enable them to win the lottery. You see, dying on the cross doesn t look like success or power. It doesn t look like victory. It looks like weakness. It looks like failure. It looks like defeat. But what looks like weakness, foolishness, and failure to the world, is victory and power and wisdom. T.S. So why do so many respond with skepticism? *(3.) THEY BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS THE SOLUTION TO MAN S PROBLEMS. *Look at I Corinthians 1:22 the Greeks look for wisdom." The Greeks were the most educated people of that day. They produced men like Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle. Many of them we still read today.
Page 8 of 11 They were the great thinkers of that day. Socrates and Plato saw education as the secret to a successful society. They saw the goal of education to drag every man as far out of the cave of (ignorance) as possible. They believed that education had the power to produce the perfect society. The message of the cross contradicts this idea. While the Bible strongly encourages education and touts its benefits, it clearly demonstrates the limits of education. No amount of education will ever change the heart of a person. Only the cross of Christ can do that. Some believe that scientific knowledge and science are the answer to all of man s problems and the ultimate determiner of truth. They believe that anything that cannot be empirically proven is not true. Therefore, in their thinking, there is no such thing as a miracle. They don t believe the resurrection could have happened. God has given us plenty of evidence of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It is eyewitness testimonies and the historical record given in the Bible. It is the kind of evidence we accept in the courtroom every day. But you can t find God in a test tube. T.S. So why do so many respond with skepticism?
Page 9 of 11 T.S. So *3. HOW DO WE HELP PEOPLE RECEIVE THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST? How do we help people who think that salvation through a crucified and resurrected man is an offense to reason and common sense. How do we help them to see the wisdom of Christ s sacrifice on the cross? *(1.) BE PATIENT AND PREPARED If you were not raised in a Christian home, you probably did not understand the message of the cross when you first heard it. *1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, NIV Be prepared to answer their questions. That is one of the major reasons we study the Bible. Be gentle and respectful of their beliefs. No one is ever brought to faith in Christ by angry arguments and intimidation. Don t expect them to respond positively the first time you give them the message of the cross. Don t give up.
Page 10 of 11 *(2.) FOCUS ON THE LOVE OF GOD DEMONSTRATED IN THE CROSS. *That is what Jesus did with the Pharisee Nicodemus in John 3:16 he said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. NIV We need to let people know that God loves them so much he would rather die than let them go. The death of Christ on the cross demonstrates just how much God loves every person we meet. Focus on that. *(3.) LET THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST BE THE FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE. The passion, the persistence, and the diligence of the believer in communicating the message of the cross demonstrates its authenticity. Can you hear the passion of Paul in these words? 1 Corinthians 9:22 I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. NIV
Page 11 of 11 There was a man who lived in England his name was Charles Peace. A pastor visited him in prison prior to his execution and told him the message of the cross. Apparently the pastor did not seem to be very concerned about Charles and gave him the Gospel in a very dispassionate way. This was Charles response. Sir, I do not share your faith. But if I did if I believed what you say you believed then although England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would crawl the length and breadth of it on hand and knee and think the pain worthwhile, just to save a single soul from this eternal hell of which you speak. ~Charles Peace May our passion be equal to the message of the cross of Christ.