17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 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, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.Have you ever wondered why Christians put such emphasis on the cross? I mean at surface value it is an execution, and many people were put to death in this way. Obviously it isn't the crucifixion itself that holds the significance, but it is about the One who was placed there. Also, the focus is on "WHY" He was placed there. Jesus, the Son of God, was put there although He was guilty Himself of no crime. He was crucified as the supreme sacrifice for man's sin. So for many years that day was commemorated in Church history as Black Friday, but then it was realized that for mankind this was actually a good thing, so we began calling it Good Friday, or we realize that Christ's death was a good thing, for it led to His resurrection! So now when we look at the cross we are reminded of how much God loves us, that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us on that cross.
The message of the cross is grace. This grace is the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it, for Jesus paid our debt once and for all. At the cross we find a message about the justice of God, for it is God Himself that is the epitome of all holiness and righteousness. With this being the case, He is the only One qualified to sit in judgment over unholiness (sin), and being He is the most JUST of Judges, He must punish sin. At the cross God did punish sin, but He placed His judgment and wrath on His own Son instead of us. So when we look at the cross we see God's Grace!
Every other religion teaches that people reach God through their works. The cross shows us the ultimate work that was done, and the only sacrifice that could ever qualify us as being redeemed back to God was Jesus' death on the cross. God placed all the sin of humanity on Christ in order to provide a substitute in our place. As we place our faith in what Jesus did for us, and choose to live for Him, giving our life as a living sacrifice, and thus making Him our Lord, then we become a partakers in the crucifixion because it was our sins personally that were nailed to the cross. We put on the righteousness of Christ knowing that we have none of our own, and we live for Him. God will judge all sin one day, but because Jesus took ours to the cross already (as we are found in Him), no sin will be found in us. All is forgiven!
The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. The Jews and Greeks saw the cross as a sign of weakness, shame, and punishment for crime. Because salvation is a gift of God, we can’t take credit for what God has done in our lives. God’s redemptive plan is unique in human history. People who attempt to work for their salvation never know if they have done enough to go to heaven. In contrast, those who receive God’s forgiveness have assurance of their salvation.
The cross is a message about the love of God, and God is love, but that doesn't mean He overlooks sin for He is just. If you receive the free gift of salvation but then live a disobedient, rebellious life, God will discipline you in love. No one deserves to go to heaven by their own merit. A 90-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy are both saved by grace. We cannot even begin to fathom the kind of love it would take to place our own Son on the cross for another person, yet alone someone who deserves to die, yet God did this very thing for us because He loves us.
The cross is a message about the power of God. Paul writes about how the cross is about God’s power (1 Cor. 1:18). God's power transforms anyone who will accept salvation. Prisoners who are incarcerated for life can experience freedom even though they are behind bars. A drug addict whose life was transformed after he embraced God’s unconditional love for Him.
The message of the cross is a promise that the Lord is willing to save anyone who asks. Once you ask Him to forgive your sins, He instantly begins to change your life. Live every day in the assurance that you are in God’s loving hand, and that He will take care of you for all eternity. When a Christian looks at the cross they see their destination, for they think of Jesus, who made a way for us to be with Him throughout all eternity. We think of His promise in John 14:3,
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.This is the message of the cross that we can now spend eternity with God thanks to what Jesus did on the cross.
