In some ways, we have
become too accustomed to the cross. We
see crosses every day of our lives. We do see them in churches, but also in many other forms: necklaces, earrings, tattoos, and all sorts of clothing. I am not against seeing the
cross; but like any other symbol, it can lose its power in our lives if we
become too familiar with it. In other
words, we can become desensitized to the cross.
Think about this: For many, the cross is nothing more than a piece
of jewelry that is used to adorn the ear or the neck. For some, the cross is an icon designed for worship;
they kneel before the cross and pray to it.
Some see the cross as an amulet that contains supernatural power;
they hang it over their bed or carry it around to ward off evil. Let’s take a
look at what Paul writes about the cross and the crucified Christ in 1 Corinthians chapter one:
22 Jews demand 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 human wisdom, and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength.
The cross is offensive to some people. In, Paul calls it a “stumblingblock”. This word comes from the Greek word “skandalon”
which meant a trap or a snare. It came to mean something that trips a person up
and causes them to fall. We get
the English word “scandal” from this word.
To the Jews, the cross was a scandal!
They could not conceive of the Messiah being nailed to a cross! They literally stumbled over the cross!
The cross is foolishness to some people. Paul uses tells us that the Greeks
considered the cross to be “foolishness”. This word comes from the Greek word “moria”,
which gives us the English word “moron”. The sophisticated Greeks looked at a Savior
dying on a cross and they declared it to be “moronic foolishness”.
But, for a few, the cross is an object of power and wisdom,
Paul says that those who have grasped the true message of the cross understand
that it is not weak or foolish. It is
instead, the power of God and the wisdom of God. It is the power of God because through the
cross God forever destroyed the kingdom of Satan and broke the grip of
sin. It is the wisdom of God because in
the cross, God used a tool that neither man nor devil could have ever foreseen
to accomplish salvation for His people.
Have you turned to the
cross?
