The Cross

Ed Kessler brought us another amazing message this morning. He dove into the importance of the Cross of Jesus Christ…

If you are on the outside, looking into the Christian life and Church, you might ask: Why is there glory in the Cross? The cross was a roman instrument of torture.

For people who do not understand what Jesus did, worshiping in front of the Cross might look like worshiping on front of an electric chair.... because they don’t know the whole story….

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. - Galatians 6:14

Boast in Greek, the word boast means celebrate:

καυχάομαι

Part of Speech: Verb
Pronunciation: kow-khah'-om-ahee
Definition: boast, boasting, exult, boasts, glory, boasted, take pride

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Paul referred to himself as a partaker in Christ's death

Nothing could stop the Romans. You either got out of the way, or were taken out of the way. So, when Jesus was crucified, the pharisees thought that was final solution. 

You see, the cross has been reversed by Christ. To him, the world is crucified!

During worship, we sang the hymn, In the Cross. Reflect on these words:

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever;

Til’ my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

As Christians, the cross and the resurrection go hand in hand.

Jesus is the only one who ever defeated the cross 

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.

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

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?

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. - 1 Corinthians 1:18-21

At one moment, the Jews were cheering for Jesus as their candidate to be King of the Jews. A few, short days later, they jeer him as a candidate of the cross. The enemy convinced the crowd that Jesus was of satan. 

Satan and the pharisees thought the cross would be the end of Jesus. The Roman’s track record, and the finality of crucifixion were their plan. Getting the Romans to crucify Christ would bring an end to Him and His following…. But they were all wrong.

Jesus did something no other human has ever been able to do - He defeated the cross. He came back!

Jesus also did something on the cross what we can never do. He set us, His believers, free.

God took the most heinous crime on the earth and turned it into the most beautiful act of love the earth will ever know.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. - 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

The Greek word for “stumbling block” used in verse 23 means something that trips you up:

σκάνδαλον

Part of Speech: Noun
Pronunciation: SKAN-dal-on
Definition: stumbling block, stumbling blocks, offense, cause for stumbling, hindrances
Word Origins:
1. a trap-stick (bent sapling)
2. (concretely) a snare
3. (figuratively) a cause of displeasure or sin

To the Jews, the concept of the Cross trips them up because they don’t believe.

For the gentiles, specifically the Greeks, they believed in gods that men served and sacrificed to... not a God who sacrificed for men, so the message of the Cross is a completely foreign ideology.

A modern, sophisticated mind takes issue with the Cross because they don't want to hear about their sins or reflect on how they are detrimental to themselves. 

It is sad because Jesus will have to reject people who reject Him, and those people will have to bear their own cross. 

The Cross shows not only the power of God, but the wisdom of God. Jesus is not just the King... but He is the judge, and He will deliver you, if you turn to Him.

Ed gave us a challenge: If you know of something you need to change in your life... change it!

The Gospel, or the Good News, is - we aren't stuck in ourselves. We can be freed through Christ because of what He did on the Cross. 

THAT is why we boast in the cross.