Christ Crucified — The Heart Of Our Worship

When St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he was addressing a church in the middle of a bustling, worldly city — a place full of ideas, arguments, opinions, and ambitions. Sound familiar? And yet Paul doesn’t try to impress them. He doesn’t appeal to clever arguments or dazzling oratory. Instead, he makes a decision — a firm, clear, even shocking one:

“I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Why would he say that? And more importantly, what does that mean for us — for how we live, how we worship, and how we understand what God is doing in our midst?

This morning, I want us to reflect on three simple truths drawn from this one powerful verse:

1. The Cross is the Center of the Christian Message.

2. The Cross is the Pattern of Christian Worship.

3. The Cross is the Shape of the Christian Life.

1. The Cross is the Center of the Christian Message

Paul could have talked about a lot of things: God’s power in creation, the wisdom of the Scriptures, the beauty of Christ’s teachings, or the glory of the Resurrection. And he does talk about all of those things — but always with the Cross at the center.

To proclaim “Christ crucified” is to proclaim that at the heart of reality is a Savior who suffers out of love. It means that God’s greatest victory came through apparent defeat. It means that the power of God is not like the power of the world.

This message was foolishness to the Greeks and a scandal to the Jews. It still offends our pride today. But Paul insists on it, because the Cross reveals who God truly is — and what we truly need.

2. The Cross is the Pattern of Christian Worship

In the Anglican tradition, our worship is shaped entirely around this central truth. Everything in our liturgy — the Scripture readings, the creeds, the prayers, and most especially the Holy Communion — proclaims Jesus Christ and him crucified.

When we come to the altar, we are not simply remembering an event in history. We are entering into the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice. We’re joining with Christians across time and space to proclaim: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

Our liturgical calendar also follows this pattern. Right now, in Lent, we are walking the road to the Cross. Holy Week will carry us into the heart of it. And Easter will burst forth from it. But it’s always the same story — not a new message every season, but one great message: "Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

3. The Cross is the Shape of the Christian Life

Finally, Paul’s decision to focus on Christ crucified was not just theological; it was personal. He came to the Corinthians not with pride or power, but “in weakness and in fear and much trembling” (v.3). That’s because the Cross doesn’t just tell us who God is — it tells us how we are to live.

The Christian life is not about performance. It’s about surrender. It’s not about making ourselves look good. It’s about being conformed to the image of the crucified Lord. It means dying to self, loving sacrificially, forgiving freely, and trusting completely.

And this, friends, is what worship trains us to do. Each week, we kneel. We confess. We receive. We give thanks. And we go out — changed by grace, shaped by the Cross.

Conclusion:

So what did Paul mean when he said, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified”?

He meant: This is everything.

Not just part of our faith — the very center of it.

Not just one Sunday a year — every Sunday, every prayer, every breath.

As we continue through Lent, let us fix our eyes on Jesus — crucified, risen, and reigning. And let us ask God to make our lives, our worship, and our witness reflect that same Cross-shaped love.

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”

Amen.

Responsive Prayer: The Way of the Cross

Leader:

Let us respond to the Word of God with hearts turned to Christ crucified, in whom we find our life and salvation.

People:

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader:

Lord Jesus, you humbled yourself to suffer and die for us.

Teach us to embrace the Cross in our own lives,

and to follow you with faith and courage.

People:

May we know nothing but Christ and him crucified.

Leader:

For the times we seek our own glory instead of your will,

Lord, have mercy.

People:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader: