---The Cross as Crisis---
Beloved, the message of the Cross has never been popular. It was not popular in Corinth when Paul wrote these words, and it is not popular now. The world has always had a problem with the Cross, because the Cross is not an inspirational slogan or a religious decoration—it is a confrontation. The Cross is a crisis point for the soul. It demands a verdict.
Paul writes, “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.” This is no gentle introduction—it is a stark dividing line. Two kinds of people. Two kinds of response. Two eternities.
Let us, then, consider this “foolishness” that is the very wisdom of God.
---The World's Wisdom Is Not Enough (v. 20–21)---
Paul asks the question: “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age?” These are rhetorical questions, meant to expose the bankruptcy of worldly wisdom. Corinth was a city that prided itself on philosophy, much as our modern world prides itself on credentials, opinions, and social commentary. But God has made all of it foolish.
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God…”—that is the indictment. The world tried to climb to God with reason, with morality, with ritual. And it failed.
The same thing happens today. People believe they can find truth through self-help, politics, science, or spirituality without Christ. But every road that bypasses the Cross leads to ruin.
It is not that God is anti-intellectual. It is that He cannot be found by human pride. The mind that seeks to judge God will never know Him. But the heart that trembles before Him will be lifted up.
---The Cross Offends All Human Categories (v. 22–23)---
Paul continues: “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.”
The Jews wanted power—signs from heaven, fire from above. The Greeks wanted wisdom—philosophical depth, polished oratory. And God gave them… a crucified carpenter.
What kind of God chooses to save the world through weakness? Through humiliation? Through death?
Only the true God.
Because the Cross destroys all boasting. It levels the proud. It tells the world: “You cannot save yourself. You are not enough. But Christ is.”
This is offensive. It was then, and it is now.
Modern man is not so different from the Greeks or Jews. He seeks a gospel that fits his needs, one that will affirm his choices, one that makes him feel smart, empowered, or enlightened.
But the Cross does not flatter. It wounds before it heals. It tells us we are sinners before it tells us we are loved.
---The Cross Is the Power and Wisdom of God (v. 24–25)---
Paul says: “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” That is the difference. It is not that one group is more intelligent or more spiritual. It is that some are **called**. Their hearts have been awakened by grace. What once seemed foolish, now seems glorious. What once offended, now saves.
To the called, the Cross is no longer a scandal. It is a sanctuary.
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
The Cross looks like defeat, but it is victory. It looks like weakness, but it is strength. It looks like shame, but it is glory.
Do not let the world's categories confuse you. What looks strong in the eyes of men is often fragile in the eyes of God. And what looks foolish in the eyes of men is often the very place where God’s power resides.
---Application: The Church Must Preach Christ Crucified---
Paul’s bold statement *“We preach Christ crucified”* must be the motto of every faithful church. Not Christ the therapist. Not Christ the social reformer. Not Christ the life coach. **Christ crucified.**
We do not gather on Sunday mornings to share helpful thoughts or moral encouragement. We gather to proclaim that **God has dealt with sin**, that **death has been conquered**, that **a way has been opened**, and that **it all happened at Calvary**.
Too many churches have tried to make the gospel more acceptable. They have trimmed away the thorns from the message. But when you remove the offense, you remove the power.
The Cross is not something we move past. It is where we start, where we stay, and where we end. From pulpit to pew, from font to altar, from prayer to proclamation—the Cross must be central.
---Let the World Scoff—We Will Preach the Cross---
There will always be some who mock it. There will always be some who walk away. The Cross will remain a scandal to some, and foolishness to others.
Let them scoff.
Let the Church be mocked, misunderstood, and maligned—so long as we remain faithful.
We are not called to impress the world. We are called to preach Christ crucified.
For in that Cross is the power of God to save. And those who believe—whether Jew or Gentile, old or young, wise or simple—will find in it all the wisdom and strength they will ever need.
Let the Church tremble before the Cross—and rise in its power.
