JESUS OF THE CROSS
Text: I Corinthians 1:17 thru 24
Without a doubt the most controversial subject anyone could ever want to discuss with a friend or a family member has to be the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are lots of things people will want to sit and give you their opinion on. Whether it is sports, hobbies, politics or the weather, but just about everyone has their own opinion on just about anything. Just ask them…
It has been said that opinions are like noses…everybody’s got one.
It really is interesting how you can walk up to most anybody and strike up a conversation on just about anything.
But if you were to choose to talk about the subject of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, many people will be offended or will think you are a bit strange.
And yet, the most important decision anyone will ever make (in their lifetime) centers around whether or not they accept the TRUTH about the death and resurrection of Jesus.
There are those who are very resistant to discuss the crucifixion of Christ. They will tell you that they have their (own personal) reasons for not accepting the reality of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Some people claim to know God, but (admittedly) have never reconciled themselves to the forgiveness of the cross.
I am here today specifically to tell everyone here that you must accept and cherish the TRUTH and reality of the cross.
If you choose to not embrace the forgiveness and mercy of Jesus Christ, there are 3 things you need to know –
1. You will be condemned to sinner’s death including an eternal judgment
2. Revelations 20:15 says that “anyone (whose name is) not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.”
3. In verse 10 of that same chapter, the Bible warns that in this “lake of fire” those living without Jesus will be “tormented day and night forever and ever”.
These are very strong words that will sometimes offend people. I cannot change that, but the Bible speaks very plain about this. That is why the crucifixion of Christ is the most important thing you will ever need to know.
You and I cannot live without it.
You see – nothing else matters.
I must preach the crucifixion and each of us must decide whether or not we will surrender our lives to God’s plan of forgiveness. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice for anyone to make.
Many good folks have put off making this choice for most of their lives.
They postpone the most important decision they will ever make.
This saddens the heart of our Lord.
God has done so much to provide His plan of salvation, and yet so many sit by and do little or nothing about it.
Nevertheless, sooner or later, everyone is confronted with the reality of the cross. Different people have different responses (to this matter of importance).
Whether or not people want to talk about this or not doesn’t really change what this scripture has to say.
Whether or not people accept the reality of the cross of Christ will have no effect on anything the Bible has to say.
Did you know that the entire world could reject the death and resurrection of Jesus and it wouldn’t change God’s mind.
There are some who may think I am indignant or dogmatic when I say these things, but that won’t change the TRUTH of God’s Word.
The fact of the matter is –
The Word of God cannot be refuted or
challenged by any man, any philosophy, or anyone’s opinion.
Let me show you what I mean:
Look again at verse 18.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
In the NIV and the NKJV it says,
“the message of the cross…”
In either case, the Greek translation of the word, “preaching/message” is actually the word “logos”.
How many have ever heard that word used in church before?
It is the same word used to define exactly Who Jesus is. “Logos” means word.
Jesus is the Word of God.
We know this to be true by what the Bible tells us in John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made...
We find that same word “Logos” used in verse 18. So if I could speak Greek and English, it sound like this: “For the Logos (Word) JESUS OF THE CROSS...”
My friend, this is not just a description of the Cross, or a definition of the Cross, this is the JESUS OF THE CROSS!
What we are about, and why we are who we are, is because of the “Logos of the Cross”. Everything we are and ever hope to be is the JESUS OF THE CROSS!
The Apostle Paul wasn’t just making a reference of what Jesus did, rather Paul was making a proclamation.
“For the Jesus of the Cross…is foolishness to the perishing, but to us it is power…”
Verse 18 also warns us that those who think that Jesus dieing on the cross is just foolishness are making a mockery of God. In other words verse 18 says that those who discount the TRUTH of Jesus dieing for their sins will (no doubt) perish.
The Cross of Jesus Christ defines for us –
1. The holiness of Jesus
2. The wickedness of sin and disbelief
Question:
Do you think that being a sinner is not so bad?...LOOK AT THE CROSS!
Do you think that you are OK?...
That you will come to salvation someday but not right now?...
That all this talk about sin and salvation is just some kind of religious hype?...
LOOK AT THE CROSS!
If your sinful condition is not of the utmost importance to you...it is because you do not understand the true meaning of the cross of Calvary.
1. (Jn. 8:34) - "Jesus said, Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
2. Romans 8:15 describes sin as the spirit of bondage.
Jesus Christ went to the cross to conquer sin and set us free from it’s bondage.
Did you know that –
· There can be no true forgiveness where there is no Jesus and His Cross.
· This forgiveness can only come through the Jesus of the Cross Who never committed sin.
(Heb. 4:15) - "For we have not an high priest which…was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
Had Jesus sinned He could not have been our Savior.
II Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The logos, the Jesus, and the preaching of the cross is the statement of just how sinful man can be and just how good God can be.
The preaching, or the message of the cross is this...God’s holiness is victorious and the power of sin has been defeated.
There was never any other hope of saving man but by the sacrifice of the cross John described Jesus as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
As believers, we must know this to be true and we must walk in this “Message of the Cross…(this) Jesus of the Cross…”
(Eph. 5:2) - "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."
I John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
It is almost impossible to understand how some look on this overwhelming truth of the Cross, and refuse or ignore it.
The “message of the cross” is nothing more than foolishness to some people.
It seemed as foolishness to the Jews that the supposed Messiah would allow Himself to suffer and die at the hands of sinners and the Roman Soldier.
It seemed as foolishness to the Gentiles that God would demonstrate and prove such love for a mere mortal man.
It seemed as foolishness to those......
· who reject the deity of Christ,...
· who refuse to acknowledge man’s need for a Saviour.
· who trust in themselves for goodness and righteousness.
Let’s read verse 18 again,
What does this tell us?
The death of Jesus is the power of God –
1. To save sinners.
2. To keep and preserve the saints of God until His coming.
3. To raise the saints of God from the grave and glorify them with a new body to live and reign in a “New Heaven and a New Earth.”
We must know this to be true and we must walk in this “Message of the Cross”.
At the cross Jesus gave Himself to save men. It is also at the cross that man must (likewise) give up himself that he might find Jesus.
(Rom. 1:16) - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Let’s read verses 22 and verse 23.
Now let’s listen to John 1:11
"He (Jesus) came to His own, & those who were His own (Jews) did not receive Him."
Why didn’t they receive Him? Because the "Jews demanded miraculous signs…" They were expecting a Messiah who would perform miracles on their behalf.
Now the amazing thing is that Jesus was doing exactly that. He was performing miracles - giving sight to the blind, straightening the legs of the lame, cleansing the lepers. He was ministering to them, reaching out to their needs.
But those weren’t the kinds of miracles the religious Jew wanted. They wanted –
· Signs of power & success.
· A Messiah who would overthrow the Roman Government & reestablish the Kingdom of David.
If Jesus had gotten an army, & led them into battle, & defeated the Romans, they would have believed Him
If Jesus would have shown them that He was successful & victorious - they would have stayed with Him.
Some people only want more from Jesus without ever giving Jesus what He wanted. They will demand from Him without ever submitting to Him.
And then Jesus gave Himself to a Cross.
You see, dying on the cross doesn’t look like success or power. It doesn’t look like victory. To some it looks like weakness.
It looks like failure. It looks like defeat.
And so the Jews kept stumbling over it.
And what about the Greeks?
One day the apostle Paul went up on Mar’s Hill & started telling the Greeks about a God who was unknown to them.
Paul told the Greeks -
· This God came to earth,
· He was born of a virgin
· He walked among men, and then died on the cross,
· And then rose up from the grave.
Sadly, it was all foolishness to them.
And there are people who think like the Greeks. There are those who try to reason and figure things out.
Reason tells some people that:
· Babies aren’t born to virgin girls.
· God doesn’t become flesh.
· This Almighty God will not allow puny men to nail Him to a cross.
· When a man dies he cannot be resurrected back to life again.
None of that makes any sense to the Greek. The Greek also had a different concept of salvation. The Greeks believed that all souls are immortal. Therefore, when you die, you automatically go to be with the Gods.
If your life was good enough, then you stayed with the Gods. But if it wasn’t, then you were reincarnated into another body, & you get another chance.
And you keep trying until you get it right.
CONCLUSION:
There may be a lot of things that we don’t understand, but remember this - God accomplished that which was impossible when He went to the cross and died for our sins. He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves.
I can’t explain it to you, but I know that it is true. That is the invitation God offers.
An invitation to stand by the cross & see-
· The one Who has suffered and died there
· To submit to one who says, "I don’t like your sin, but I stand ready to forgive you.
· To prove that Jesus will pay the price for your sins
Jesus is saying,
“I will grant you my pardon. I will forgive you and I will love you for all eternity."
