March 19, 2006 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Jews demand miraculous 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 man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Stick With The Stumbling Block
When you buy a book from Amazon.com, the next time you go online, they will take what you purchased and make further suggestions for things you might be interested in buying. This is called “marketing.” Marketing examines ways in which to sell things to people - trying to determine what will catch your eyes and get you to buy. Every commercial made - every sign in a window - it’s picture and it’s words are made to appeal to what you want or what they think you are looking for.
This same approach has been applied to church - how to market your church. The idea behind church marketing is to find out what people are seeking - and try to give it to them. An example of this is found behind different postcards you can buy. Here’s one that the WELS is offering -
The unchurched people in our post-modern world are looking for relationships. They want to "retribalize," according to sociologists. Think of what we have to offer them: A right relationship with their Lord, and true bonds with fellow Christians in the body of Christ. This year’s postcards will concentrate on being connected to Christ and his church.
The card reads, “a place to find new life this Easter.” The idea is that since sociologists tell us that people want to “retribalize” - that’s what they are seeking - let’s promote Christ and Church as the “tribe” they can join. Since sociologists have unlocked what today’s people are seeking, we can now “market” our church so people will feel more compelled to come and then hear the good news. It makes some sense - do what you can to at least get people in the door.
Paul plays the part of the sociologist in part as he also knew what people were “seeking” back in his time. “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom.” The Jews weren’t just seeking - they were “demanding” miraculous signs. A couple of examples of this throughout Jesus ministry come to mind -
✓ John 6:30-31 So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” (after Jesus fed the 5,000 - they wanted Jesus to feed them for 40 years.)
✓ John 14:8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
✓ Mark 15:32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
The rich man also thought that Lazarus should rise from the dead to convince his brothers of the truth. Miracles were regularly being sought as proof as to whether what someone was saying was true or not.
Instead of looking for impressive actions, as a general rule Paul said that the Greeks seem to gravitate more towards the search for “wisdom.” In New Testament times a group known as the Gnostics sought what they called a deeper and hidden knowledge - and they even wrote several books that they claimed were from Old Testament prophets as they sought to feed people with that deeper knowledge. This may have been the type of “wisdom” was talking about - but more likely he was referring more to the education of the universities and what not. Greeks seemed to be more obsessed with gaining more knowledge and education.
It seems obvious from the context that Paul wasn’t complimenting these people for what they were seeking. What’s wrong with it? Think about what faith is. It is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we DO NOT SEE. Jesus said to Thomas - who demanded to see Jesus raised from the dead, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Compare that to what a sign is - it is only used as a warning or a picture of what is to come. When you drive down the road and see a sign that says “scenic area ahead,” you know that the scenic area is coming. Imagine if someone got out of the car - and instead of taking a picture of the scenic area - took a picture of the sign that said, “scenic area ahead.” What if they all said to one another, “what a lovely design for this sign! Where can we find some more!” If you have a choice between a picture of Hawaii or actually standing there and seeing it, obviously the real thing would be preferred. Yet people seek the signs.
Consider for instance this letter I got in the mail this week telling me of a “prayer rug.” It says that if you look into Jesus eyes - his eyes will open and look back at you. Then go home and kneel on the rug of faith, and then your needs will be met. One lady wrote, “I was given 46,000 dollars!” Another, “my knees were healed!” Pennsylvania writes, “God blessed me with over 5,000 dollars!” I feel sorry for the poor saps who seek these miraculous signs from God. They don’t recognize miracles as only being signs of something that is more important and beautiful. Wisdom also is a gift from God - but those who obsess with it - who always feel the need to go to school and learn more and more and more - we call them “professional students.” They go to school until they’re forty or fifty years old - put thousands of dollars into education - but never go out and get an actual good paying job and settle down. What good does such “wisdom” do someone - even if you understand human DNA or the mating habits of the Australian kangaroos - what good does it do you when it comes to eternity? What do these things have to do with faith?
So - how do we respond to these types of “seekers”? Do we just shut the door on them for their misguided zeal? Or do we still try to “market” to them and use their misguided zeal to give them what they really need? There are examples in the Scriptures of God giving people miracles. Jesus regularly performed miracles - and used the miracle as an opportunity to tell people about Himself. Think of Moses - who was given the signs of turning his hand leprous and his rod into a snake and back. This was to prove that he was from God. The disciples also regularly listened to Jesus teach and asked Him plenty of questions in their quest for wisdom and knowledge. Can we use what they are seeking - and try and give them it - while also trying to give them something more?
It seems rather interesting to me that those who were given the miraculous signs still weren’t satisfied with them. Moses gave plenty of signs - yet the very people who saw the plagues and the hand and the rod turning into a snake - they died in the desert because of unbelief. When Jesus raised Lazarus, they just tried to kill him again. The Jews saw Jesus heal lepers and do plenty of other things, but they only complained that he performed His miracles on Saturdays. Even though they saw the signs, they were in no way guaranteed faith. Jesus had many followers for a time, but after He talked about eating His body and blood in John chapter 6 - when He said something that demanded faith, a majority of them turned away. So all of those signs and miracles didn’t seem to accomplish much in the end. When Paul tried to talk to the intellectuals of Athens about the “unknown God,” it doesn’t appear there was much success there as well.
In today’s text, Paul seems to contrast the two - what people want - and what he was going to give them. They seemed to work contrary to what he had to offer. Jews demand miraculous 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. You can also see that when the Jews demanded a miraculous sign that He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39) There was a reluctance and even a refusal to give the people what they demanded or sought. Jesus equated such a request with the wicked and adulterous generation. Instead, Paul seemed to be saying, “you may want miraculous signs and wisdom - but we are going to give you Christ crucified. This will seem like foolishness to you, and you will stumble on it - but we are going to give it to you anyway.”
The thing that is so foolish about Christ crucified is that instead of showing a strong and powerful God it shows a weak, dying and ultimately dead God. Instead of showing a God who has power to conquer evil, it has a God who is overcome by evil. The message of the cross tells us to put our hope in a man who died over 2,000 years ago - who is supposed to have been punished for us. It says, “God put the sins of the world on this one man - who was actually God. God punished Jesus on the cross. Jesus died with the sins of the world on His shoulders. Believe that your payment really is complete and as Jesus said, ‘finished.’ No matter how evil you have been - repent of your sins and believe in that - and you will go to heaven free of charge. God will not see any of your sins, because Jesus paid for your sins on the cross.” Any man looking at this story would say this is foolish. How could the God of the Universe - who says that He fills the universe, limit Himself to the flesh of this man? How could the God who calls Himself Almighty be overpowered? How could the God who lives forever die? Why should I believe that my sins were paid for by this one Man dying a death two thousand years ago? It’s too easy. Surely, I need to do something for my salvation. This way is too weak. It isn’t demanding enough. This is too primitive a view of salvation - much too simplistic. So what some try to do is to turn the Bible into a code book. They use the Bible to try and figure out what the writer was “really trying to say” in a given Scripture reading. They try to determine what “really happened” as opposed to what was just “myth.” They look for a hidden DaVinci Code within - some way to read a deeper message. They try to make the message of salvation more complicated by adding some works to it - like fasting or speaking in tongues.
In spite of what the Jews and Gentiles were seeking and demanding, Paul said, “this is what we’re giving - Christ crucified.” It wasn’t because he was just plain stubborn - an old stuck in the mud Jewish Christian. It wasn’t because he didn’t want these misguided Jews and Gentiles to be saved. What did Paul say was the reason that he ultimately gave the foolish and weak message Christ crucified? The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Paul didn’t see foolishness and weakness in the cross. He saw wisdom and strength - much more wisdom and strength than what man had to offer.
When we look at the cross - we don’t just see a good guy getting a bad deal. We see God’s eternal plan of salvation come into play. How could the God who demands perfection and threatens hell to those who disobey; how could He remain faithful to his demands and make good on his threats? How could He pay for the sins of the world? The only way God could deal with the evil is to let the evil have power over Him and take Him to the cross. In his WISDOM, God decided to put HIMSELF on the cross - to offset the wrath which the world had earned. God is the only Person who could offset such a payment; not a man; not an angel; but only the death of God! What wisdom! 1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
In the cross we also see God’s power! What power is there in a man who dies? The power of LOVE! What power it took Jesus to not only GO to that cross - even though He could have gone away - and to STAY on that cross - even though He could have gotten off! When we look at the cross, it empowers us with a confidence to approach God at our death. It makes us feel sure that we are holy in His sight through faith - that’s something no works of ours can do. It fills us with a peace of knowing that all of God’s anger over our sins was paid for. Nothing in the world can give us such confidence or power. Only the power of the cross can do that. The cross makes us recognize that the worries of this world are nothing in comparison with knowing that we are on the way to heaven. This is where the power and wisdom of God are found.
Unfortunately, some say that this message of the cross is just not enough for them. “It’s too simple. It’s too easy. We’ve heard it all before. That’s for Sunday School kids. God dying on the cross - that’s impossible.” When we continue to talk about sin and grace and forgiveness - they say, “what about miracles - healings - speaking in tongues! What about the DaVinci code! What about whether there really is life on Mars! I would rather deal with scientific facts than your spiritual fantasies!” They stumble over Christ.
So what do we do? How do we respond? If they’re seeking a tribe, do we offer them a tribe? If they’re seeking a sign - should we try and give them one? If they want a God who is all full of power and miracles and promises success, is that what we give them? Do we try and use the Bible to teach them other wisdom - like how to diet or how to overcome debt? Do we use these things to try and hook them - and then give them Christ? I’ve heard some horror stories when it comes to this method. I remember hearing of one Jewish boy who was invited to a concert with his friends, but was then either convinced or coerced to make a “decision for Christ” after the concert. The parent had no idea that such a plea was going to be made - so she was angry that she wasn’t told straight up that that was going to be part of the agenda. She felt lied to. Then again, I imagine that there have been many Christians who have performed services and provided things for people - which have given them the opportunity to tell them about Christ. There are many churches who have marketed to society’s wants and been able to gain an audience and then tell them about Christ. Does the end justify the means? Paul said that he became all things to all men to possibly win some. We can understand and even appreciate the motives of such actions.
To be honest with you, I personally don’t really like the sociological approach to evangelism. Yet at the end of the day - I also can’t say there’s anything necessarily wrong with it. I don’t care whether you juggle for Jesus or give hamburgers to hungry people or whatever else you do to try and reach out (as long as God’s Word is not misused or compromised) - here’s what’s really important - we all ultimately need to get around to preaching Christ crucified. We need to tell people to repent and believe. We need to keep telling people - one way or another - that they are sinners who need a Savior. This has to be the center and goal of all of what we do. Why? As Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Just because people stumble on Christ, doesn’t mean He doesn’t work. Just because people don’t want to see Christ crucified, doesn’t mean He doesn’t save. If that is too boring for them, then so be it. If that doesn’t give them the power or the wisdom they are looking for, then that is their own fault. Paul stuck with Christ crucified in spite of what the Jews and Gentiles wanted. Christ crucified is what separates the sheep from the goats - those who want to use God for His power and those who trust God for His mercy. At the end of the day, we’ve got to stick with what works - the Stumbling Block - and that’s Christ crucified. It’s wiser than man’s wisdom - and stronger than man’s strength. Amen.
