Why the Cross?

If you have a copy of God’s Word open it up to 1 Corinthians 1 and 2. I have titled the message this morning.. Why the Cross? Pray with me.

So here we are arguably the most important day in the calendar year for believers in Christ. Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday symbolizes a day that we set aside to remember Jesus Christ resurrection from the dead. We gather every Sunday to celebrate that very truth.

Today I want us to answer the question though Why the Cross? Why the Cross? And I want to answer that very question because of its very importance.

The Cross is something we see when we drive by every church, go to any department store, enter most homes, you may be wearing a cross on a necklace, have one on your wedding ring like I do, you see one behind me each and every week, and you see it pretty much everywhere we go, and why is that?

Well you would have to live under a rock in this country to have never heard that Jesus died on the cross. Most people know that my 4 year old knows that she has knew why since before she was 2 years old, but why the cross? Why did Jesus die on that cross, and rise again on the 3rd day. What does that mean for us as believers, and for us as non believers.

I said to open up to 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 this morning, and I hope to show you why the cross.

If you are a guest with us I always like to have this main idea that I believe the text we are in trying to teach us.

So that main idea is this.. and it really is verse 18 of chapter 1.

The word of the cross is foolish to those who do not believe, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Let me read you the text this morning then I have several things I want you to see.

1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5 ESV

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1st thing I want you to make note of is this..

The Cross destroys the wisdom of the world.

Now I want you to know who Paul is writing to in this text he is writing to the church at Corinth. There is that running joke you might have heard or seen on the internet if Paul was around today we as Americans would being getting a book, these people were so sinful and had so many issues they needed two books, we would probably need three if Paul was writing to us today and they dealt with all kinds of sins and issues the church still has if you want to study the book at a latter time I encourage you to do so.

But Paul is arguing in the text to a culture who takes great pride in being wise. Wisdom for them meant everything, and we live in that kind of culture as well right? We think we know more than everyone else that has ever lived. We believe that things practiced in the past are outdated, we might even think that about the Cross. Its something my parents believed or my grandparents, its not for me you might even say. but The cross still to this day destroys the wisdom of the world.

And Paul this brilliant man who studied with the brightest of scholars in his own day also spend time away with Jesus after he was saved is saying that the Cross and its message is going to notice in the text.. Destroy.. Destroy what though… The wisdom of the wise, and he goes further here challenging those who live during that time, and I believe our time as well saying…

He says Where is the one who is wise, where is the scribe where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of world?

He is saying you who are philosophers debating the meaning of life day after day what do you make of this cross? he says you who are the Jewish teachers what do you make of this cross, you who are great talkers what do you think of the cross? What does it mean to you can you make sense of it, and Paul says they can’t in fact he says the foolishness of the cross is wiser than men, and weakness of God is stronger than men.

So what he is saying is anything that may seem foolish that God has done is far superior to any human wisdom the world could offer, and his weakness is stronger than any man could ever produce.

Paul says the cross destroys the wisdom of the world. No man could make this up it does not make sense in the eyes of men.

In fact if you heard me read the text if you followed along it says the Jews and Greeks sought something else in order to justify their reasoning of the cross. .

The Jews were longing to be set free from this bondage that the Roman empire had them in, they wanted a King to rescue them from captivity and they believed because of the Old Testament that anyone hung on a tree was cursed, they thought the sign of the cross was not the sign that would save them. It was a curse to them little did they know.

The Greeks as we see Paul talk about in the text were all about wisdom all about enlightenment, and the cross in that culture was for the worst of criminals not for the messiah. Not for a King. So for the Jews, and the gentiles, and the world today the cross is foolish.

They mocked Jesus on the cross, they said if you are truly the king of the Jews if you are the Son of God you would not die on the cross. Again little did they know.

During my study this week a three quote’s caught my attention they are not long but listen to them. and ill comment on them as well. , .. 1st one says this.. The Corinthians have been tempted to abandon the message of the cross for more eloquent alternatives because they have recognized something true: there is nothing particularly eloquent or attractive about the message of the cross. The cross is not immediately philosophically compelling."

As I said earlier this message would be the letter written to us. Think of all the different views that came after the cross, the muslim view… works based, Mormons, cults all who don’t properly display the meaning of the cross, some denying, some twisting it to try to make it more compelling.

The cross in our natural sinful heart is nothing special to us if we are not saved. The catholic view has added the cross plus something.

to many haved believe that God himself would not send his own son to die on the cross to rise again on that third day in order for all those who believe in him to be saved. But Hebrews 9:22 says otherwise.

Hebrews 9:22 ESV

22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

There is a bloody Cross with Jesus blood pouring out from it because we need to be saved.

Another quote said this.. The gospel stands as the divine antithesis to such judgments. No mere human, in his or her right mind or otherwise, would have dreamed up God's scheme for redemption - through a crucified Messiah. It is too preposterous, too humiliating, for a God.

I touched on this a moment ago, but if you are thinking with no view of the cross, no history of that event that changed the world just under 2000 years ago forever.

It would never cross your mind to think God would send his only son who the scripture says holds all things together the second person of the trinity to be born like you and I not to sin one time who would suffer on the cross s to die and then to rise again only in three days showing that he holds the keys to life and death and everything in between.

That is why so many missed him during his day miss him today, because in their own wisdom they try to make since of a God whom they create themselves.

Christ did not come as a conquering King, or a mighty God fighting the bad guys the evil empire of Rome. he came to deal with you and I’s biggest problem, which is Sin, and though it was humiliating in the moment for God himself to be spit at, beaten, mocked, he did it all why? because he loves his children. So much so that he would be subjected to death even the worst kind of death death on a cross. Pure foolishness to man. But to us who are believers it is the power of salvation.

One more quote. God's foolish wisdom is this: we cannot reason ourselves to God. God is out of our reach —there is no "wising" up to God.

Biblical Wisdom is giving up on our own wisdom. And if wisdom is our cultural currency, then that is the supreme foolishness.

Friends you might have came in here thinking you know more than God and his Word, And you don’t need the cross.

But the reality is as wise as you may think you are, you cannot come close to the wisdom of God, and the power of what the cross does. Which saves you from your sin.

The Cross destroys the wisdom of the world.

Second point is this..

The cross is for the lowly.

we as a Church go through books of the bible verse by verse we are going through Matthew right now, but we just finished a 8 week study of the Beatitudes and we learned in order to be someone who lives for the kingdom of God you must first lower yourself be broken in spirit. Here Paul says something again that may be foolish to those who are reading this letter.

Listen to this from my Study.. 1) God chose the foolish over the wise; (2) the weak over the influential; and now (3) the lowly over those of noble birth. ‘;;

The low born, as opposed to the well born, were regarded with disdain, being on the bottom rung of the social hierarchy. They are, in the world’s eyes, the things that are not, as opposed to the things that are.

But God, against all human wisdom, has chosen the former over the latter. He preferred the nobodies over the somebodies. Thus, the cross turns the world’s values upside down and effects the most radical of revolutions.

This transformation is nothing less than the end of the world. “When the cross is proclaimed and through this act a community is founded, human wisdom and strength do not contribute anything to it. God rejects them as legitimate tools.”

The cross is for the lowly. For those who know we cannot boast in our own achievements are own backgrounds, but only on the cross which may be foolish to the world, but to us who are being saved it is not only the power of God, but the wisdom of God.

The Cross is for the lowly. This ties closely to my third point.

The Cross shows us that we cannot save ourselves.

The Cross as I just said shows us that we cannot save ourselves in fact the cross shows us that we are in need of great grace, because of our sin. Listen to the book of Romans for a moment…

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Friends in Adam we all die we all sin we all deserve the wrath of God, but in his Grace God sent he son for believers in Christ.

The Cross shows us this wisdom of God, that we need to understand only he can save us only he can be our justification our sanctification and our redemption.

When we look at the bible in verse 30 back in 1 Corinthians 1. .

It could also be read as “He has become for us wisdom from God, that is, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Christ in God’s wise plan has become our righteousness and has taken our sin on himself (2 Cor 5:21). Christ has become our sanctification and has made possible our growth in grace in the Christian life (Rom 8:9, 10; Eph 2:8–10; 2 Pet 3:18). He is our redemption (apolutrōsis)—the person by whom we have been delivered from sin (Rom 3:24), the devil, hell, and even the grave (1 Cor 15:55–57).

Why the cross? We need it. We need it because of our sin.

I sent this to Bill this week I think it fits perfectly in the message. But one pastor says these words we are sinners. we dont understand how desperate we are for a radical redemption.

because we don’t understand this we dont think we need to be saved we actually just think we need to be helped. we dont think we need the good news. we think we need good advice. we don’t need the gospel. we just need 10 ways to have a happy life. and five ways to reduce stress. because thats our problem.

we don’t believe this and this is why we say we hear preachers all the time. in fact this pastor would go on to say this is this pastor he refers to named smiling joe he isn’t talking about Joe Biden he is talking about a false teacher who says sinners don’t need to be told they're sinners. they know they are sinners and this pastor says they dont they dont.

To often we don’t understand what it truly means to be a sinner.

I quoted that man thinking about the cross thinking do you and I really see how we need the cross and most importantly that man who hung on that Cross

We need Jesus so much because our sin put him their and the only we we could be forgiven of our sin is if we had a perfect savior who died in our place.

God himself hung on that cross. The nails in his hands our sin drove those in him.

the wrath of God came to his own perfect son because of our sin, and because he was righteous we could be saved and changed in this life and the life to come. He is our redemption, and the cross even though it happened almost 2000 years ago now tells us today that this cross may be foolish to those who are not saved by it, but those who know the man who hung on that cross it is the power of salvation.

Because of God’s gracious provision of salvation in this way, all praise must go to the Lord. and praise.

1 Corinthians 1:31 ESV

31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

So it is not through human wisdom, strength, or worldly position that one is saved or any amount of works , but only through God’s wise plan and power accomplished through the cross.

Take note of this as well. forth point.

The cross is where true wisdom and power are found.

Just remind you of what Paul’s says. In chapter 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

The cross is where true wisdom and power are found. Now Paul says some interesting things in this text and I don’t want you to think that Christianity is just the cross its just the death burial and resurrection, but without Jesus dying on Cross the resurrection there is no Christianity.

Paul says that unlike all the people who go to them over and over again with these smooth words with all this eloquence. He preached Christ crucified. Every time.

All his teachings rested on the truth that Jesus died on the cross, that he rose again, he did not care about being like the everyone else . Because there was no power in what everyone else was saying. The power of Paul’s preaching was by the Spirit. I preach the message every Sunday knowing the same thing. The Spirit must go out to show you how powerful the cross truly is.

I spent 5 years going to bible college and seminary learning the wonderful truths of the bible, church history, Greek, Hebrew but the greatest thing I learned when Christ saved me is greater than any degree or any thing I can ever learn in this life , because of the Cross I can be saved from the greatest problem I have which is sin, and in the cross there is true wisdom and power.

Let us never forget or get tired of hearing about it that truth.

Last thing I want you to take note of is this.

The actions after the cross are not without witness.

There are lot’s of texts I could go to describing the time after the cross, those who seen what he did on the cross like the Roman Guard, the temple veil being torn in two, the famous passage saying he is not here he is risen , but I want to end the message here in this same book we have been in today. You might turn in your bibles over a several chapters to chapter 15. Starting in verse 1 we read this.

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Paul after making this powerful proclamation in chapters 1 and 2 reminds them of the gospel once again. He goes back to answering the scribes telling them the gospel which he preached is from the scriptures, you can read the OT and see that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the messantic promises. That he was going to come was going to suffer and was going to be raised from the dead.

And Paul tells them again this is how you are saved through the work on the cross and the resurrection of Christ from the dead, but he makes sure to end any doubt any of us may have. The risen Christ did not just appear to one man not just the 12 whom he so closely walked with him during his ministry. No he appeared more than 500 people whom Paul says during the time he wrote this letter many are still alive to go ask them what they saw. The risen Lord Jesus Christ. And he gives us the written word to show us that very thing.

In the court system this would be a done deal the evidence for the cross and resurrection are there. And their is power that comes in believing in it most importantly as we looked at today power to save. So do you believe? Do you believe it. Don’t leave here today without knowing the answer to that very thing.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ dying on the cross and rising to life on the third day has the power to save you. I hope I get a-lot of amens from that statement.

I heard a quote recently that said this.. from former atheist and white house counsel Charles Colson “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

The actions after the cross are not without witness.

Friends the The word of the cross is foolish to those who do not believe, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Let us pray.