For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1: 17, 18, NRSV
Dear God, please draw divinely close to us as we worship You in spirit and in truth. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
If there were no law, there would be no sin. If there were no sin, there would be no need of a Savior. If there were no Savior, there would be no gospel. If there were no gospel there would be no need of a preacher. If there were no preacher, there would be no need for a church. So what makes the cross the most powerful component of the entire chain reaction? The cross represents the solution to the problem of sin; a deadly problem! As we study further, we will discover that it was the solution to other problems in the infant church, as well.
Of course the preaching of such a gospel, in Paul’s day would create a problem. To Greek intellectuals it would be considered foolishness; and to the Jews it would be definitely considered a stumbling block. But to the Corinthian believers, it would make perfect sense. It would also represent open doors to them, which in times past would have been closed. But more than just sociological solutions, it also represented an open door to salvation.
There is power in the cross of Christ in spite of the fact that it is: Foolishness to the Greeks. Whoever heard of a sacrificed God? Even worse, sacrificed in place of His subjects? After all, it is the subject who is seeking the favor of his God! Indeed, the preaching of such a gospel to the Greeks would make no sense whatsoever. More so, when you think of the kind of death that this God took upon Himself! Death by crucifixion – The death of a criminal!
A stumbling block to the Jews. Of course this is not hard to understand. The Jews were looking for the Messiah! He was the One who would break the Roman yoke from off their necks! He would come wielding the sword of justice in their favor. He would show the world that they were YHWH’s chosen people! He would not teach them to “love their enemies.” He would destroy their enemies!
But to us who are being saved, it is the dynamite (power) of God! While Greeks ridiculed, and Jews rejected; for the new believers, the members of the church at Corinth; this made all the sense in the world! Perhaps not sense the way we understand it, but sense as meaning. The message of the cross gave meaning to their lives! At last they could understand their place in the world. This was a wonderful open door into a community of believers! Indeed, as goes the saying, which is worthy of repeating, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross!”
Have you experienced the power of the gospel in your life? If not, why not come to Jesus today. Your life will never be the same again, and you will be empowered to become all that you were created to be!