As I read through the passage today, I remind you of the greater context of what Paul was writing about when he turns his full attention on the cross. Remember, Paul was confronting divisions within the church. There were prominent leaders who had influence in the church such as Paul and Peter as well as Apollos.   But the association with the different leaders brought strife among the people who were emphasizing one leader above the others.  We might imagine that people were influenced by those leaders who helped bring them to Christ. And there is a natural affinity with those people as we refer to them as our spiritual father and mothers.  But that influence was overdrawn or overemphasized. This created factions within the body over which person they were following.   They lost perspective of why the church existed and the mission of the church was hindered.

I think this is a timeless message that has great significance for the church today. Indeed, it has significance for our entire world particularly as we turn our attention to the cross.

So Paul used the image of the cross to help break down the walls and barriers created by the overemphasis of leader and later spiritual gifts.  I want to go back and repeat a question Paul raised earlier in his appeal for greater unity among the believers. The question is, “Was Paul crucified for you?”   Inherit in that question is to ask similar questions about the other leaders.  “Was Apollos crucified for you?” Or “Was Peter crucified for you?”   And certainly, the answer is emphatically, “No!”   There is only one person crucified for them and for us and for our world…The Lord of glory, the Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus was and is the sinless Son of God and only One who could indeed take our place and was crucified for us.

When Paul references the cross here, he is appealing to the truthful reality that all our sins are forgiven though the sacrifice of Christ. Peter and Apollos and Paul cannot forgive our sins. Our sins are forgiven ONLY through the cross of Jesus. In the words of the great hymn, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!  What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus”. We are freely forgiven and become a part of the body of Christ because of Christ’s sacrificial death for us.   The cross of Jesus brings great humility as we face our utter dependence on God’s mercy and Jesus dying for us. Now Jesus becomes the true focus and center of our faith more than Peter…more than Paul…more than Apollos…more than any other person.  Ultimately, the message of the cross is Paul’s greatest appeal for unity among the believers.  Then Paul gave 3 responses to the message of the cross. I want to expound these responses more deeply on today. I hope you will find them interesting and relevant for your own faith journey today.

First, The Jewish Response to the Cross

In verse 23 Paul indicates the cross is a “stumbling block” to the Jewish people.  The literal word is a “scandal”.   The definition of a “scandal” is an action or event that cuts against the moral or acceptable standards of people which brings outrage and offense.  When we think of the word scandal many images might come to mind.  In our political world one of the greatest scandals of our time was “Watergate”.  I think the fraud discovered in Minnesota and other places will become an even larger scandal.

Some translations render the message of the cross as “offensive” to the Jewish people.  Why was it a scandal or offensive for the Jews?   The message of the cross was offensive because it was very much against their expectations of what the Messiah was going to do.  Why did Judas betray Jesus for those 30 pieces of silver?  It was more than being greedy. I believe it was because Jesus was not meeting the expectations of what Judas thought Jesus should do.  Jesus’s death was scandalous for Judas. What was behind Peter’s denial of Jesus, those 3 times? Perhaps it was because he was afraid for his life. But I think Jesus was simply not meeting the expectations of what Peter thought the Messiah should do. Remember that Peter tried to steer Jesus away from the cross. But Jesus sternly rebuked Peter for his misunderstanding. (Matthew 16:22).  We know Jesus’ true mission was to die for our sins and the sins of the world. Thankfully, Jesus did not back away from the cross.

Even further, crucifixion in the Jewish mind was considered a curse.  Paul references this in Galatians, But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Amazing to consider that Christ took our curse upon Himself, dying for our sins and wrongdoing.  But to the Jewish mind, his death would be seen as a curse by his hanging on the cross!

 Further, the gospels inform us that Jesus was associated with known sinners.  It was normally the worst of criminals that faced execution by a cross. The Jews, as Peter and Judas would never expect the Messiah to die on a cross.  Therefore, the message of the cross was a scandal of epic proportions for the Jews.

In verse 22 Paul mentions Jews were also looking for a sign to prove that Christ was truly the Son of God.   And on the cross they kept asking Jesus to come down from the cross.  They wanted Jesus to prove himself to be the Son of God. “Come down from the cross”, they shouted. “And then we will believe.” (Matthew 27:42)   They were looking for a sign.   But Jesus told them there was only going to be one sign they would receive.  What was the sign?  It was the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:39).  You may remember that Jonah was in the belly of a whale for 3 days.  Jesus said the Son of Man as will be three days, yes, three days in the grave and then he would be resurrected.   That was the sign they would be given to prove that he indeed was the Messiah, the Son of God.   I think the demand for a sign is exemplified greatly in the unbelief of “Doubting” Thomas who demanded to see Christ before he believed.   And of course, our Lord’s words to Thomas were, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29)

So many today are looking for a sign, a sure proof or evidence that Jesus is who he says he is. And the cross is simply offensive to them.  Many do not think it worthy of our embrace or acceptance.  That was the Jewish response to the message of the cross.

Second, The Gentile Response to the Cross

Paul mentions the cross is foolishness to the Gentiles.   The literal word here is from the root word for “moron”.   I bet many of you didn’t know the word “moron” had a biblical root.  I remember in my younger years after I did something dumb, my friends called me a “moron”. I won’t ask for a show of hands for how many of you may have been called a “moron” over some bad decision you have made.  But this word is used in a very condescending manner as it is here.  Again, if you look up the definition it means someone who is stupid or foolish. Hence, the cross was foolishness or moronic to the Gentiles.  Why so?

 I mentioned earlier that Jesus was identified with the lowest of sinners. Crucifixion was normally reserved for the worst of criminals. Remember, Jesus was on the middle cross between 2 thieves. Therefore, he was deemed unworthy of any intelligent person’s consideration.  To borrow Paul’s terminology, for the Gentiles only a moron would place faith in a man who died on a cross.     How could a man who died on a cross… how could a man who was condemned by the Roman state…how could a man who suffered and died so brutally and seemingly helplessly, help me?   And on the sheer surface of things, it seems absolutely absurd.

John Calvin comments on this absurdity.  He said it is absurd to human reason to hear that God has become mortal, that life has been subjected to death, that righteousness has been veiled with sin, that a source of blessing for all of us has become a curse.  And that by this means, all humanity is redeemed, is bought, and brought from death and become partakers of immortality.   It is not by reason or intellect, but it is by revelation that the power of the gospel comes forward.  It is the power to open blind eyes and ears that are deaf to the message (John Calvin).

In a similar word, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “That which is from the flesh is flesh.  That which is from the spirit is spirit.”  We must have spiritual eyes open to behold the reality of the message of the cross. It is beyond human reason and intellect alone to fully understand it.   Our eyes must be opened to accept it.

This is why Paul said in verse 25, For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

For the Gentiles relying on human reason and wisdom alone the message of the cross was foolishness.   I’m thankful there is a greater and better response!

Third, The Believers Response to the Cross

 Look again at what Paul writes in verse 21, “It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that BELIEVE.”   There’s the real pivotal part of the message of the cross. It is stated in other scriptures like Ephesians 2:8 We are saved by GRACE through FAITH.  If you are a believer today you have come to know that grace opens our eyes to see and by faith, accept the gift of forgiveness offered to us through Christ’s death. In the next chapter Paul said he would know nothing except Christ and him crucified.   And later he would write “we have redemption through FAITH in his blood, the forgiveness of our sins in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE.” (Ephesians 1:7) The message of the cross is the center piece of our salvation. It is given by the grace of God which we could never earn or deserve.  And it’s simply accepted in faith.

Back in the early 1900’s a genuine revival took place in Wales.   Ebenezer Wooton was the evangelist. The revival went on for several days and there was a great movement of God. Many people accept Christ as their Savior in those services.  After the services ended and the tents were put up a young man came through the area and asked if the revival was over.   He came up to Rev. Wooten asked, “Is it over?  Is it too late?  What must I do?  I want to be saved.  What can I do?”  And Ebenezer said, “Yes, it’s too late.  It is 2000 years too late for you to do anything.  Christ has already done the work for you. All you have to do is accept it by faith. Simply in faith accept the work that he has done for you.”  We have redemption through faith in his blood.  The forgiveness of our sins. And as Wooton put it, There is nothing to do but fall on your knees and accept the Savior. (Alexander Wooton) 

I love what pastor and commentator Alexander Maclaren said many years ago.  He said, The cross is the center of world history.   The crucifixion and the resurrection are the pivot around which all world history revolves. (Alexander Maclaren).  More personally I hope it is the pivot around which every believer’s life revolves!

 At some point I may have shared with you about a church in Greenwich, Connecticut that has a 10-foot cross in front of the chancel.  Can you imagine if we put a 10-foot cross in the middle aisle in front of the altar table?  Visitors who come to that church wondered about the large cross.  Sometimes people complained about it and asked, “Why did you place that cross right in the middle of the church? The large cross hides the view of what we are trying to see! It simply gets in the way!”

I suppose the spiritual reality of the central place of the cross was taken quite literally by that church. That big cross got in the way of everything they were trying to do. But I think that was the whole point of placing it there. Now I’m not suggesting we do that here. Some of you are probably breathing a sigh of relief right now!  I don’t think we could anyway!

But the point is the message of the cross is never out of our sight.   It gets in the way of how we engage all the activities of our lives.  It gets in the way of talking with our neighbors.   It gets in the way of how we might talk with those with whom we disagree. It gets in the way of our leisure activities and trips.  It simply gets in the way of everything we do.  This comes right back to where we started. In the cross, we find our ultimate glory and the unity of our faith and practice. It is the pivot around which our lives revolve.

In closing, I would ask, “How are you responding to the message of the cross? I hope it will be similar to our closing song, “Ask ye what great thing I know, that delights and stirs me so…FAITH in Him who died to save. Him who triumphed o’er the grave…Jesus Christ the crucified.

Ebenezer Wooton had it right.  All we must do is in simple faith bow before the One who died to give us life!

May we pray?  Lord, we ask your blessing today. We ask your Holy Spirit to help us in how we respond to the cross.  Lord, if there’s any today who need to make a response of faith today, I pray that You would give them the strength and faith to believe in fully trust in You.  And if there are any who need to renew their response to You that they would yield themselves more fully to You.  We praise you! Now come and help us give glory to Christ and His cross even as we celebrate this Holy Communion which reminds us again of the saving message of the cross where Jesus gave His body and blood for us.  Amen!