The Power of The Cross

This morning I am reflecting on several verses from Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth.  He starts out the letter with a nice greeting and then gets right into the first concern he has which is division in the church and how that was compromising the message of the Gospel, and the power of the Cross.  I included several verses for context - 1 Corinthians 1:10-25 NIV:

[10] "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. [11] My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. [12] What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 

[13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. [16] (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) [17] For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel---not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 

[18] For the message of the cross is foolishness 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; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

[20] Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. [22] Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, [24] but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."

What grabbed my attention first was the statement Paul makes about his preaching the gospel, "not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."  When I read that, my mind immediately started wondering when was the last time I heard someone speaking about the power of the Cross, and consciously ministering in the power of the Cross?  

Verses 18-25 are such a welcome confrontation of our earthly mindsets, even our religious expectations.  One of the ideas I have been reflecting on of late is how God's revelation and representation in Christ Jesus is so outside what we, as humans would expect.  

We tend to think that if the God of the Universes was present He would demonstrate that through awesome signs of power, might and majesty!  Instead we read of Jesus who was the very Son of God, hidden from the worlds view for the first 30 years of his life, ministered for about three years, and mostly never sought the limelight, power or political alignment!  He was humble and gentle, merciful, compassionate and forgiving.  He did do many miracles, healings, signs and wonders, even raising the dead, but the majority of the time he was in some remote area, and often told the person He healed to go and tell know one.  There was no arriving on the scene in some powerful display  and demanding to be taken to the leaders!  Then incredibly, He allows Himself to be captured, beaten and crucified on the cross.  What god in any of the different mythologies (human ideas of what god's act like) ever did something similar? 

Going back to Paul, He writes that it was "in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him" (Christ Jesus as Messiah). This is such an interesting statement about the intent of God, and the mind of God.  In other words, God planned it this way!  The Gospel, as Paul writes is foolishness to man.  It does not make sense; it is not the way we would do it; it is not a story man would create!  I am so often reminded of God's statement made in Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Last night we were watching videos of the Ashbury Revival, I must admit I was a bit underwhelmed initially.  The videos showed a bunch of unpolished students singing songs of worship.  The crowd though large for the venue wasn't impressive, there were no spectacular signs or wonders evident on camera, but there was a peace evident, there was affection for Jesus, there was clearly a gentle and loving experience of God.  This is such a great example of how the Lord operates and how He reveals Himself.  It is not what we think, yet when you read the accounts of those present they clearly experienced the love of God in ways they hadn't before!  

This IS one example of the power of the Cross.  Jesus, opened the way to God, through His death on the Cross.  He paid for our debts, took our punishment upon Himself, and restored the opportunity for relationship with the Father to us all.  He saved us, not through victory on a great intergalactic battlefield, but rather through humility and self-sacrifice.  His victory is the greatest victory of all time, for He now has all authority and all power, and sits exalted above every other being, and yet He reveals Himself to us in love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and peace.  We struggle to comprehend this all, to make sense of this,  and Paul captures this all quite concisely in the verses quoted above.

My prayer today is that I might more fully comprehend the Power of the Cross, the Wisdom of God demonstrated through Christ Jesus!  My prayer is that we might embrace this "foolish" message, and not try to add some human "flash" to it, to make it fit our limited minds and expectations.  Let us pray for a greater revelation in the Church of "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."  I pray that as we approach the celebration of Easter, that we would not miss the message of the Cross, for to us who believe it is "the power of God".

Amen and Amen!