The
Foundation of the Church
Course:
The Cross
Lesson
10
Lesson Title: The Foolishness of the cross
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18 ‘For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.’
Introduction: Foolishness
of the cross
The
cross is foolish because:
1) The cross displays the weakness of its victims. It humiliates the victim that it destroys.
2) Power is having the ability to overcome an
opponent.
The cross was a stumbling block to the
Jews because they were not looking for a crucified Messiah.
The Jews
looked for a deliverer. (Romans 11:26)
When Jesus rode into
But when
He was taken to be crucified they rejected Him because a deliverer would be
able to prevent himself being crucified..
The fact
that He did nothing to defend Himself seemed to show weakness not power.
Even when Jesus was being crucified the crowd called
for Him to exercise His power by coming down from the cross.
Matthew 27:39-40, ‘And they that passed by reviled
him, wagging their heads, And saying,
Thou that destroys the temple, and builds it in three days, save yourself. If
you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.’
The religious leaders mocked Him as a deliverer who
could not save himself.
Matthew 27:41-43, ‘Likewise also the chief priests
mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he
cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross,
and we will believe him. He trusted in
God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of
God.’
The cross was foolish to the Greeks
because it goes against human reasoning:
The cross
was final. No one came back a better
person having been through the crucifixion experience. They were taken down as a corpse.
No
benefit could be achieved by the cross
The
message of the cross defies human reasoning.
The
Christian message is the message of new life through the cross.
Introductory
Story: The message of the cross is not the
message of how to raise self esteem.
The message
of the cross is the message of new life.
For me the
greatest possible place to preach the gospel is in prison.
I have
preached on many themes, but I only have one message.
It is the
message of new life in Christ.
A person who
receives Christ is a new creation – the old is gone, crucified with Christ and
new life in Christ begins.
Preachers who
seek to raise people’s self esteem will be more popular than preachers who
preach new life through the cross.
Self esteem
dies at the cross and new life begins.
So the
believer can esteem him or herself in Christ and not in self.
Colossians 1:27, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’.
Main Points:
1. The message of the cross - Christ the power
of God. 1
Corinthians
The
message of the cross is foolish because the cross puts its victim to
death.
Galatians
The cross destroys the sinner. Psalm 104:35, ‘Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth,
and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD.’
Paul wrote to the Galatians, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20.
The old is gone - Crucified with Christ
New life is come – Christ lives in me.
a) The message of the cross does away with human merit. It is not a message of ‘how to improve yourself’.
This message is highly praised by the world because it builds upon what I already am. .
Jesus did not die to make us better people. Jesus died to destroy the old and bring new life.
If we are concerned about preaching a message that pleases people then we must avoid the message of the cross.
This is why Paul told Timothy to preach the Word when people want to hear or when they don’t want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:2-3)
How good I am or how bad I am has no relevance in regard to salvation.
It is a finished work. Jesus cried ‘it is finished’ (John
Hebrews
says that He sat down – because the work was done.
Hebrews
10:12-14 ‘But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,
sat down on the right hand of God; From
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are sanctified.’
b) The message of the cross does away with religious merit. The Bible never refers to ‘sacramental grace’.
Salvation is not through instalments (baptism, confirmation, etc.).
Salvation is the gift of God through faith in the finished work of Christ alone.
Personal
Testimony
My life was changed on a Tuesday night in
August 1975 when a team from Living Sound came to
It was the message of the cross that brought salvation
c) The message of the cross does away with social standing. The Bible places everyone on the same level.
A person can be a regular churchgoer, live a respectable life, and be regarded as a good Christian. This person will often be well spoken of in the community.
But the message of the cross is that respectability counts for nothing in regard to salvation.
Good living people often look down on those who have committed evil crimes.
But the message of the cross is that in the sight of God we are all inherently evil and salvation can only come through death and new life in Christ.
The cross puts to death both the respected and the reviled. It makes no difference.
This is why it is often easier to preach the message of the cross in prison than it is to preach this message in church.
2. The message of the cross – Christ the wisdom
of God. 1 Corinthians
The wisdom of God chose the weak things of the world.
a) Victorious King – His victory came through the foolishness of the cross.
The cross is foolish because a conquering King puts his enemies to death.
· A victorious king has an army protecting him.
Christ had no army to protect him. He was betrayed by a kiss and taken without any resistance.
· A victorious king humiliates his enemies and destroys them.
The cross humiliates its victims before destroying them.
Christ was humiliated on the cross. He was forsaken and died without help.
· The foolishness of the cross is that God’s kingdom stands in contrast to the kingdoms of the world – the way of death is the way of life.
This is the way of God’s kingdom:
If anyone wants to be great – he must become a servant
If anyone will save his life –he must lose it.
If anyone will follow Christ - must take up his cross.
If anyone will fight – must have love
b) The spread of His Kingdom. 1 Corinthians
Question: What kind of a King spreads His Empire
by sending out disciples to preach rather than sending out an army to fight?
The spread of the kingdom put into the hands of disciples.
Not spread by the sword but by the foolishness of preaching.
The gospel not spread by oratory.
The message of salvation spread through the testimony and preaching of disciples.
The message is spread by Agape love in the power of the Spirit. No person can glory in the spread of the gospel – not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord.
c) His subjects are the poor and despised of the world, 1 Corinthians 1:26-28.
Those
who are high in the world must humble themselves. 1 Peter 5:5 ‘…all of you be subject one to
another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives
grace to the humble.’
The
message of salvation proclaimed to the poor and despised of the world.
The poor and despised of the world
have the potential to be great in God’s kingdom.
Illustration: David’s mighty men.
Those who gathered themselves around David were the outcasts of society
1
Samuel 22:2 ‘And
every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one
that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain
over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.’
Out of these men came David’s mighty men. 2 Samuel 23:8.
The message of the cross is that it makes no difference how far a person has fallen. He or she has the potential of becoming a ‘mighty one’ in God’s kingdom.
3. The message of cross – Christ alone is glorified. 1 Corinthians 1:29, ‘That no flesh should glory in his presence’.
The cross destroys the pride of man because man does nothing, Christ has done everything.
God has chosen the foolish things so that mankind cannot boast in his or her achievements.
Religions have a continuous need for works.
But the message of the cross – a finished work.
Salvation is by faith alone without works.
All of Christ, none of self
because Christ is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption.
1
Corinthians
a) Christ is made unto us wisdom – the cross is the eternal plan and purpose of God. Revelation 13:8 ‘The lamb slain from the foundation of the world’.
The cross was God’s plan even before the world was created.
God’s best kept secret.
The princes of the world didn’t understand, 1 Corinthians 2:7-8.
The powers of darkness didn’t understand – Christ apparent defeat became His greatest triumph over the powers of darkness. Colossians 2:14-15.
Man played no part in the plan of salvation. It was God’s masterpiece.
b) Christ our righteousness - justified by faith.
Mankind had no means of removing the condemnation of sin.
The cross is God’s answer. Through the cross sin is wiped completely away. Colossians 2:14.
c) Christ our sanctification – changed into His likeness
The life of Christ in us.
No longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20.
d) Christ our redemption – purchased to be His love servants.
Christ has bought us so that we will love with His love.
1
Peter 2:9, ‘But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light:’
A peculiar people means a people for His possession. We have been bought for this purpose ‘to declare to praises of the Lord who has called us out of darkness.
Galatians
Summary:
The cross is foolish to the world because:
1) Christ the
King is victorious by being crucified on a cross.
2) His kingdom is spread not by a
sword but by the foolishness of preaching.
3) Man has no place to glory because
the cross had nothing to do with human endeavour.
The Lord
Jesus Christ alone is glorified by the cross.
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