Paul is addressing the divisions and the quarrels in the church. He brings them all back to the most unifying of symbols, the greatest act of love, the cross.
“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.” (1 Corinthians 1 v 18)
It is the centre of what we believe.
It is the offence of the gospel.
It is why there is only one way to heaven through Jesus Christ.
It is why Jesus is more than a prophet.
It is why Jesus is the Son of God, God Himself.
It is why those who put their trust in Him will never die but be raised to new life.
He was not resuscitated later. He did not faint. The suggestion that the Roman soldiers had somehow crucified the wrong man is ludicrous. The chief priests and Pharisees slandering Jesus on the cross knew it was Jesus.
The soldiers who crucified Jesus were experts in the cruel art of crucifixion. Every historian concedes the truth that crucifixion was the death sentence, no one survived.
In fact many died under the Roman flogging. Prior to this, Jesus had suffered hermatidrosis, where in the extreme stress he was under in the Garden of Gethsemane sweated blood. Jesus was giving out large amounts of blood from the flogging and then he is nailed to the cross.
The word excruciating comes from the crucifixion. There was nothing in the language that could describe the intense anguish during the crucifixion. Excruciating means ‘out of the cross’.
Many people believe that Jesus had also experienced hypervolimic shock during his torture.
If Jesus had come down from the cross and recovered later, what kind of condition would he have been in to inspire and motivate his followers to lay their own lives down for a lie that he had been raised? According to legend:-
Andrew was crucified in Greece
Batholomew crucified upside down in Georgia.
James son of Alphaeus stoned to death in Jerusalem.
James son of Zebedee killed in prison by beheading.
Peter crucified upside down in Rome.
Philip crucified upside down in Hierapolis.
Thomas speared to death in India.
It just doesn’t make sense
It is easier to accept the fact from Jewish writers as well as Christian historical writers that Jesus did die on the cross.
Foolishness to some but for us who are being saved by it we know it is the power of God.
The cross has taken us into a whole new way of life.
The cross has reconciled us to God and God to us.
The cross has provided complete forgiveness of our sins.
The cross has brought about a decisive victory over sin, death and the power of evil.
The cross is a demonstration of the love of God to His world.
The cross is a declaration that we are now made right before God.
The cross is a model of sacrificial love and example to how we should live our lives.
The cross is indeed the power of God to us who are being saved.
And in this context of the division of the church, why is this important? Why does Paul introduce the power of the cross? The death of our Lord Jesus sobers the mind or at least it should do. The sacrifice of Jesus laying his life down highlights whether we are doing the same for others. He does so because the cross is the healer of the church. If we are also carrying the cross then it becomes difficult to hit our brothers and sisters with it. Paul will have more to say. But for now we will dwell on the power of God in the cross.
Missions Paul 