The Empty Cross

April 4, 2010

As to conform to the season, I am sharing with you the message I heard through Ptr. Christian Flores. The holy week has been one of the most celebrated holidays in the calendar, lasting for almost more than a week full of rituals for some and personal drama.  I even overheard a DJ in a radio telling her listeners to take a pause during this season and make some self-introspection. Of course one could argue that ‘taking a pause’ is not only applicable during this season but this post is not  about  her the validity and logic of the said advice. The message I am sharing is something every Christian must understand and must be aware of for it is what makes our faith unique from every other religion and what makes Christianity the truth. This is the message of the empty cross.

 

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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.

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” [Isaiah 29:14]

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

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.

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.-

1cor. 1:17-25

 

 

            In this scripture, Paul talks about three (3) groups of people who challenged the idea of Christ dying on the cross for our salvation. We need to study the comparison and contrast among these groups in order to gauge our understanding on this doctrine. You see, in this spiritual journey, there will be a lot of questioning and argumentations that would come along our way, we might even get deceived by the enemy at some point that’s why a full grasp of this very essential topic is a must.

 

             The first crowd Paul mentioned is the Jews. The Jews in the scriptures are the most obedient throng of people in the early days, strictly following all the laws. Up to now, they faithfully live by the ten (10) commandments and observe all the Jewish laws. There is no harm observing the laws and obeying the Ten Commandments only that they misunderstood the message of salvation. For one, they cannot accept the cross as the way to salvation. They cannot accept that the Messiah that they were waiting for came in flesh and chose to become the greatest servant of all times thousands of years ago. In verse 22 , Paul mentioned about the Jews demanding for miraculous signs, all because they expected someone big and great and powerful to come. They expected a gladiator-like god, someone who is strong enough to speak words of authority, someone mighty, and someone who could overthrow the Roman government at that time. And when Jesus came and presented Himself as the Son of God, they doubted him, got disappointed and eventually searched and waited for another. They scorned the idea of a human Messiah, a servant, the ‘weak’, the ever yielding who got crucified. To add to the contention, crucifixion in the early days was the most humiliating punishment. Only the worst criminals get to be crucified that’s why for someone to be dying on the cross and yet be called the Messiah was unacceptable. This shattered their faith. That is why instead of believing on this great act of sacrifice, they chose to rely on their obedience to the commandments for their salvation.  In fact they were the crowd that was mentioned in John 1:11,

 

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

 

            The Jews were the closest people to God, but they were also the first people who rejected Him. Unfortunately, up to this very moment, this group of people still waits for their great Messiah to save them. They missed the point. Jesus already came thousands of years ago and died for our sins. It is already done, and they missed it.

 

            Aside from the Jews, Paul talked about the second group of people, the Greeks. The Greeks are the most influential and most intellectual people of the history. It is in their group that bright minds arose, and great teachings were philosophized. In verse 22, Paul talks about the Greeks looking for wisdom. Because they had much time philosophizing things, debating on a wide range of topics, they started to question the logic and rationality of Christianity. Their intellect has captured their faith allowing them to reach the zenith of their human philosophy, freeing themselves from the bounding doctrines and truth.  In fact in Acts 17:21, they were described as people who do much thinking.

 

(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

 

            The Greeks contest the authenticity and probability of certain biblical principles and happenings. First, they question the idea of a virgin birth. In human perspective, it is improbable and totally impossible. The laws of nature bound them and so they fail to acknowledge the power of God to do the impossible. Next, just as the Jews, they scorn the idea of crucifixion of God. They philosophize that being a god means having supreme authority and power and so death is unnecessary especially if it is on the cross. They question the reasons of a god doing such while in fact he could save people and turn things around whenever he wants to. They fail to comprehend the gravity of the sacrifice God made for us who are unworthy of such. They even questioned the authenticity of God’s power by asking, if he was a god, then why didn’t he save us right from the very start. Next, they abhor the idea of resurrection. They believe nobody dies and then gets resurrected as the same person. The Greeks believe that living with the gods is their ultimate destination no matter how they live on earth. They believe that if you are good enough in your earthly life then you will automatically be with the gods, and if in your first life you fail to be good, you will live over and over again until you do it right. By this they are contesting the doctrine of Salvation. Because of their curiosity, they failed to recognize what faith really means. For years they tried to find the truth out of their own efforts. They spent much time thinking for answers, for logic, for rational explanations. And when they do not get them, they reject the premises, which is exactly the opposite of what having a faith really means.

 

            The last group of people Paul talked about in this passage in the Scripture is the group of those who are saved. Our group. For us Christians, the cross is no longer synonymous to capital punishment but rather symbolizes power and salvation. It was crucifixion that was feared by men long time ago because of hunger, thirst and lost of blood. But today, it is the one thing that people need in order to find purpose. Simply stated, it was the most humiliating death to redeem us from death itself. Right on that cross, God made the greatest exchange. He exchanged His own righteousness with our filths and inequities.

 

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.- 1corinthians 1:18

 

 

We preach Christ crucified because we kn     ow it is no longer in the context of humiliation and defeat. Christ dying on the cross is the most foolish wisdom, the most powerful weakness and the most victorious defeat.  By this ‘defeat’ on the cross, He became victorious over death and that’s why we experience freedom. The most important thing to take note of this message is that we were all saved and loved by a great GOD that He was willing to give up His Son although He knew that not everyone would be able to accept and understand the purpose. You could just imagine people scorning him, throwing stones at him and casting lots for his robe. You could just imagine the Son of God suffering from the hands of the Pharisees enduring every tinge of pain, the hunger, and the thirst. The one who is sinless and blameless, was the one who was put to cross and to death instead of us. He did it for us. We may be strangers in our very own eyes but in God’s eyes, we are precious creations. And though we are unworthy of this great sacrifice, He chose to do it all for love.

 

            You might ask yourself,’ have I been a greek or a jew at some point?’. If yes, then it is never too late to repent and understand the truth behind the empty cross. What is 750,000 miles with additional 20 miles every day? It is the length of the line of the people who are still searching for answers, waiting for someone to tell them the truth. The additional 20 miles every day is attributed to the people who started to question their faith and adopted the thinking of the Jews or the Greeks. God calls His brave soldiers to stand firm and go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the power of the empty cross. And this season of commemorating how Jesus suffered for us and died on the cross for our freedom, will you heed the call?

 

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.- Rom 1:16