The Preaching of the Cross

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     First Corinthians 1:18-21 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” 

     Many religions of the world have their symbols.  Every now and then I would see a bumper st icker that had about seven major religions on it and even included the five pointed star of Satan.  The bumper sticker was implying that we should be tolerant of all faiths and that they may all lead to the same place.  The symbol for Christianity was the simple cross.  Many people have a cross which they often regard as a good luck charm like a rabbit’s foot or a four leaf clover.  I now have a cross on the outside of my door that is made from left over aluminum foil.  At least no one has stolen this one.  While you can purchase all kinds of crosses as jewelry  or bumper stickers or key chains, they don’t promote good luck but remind the believer of what took place over two thousand years ago on the cross at Calvary.

     To the unbeliever, the preaching of the cross is foolishness.  It  was in the days of Paul at Corinth and so it is today.  Mankind is still thinking that what took place at Calvary is still foolishness.  Notice that the phrase says, “To those that are perishing.”  That’s the key difference or at least one that is important as people who are on the road to eternal separation from God, they are indeed going to perish especially when compared to the life of the believer.  It is almost ironic that in both instances, the result will be eternal.  Eternal separation from God would be hard to state as eternal life, but it will be for all eternity.  The contrast between the two extremes is great  and perhaps we have forgotten what hell will be like and so don’t bother to tell someone about the consequences of  denying Christ in this life.  The Christian faith also has a number of hymns and spiritual songs that tell the old, old story.  Hymns like “The Old Rugged Cross” or  “When i Survey the Wondrous Cross” all remind us of that event where our sins were paid for by the Lamb of God.  The contrast to the foolishness of the lost is that for the believer, it is the power of God.  Quite a difference.  Praise God today for the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.