THE CROSS OF CHRIST

1 CORINTHIANS 2:1–5

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified

(1 Corinthians 2:2).

This week we make one last excursion out of our studies in Luke, this time to meditate on the cross of Christ. We can safely say that, regarding His atoning work for His people, the Cross is the crux of the matter. Words like crux, crucial, and excruciating come from the Latin word for cross and express matters of central importance; or in the case of excruciating, terrible pain and torture.

Why is the Cross so central? Why was Paul determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except the Person of Christ and Him crucified? Because it was the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that reversed the destructive work of Adam and set the world aright. It was on the cross that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin, saving His people from death.

Yet few people are interested in the Cross. A quick survey of any secular bookstore underscores this. Go to the religion section and you will find many occultic, “New Age,” and self-help books. Even among the Christian books, you will probably not find a single book devoted to the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Of course, bookstore owners rightly seek to make a profit, so their selection of books tells us that few, if any, people are asking for such books. Investigate your local Christian bookstore and make note of what is prominently displayed and what the bestsellers are, and you will be similarly disappointed.

Why is this? People today, by and large, do not believe that they are accountable to a living and personal God who will pass judgment on them for their sins. They have suppressed all awareness of sin and judgment. For such people, the cross of Christ is meaningless. Yet the fact remains that the Cross is central, and as we seek to persuade men, we must keep it central.

CORAM DEO

Obadiah

Revelation 8

How much modern evangelism is built around ideas of meeting “felt needs” or “positive self-image.” Paul tells us that the Cross is foolishness to the lost (1 Corinthians 1:23). What kind of evangelism is being done in your church? What should you be presenting to men, carefully and tactfully, but seriously and forthrightly?

For further study: Galatians 6:14–18; The Cross of Christ series

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