Daily Devotional

-April 17, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-The Message Of 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 1:18).

The cross of Jesus Christ evokes a strong, definitive reaction among people one way or the other. There are no gray areas, there can be no fence sitting. For those who are unsaved it is foolishness but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

To those who do not know Jesus Christ, their conclusion is that the cross is foolishness. The cross makes no sense, for they do not comprehend what took place. It all seemed so gruesome and senseless. A young Jewish prophet named Jesus from Nazareth who did so much good and so many mighty miracles, was nonviolent and peaceful, would be falsely and wrongly accused and crucified. The punishment did not fit the crime, though there was no crime. Usually crucifixion was reserved for worst of the worst, murders, thieves, insurrectionists, and the like. It was a slow agonizing death. Jesus did not deserve to die, for He was innocent, sinless, and holy.

Those who are unsaved do not understand God’s plan of salvation. They cannot comprehend that God would become flesh, dwell among us, and die in our place on the cross in order to save us from our sins. We cannot blame them, it is even hard for believers to understand. Why would a holy, righteous God love us and send His Son to suffer, bleed, and die for ungodly sinners, His enemies in such a painful way?

For us who are being saved it it the the power of God. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” The message of the cross was revealed in the OT, and fulfilled in the NT. In such passages as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 there are graphic descriptions of the sufferings of Christ on the cross. The movie, “The Passion of Christ,” shows what Christ went through to save us. If you have not seen it, rent it and see it; if you have seen it, see it again. As terrible as His pain was portrayed, it was even worse than that.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death, and the other the aroma of life leading to life.” Thank God we see the cross so differently from those in the world. Through Christ’s death, we live; through His love and sacrifice we are forgiven of our sins; and through the cross we have the way paved for us to be with Him in heaven forever. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

The message of the cross separates people. The unsaved see it as foolishness, but to us who are saved we see it as the power of God. Without the cross, there is no salvation and without the resurrection, there is no life or justification. Where do you stand on the cross? Is it foolishness to you or is it the wisdom and power of God?

Have a blessed day taking up your cross and following Christ. Let us thank Him for dying on the cross to save us. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean