“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.)

What is the most common religious symbol in the world? In our part of the world, the most common religious symbol is the cross. We see the cross on churches. We see the cross in jewelry. Athletes cross themselves sometimes during sporting events. But what does the cross mean to followers of Christ? We are dedicating this month to understand and appreciate the significance of the Cross of Christ.

We live in a time where the Christian message is being slanted by some in the direction of the current fashion in order to make it acceptable to the public. The message of the Cross is no longer central to the Gospel proclamation. Some preachers claim, “Don’t tell people about the cross, it doesn’t work. That’s why the Franklin Graham crusades are no longer effective.” Just tell them that God loves them & has a plan for them.” The message of a crucified Jew is ridiculous to the modern mind and so move on to something better. A crucified Messiah is stupid; just promise them prosperity, give them emotional experiences, provide them with self-esteem – then you’ll fill the pews.”

But according to the apostle Paul, the cross should be central to the Gospel message. In spite of the fact that the cross was a scandal to the Jewish mind and an offense to the Roman mind in the first century, Paul summed up the message of the New Testament as “the word of the cross” (1 Cor.1:18). The message of the cross is the manifestation of God’s wise plan to save all mankind from sin and death. The Bible clearly teaches that sin exacts a heavy price tag – death. “The soul that sins shall die” (Ezek 18:4); “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Since all have sinned, all are doomed to be condemned. But God loves all sinners. There arises a divine dilemma – how can God genuinely forgive sinners without compromising His justice? The answer lies in Christ and the Cross. “God made him (Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). So when Paul says Jesus was made sin for us, that doesn’t mean that he became a sinner but that he died a sinner’s death in our place, as our substitute. Thus the cross makes possible a divine exchange between Jesus and us–that our transgressions were placed upon the back of Jesus so we might be covered with his integrity. On the cross something the Bible calls an “atoning sacrifice” was accomplished. An atoning sacrifice is the means by which justice is satisfied. The sins of every human being who’s ever lived and who ever will live were placed upon Jesus as he died on the cross. So what does this picture tells us about the cross? Since sin has made us guilty before God, the cross is where God provides forgiveness. The centerpiece of God’s perfect plan for humankind is the Cross.

Let’s embrace the Cross and experience the power of transformation that comes from it.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris Chan