Title: The Power of the Cross (March 9)
Contents
power of the cross
(1 Corinthians 1:17-24)
What is the Christian Gospel? What does the gospel proclaim? It is to proclaim the death of Jesus Christ, who was slain on the cross.(…) Why do we boast only of the cross? The reason is that we have been saved through the cross. If the Lord did not die on the cross, no one could be saved. Today, we are going to share the word about the cross, focusing on the text.
① The cross is reluctant and foolish.
(…) The cross was the worst mold. Crucifixion was so brutal and cruel that it was applied only to slaves, traitors, and heinous prisoners. Jesus suffered such a punishment. Peter, who could not understand it, insisted, “No!” (…) Even the prisoners who were crucified with him could not understand that Jesus was crucified. Even the disciples did not understand that Jesus was quietly arrested even though he had power. (…) So Judas betrayed him, Peter denied it, and the disciples ran away. The people were clamoring for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus was crucified quietly. How can the disciples know the deep meaning? It has become an element of conflict and denial even for modern people who think they know everything about this and that.(…)
Our church is VISION 2010. With the goal of 1,200 people, the evangelism team goes out every Wednesday and Saturday and tells them to believe in this Jesus. The opposite is also tricky. When I say, “Believe in Jesus and be saved,” I hate it because it sounds like sleep talk. Obviously, it sounds like a drool.(…) In verse 22, Jews seek a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom. We look for reliable records. However, there is nowhere in the Bible where we have given any evidence that we can believe (…). Without the influence of the Holy Spirit, we cannot believe and accept the message of the cross. If you have the influence of the Holy Spirit, you will accept, understand, and realize the cross as your cross. This is the hard-to-be-believable part.
② The cross is the wisdom and power of God.