Psalms 8:1, 16:2, and 31:1-3
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 1 Corinthians 1. Today, the Mind of the Spirit caught the attention of the spirit of my mind in the opening phrase of verse 23:
1Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness
“But we preach Christ crucified”!
It was the word but that triggered an insight. It’s a term of contrast. Paul said, “The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). By contrast, we preach Christ crucified, which is to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness. That intrigued me! Especially given that the same Apostle emphasized that his gospel was “not in word only, but in power” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
Along the still waters, I reflected on the fact that preaching Christ crucified does not appeal to the Jews, who seek a sign, because the Gospel contradicts their notion of Christ, the Messiah, whom they believed would be a great military conquerer breaking Roman oppression and restoring the kingdom to Israel. The Pharisees kept demanding a “sign.” Jesus pointed to the resurrection: “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40). While Jesus hung on the Cross, the Jewish rulers stipulated what “sign” they would receive: “If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:42). They would receive a sign that confirmed their expectation: Christ defeating the power of Rome. They would receive a sign that displayed his power to come down from the cross, but rejected the sign of His power to rise from the dead. Wow! There is a lot there to unpack.
I also thought of the Greeks’ quest for wisdom. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle ruminated on the meaning and matters of life, death, and manners, but the concept of an atoning human sacrifice was an abomination to the Greeks. Crucifixion, especially, was considered barbaric and shameful. It would be dismissed as foolishness to say Jesus, or any man, could die for the sins of others.
Preaching Christ crucified is the least likely message to appeal to Jews or Greeks—the world. We don’t win Jews to Christ with signs nor Greeks by wisdom. We preach Christ crucified, a stumblingblock to the Jew and foolishness to the Greek. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and Christ is the wisdom of God: because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
God sends His call to all (1 Timothy 2:4) and draws all men to His crucified (lifted up) Son (John 12:32). The preaching of Christ crucified displays God’s power and shows His wisdom: “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthian 1:24b). The Father gives to the Son all who respond to the gospel with faith and believe on Him (John 6:29-40, 65; 10:36-38; 9:35-38). Jesus is given to all mankind, but only those who receive Him does the Father give to His Son (John 1:11-13).
Anyone who modifies the gospel in order to appeal to those who seek a “sign” or a show of power, or to avoid being unacceptable to those who seek “wisdom,” perverts the gospel so that it has neither the power nor the wisdom of GOD. Such preachers labor to remove the “offense of the cross” in order to gain favor and avoid persecution (Galatians 5:11).
The Gospel is itself the power and wisdom of GOD, for indeed, God’s foolishness is wiser than men, and His weakness is stronger.
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, where His wisdom and power exposed the foolishness and powerlessness of man, I heard Him say: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Some will mark me foolish and others will despise me as weak, but “I am crucified with Christ,” and so take up my cross daily to follow Him.
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy hurried to the table and followed us into the harvest.
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
0 Comments