What Do You Think About the Cross of Christ?

3rd Sunday in Lent, 3/4/18
1 Corinthians 1:22-25


What Do You Think About the Cross of Christ?


$167,000 per second. That sounds like it’s an incredible amount of money. In just the time since I opened my mouth, that would be blowing through $1 million. But $167,000 per second is actually a bargain compared to a year ago. What am I talking about? Paid TV advertising for the 2018 Super Bowl. Each 30-second spot cost during this year’s Super Bowl cost advertisers $5 million. A stunning amount of money, but still a bargain when you consider that’s down from $5.5 million for the same spots during the 2017 Super Bowl.

That kind of money simply isn’t real for most of us. It’s an amount of money we can’t imagine. But that’s the world of company branding. Smart business people know that this kind of advertising pays them more than it costs them.

Look around you. It’s happening in our area, particularly with medical corporations. Hospitals are no longer content to have their name affixed in large letters to the sides of their mammoth facilities. Their brand is now attached to the prominent facades of all sorts of high school and college sports complexes throughout the Miami Valley. I don’t know about you, but I don’t choose my health care facility based on its advertising, but apparently enough people do to make it worth the advertising dollars spent.

For more than 2,000 years Christianity has been “branding” it’s product with a symbol that often costs next to nothing. It’s the cross and you see it almost everywhere—our church, our homes, on buildings in our community, around the necks of countless people we see every day, along our nation’s highways. In fact, even people with little or no connection to Christianity recognize the cross as Christianity’s symbol.

I’m going to guess that you own and display that Christian symbol in your life. You, too, display it in your homes. You wear it proudly. You’re delighted to see the cross prominently displayed inside and outside our church building. But has that cross become so familiar to you that it’s almost as if it’s just another one of countless efforts to call attention to a brand? I’m hoping it’s not. I’m fairly certain you know what the cross of Christ is all about and why it’s the focus of our Christian faith.

But do you struggle at times with the cross of Christ? Are there times in your life in which you, perhaps unwittingly, wish to replace the cross with something else? Do you have trouble defending the cross at the most inopportune times? If you admit that you do, you’re not alone.

Bottom line—what do you think about the cross of Christ? That’s the unasked question that St. Paul presents to us this morning in this reading from 1 Corinthians. Are you willing to embrace the cross at all costs? Are you ready to defend it? May the Holy Spirit help us answer that question in a way that glorifies our Savior and leads others to him.

We’re saddened when we hear that the cross—the symbol of Christianity—is forcibly removed from another wall or building in our nation. Same thing with the 10 Commandments. But that’s the world we live in. And it’s really nothing new. There has always been opposition to the cross of Christ.

Look at the reaction to the cross in the days and months just prior and just after our Savior was crucified on one. Even though the crucifixion of Jesus was foreshadowed in every sacrifice the Jews presented to the Lord for centuries, and even though the Lord clearly foretold the crucifixion in places such as Isaiah 53, the Jews by and large wanted nothing to do with a crucified Savior. Recall their expectations, an expectation that even infected our Lord’s disciples. The Jews were fixated on a glorious, earthly kingdom. Right up to and even after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples were prone to vying for places of honor and glory in that kingdom. They argued among themselves as to their rightful places in it. No doubt their fellow Jews were infected with the same erroneous thinking.

Those false kingdom concepts were inseparably tied with the expectation of outward signs. We’d call them miracles. In today’s gospel we heard Jews rattle their Jewish kingdom sabers when they challenged Jesus, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” This was no polite request; it was an anger-filled demand that flowed from stony hearts.

For them, the cross was not the pinnacle of Jesus’ work for us; it was the nail in his imposter coffin. The fact that they nailed him to a cross was their personal proof that Jesus was a pitiful Messiah imposter. Their concept of the Messiah was far-removed from a cross; polar opposite. And thus, they stumbled over a crucified Jesus. Actually, the word Paul used isn’t a mild stumble and fall; the word he used indicates the trigger on a trap that results in death. Their rejection of the cross of Christ resulted in spiritual death in hell.

That’s what the Jews thought about the cross of Christ.

And the reaction of the Greeks wasn’t much better. As Paul states, the Greeks looked for wisdom. They were enamored with the latest thinking. Greek society proudly stood on the thinking of such great philosophers as Aristotle, Socrates and Plato.

That thinking didn’t necessarily exclude the divine. In fact, it often embraced it. Greek society was closely interwoven with the worship of all sorts of gods. National festivals were pagan religious festivals.

But when Paul proclaimed that Christianity stood firmly on the truth that Jesus was both God and man, they scoffed. Greek wisdom wanted to transcend the shackles of humanity. It knew how limited and empty the human experience on its own was. So, in their way of thinking, why would the divine want to take on the human? That would be a philosophical step in the wrong direction.

What’s more, why would God sacrifice himself for humanity? That simply didn’t make sense. All of human logic had the human-divine relationship going in the opposite direction—on what humans sacrificed for the divine. In fact, that was not only the Greek logic, it was the logic of all sinful humanity.

And thousands of years later, very little has changed. The “divine” is limited by what people “think.” It has become what the individual accepts as personal reality. In modern minds, your spiritual truth doesn’t have to have anything in common with my spiritual truth. It’s up to the individual to create their own divine truth. Meanwhile, the rejection of anything divine is on the increase. In the minds of more and more people, god doesn’t exist.

Is it any wonder, then, why the necessity of the cross of Christ is widely rejected? If the concept of sin is simply an ancient method of entrapping people in guilt, then why not deny its existence? And if sin doesn’t exist, there’s no need to believe that an execution on a cross 2,000 years ago has any effect on us.

But you’re aware of all that. You probably didn’t need me to remind you of it. So, what’s my point? Our question isn’t what the world thinks about the cross of Christ. The world’s reaction has always been the same—bold rejection.

The question is, “What do you think about the cross of Christ?” By the grace of God through the working of the Holy Spirit, you know that these words of Paul are true for you: “But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” When the Holy Spirit called you to faith in Jesus, he enlightened you with the saving wisdom of God. That saving wisdom centers in the cross of Christ. That Jewish man hanging on Calvary’s cross was also God’s eternal Son. That makes his death the redemption of all sinners. On Calvary’s cross the God-man, Jesus, died for the sins of the world. He died for me. He died for you. That’s God’s gospel—his saving good news. Paul told the Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). The life and death of Jesus is the wisdom and power of God which saves us.

So learn from history. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the Jews. They looked for signs from Jesus to verify that what he said was the truth. Look no further than the cross and empty tomb. That’s the sign Jesus pointed to. When you doubt the love of God, his plans for you, or his power in your life, look to the cross and the empty tomb. There our God showed that he loves you so much he sacrificed himself for you. What a loving God you have! And when you doubt his power, look to his empty tomb. He rose from the dead to assure you that he has conquered sin, death, and hell for you. So you live! You live with him forever!

And don’t fall into the cranial trap of the Greeks. The infinite cannot be confined by the finite. The supernatural cannot be fully understood by the natural. Instead, by the power of the Holy Spirit, believe what the Divine does for you—he takes your place and suffers your hell for you. That’s divine wisdom. That’s something human wisdom will never understand.

So now, what do you think about the cross of Christ? Well, it’s not so much what you think; it’s what you believe. The cross of Christ is not simply a marketing brand; it’s the very heart of your salvation. God became a man to take your place on the cross and then to rise again as he promised. Jesus Christ crucified. We preach it. We embrace it. We believe it. Amen.

Is the Cost Too High?

2nd Sunday in Lent, 2/25/18
Mark 8:31-38


Is the Cost Too High?
I. Not for Jesus
II. But is it for you?


If you’re at all familiar with British history, you’re probably aware that 80 years ago Edward VIII put down the royal crown and walked away. His abdication not only stunned his British subjects, it was international news. Why would he do such a thing?

Historians will point to two issues. One, he was disillusioned with the concept of a monarchy to begin with and he loathed the demands and expectations of the royal position. Two, he was in love with an American socialite by the name of Wallis Simpson. Since she was a divorced woman, it was unlawful for the King of England as the head of the Anglican Church to marry her. So, he walked away from it all. All the pomp and circumstance wasn’t worth it to him. Personally, the price was too high.

You and I undergo the same cost-reward analysis countless times every day. Your mechanic advises you that your vehicle needs $X amount of repairs. You have a decision to make. What are you willing to spend on that vehicle? Or, you have the opportunity to spend a weekend away, but you have other responsibilities and commitments for that same weekend. How will you spend your time—enjoying yourself or walking away from your responsibilities?

During this season of Lent we’re reminded what it cost Jesus to be our Savior. As we recite with Martin Luther in his explanation to the 2nd Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “He has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death.” He paid the ultimate price for us to belong to him and enjoy eternity with him!

But was that price too high? In a way, as we read in today’s text, that’s what his dear friend, Peter, unwittingly was telling him. But Jesus insisted on paying it. And then Jesus turned the conversation immediately into asking what Peter and his other followers were willing to pay to stay connected to him.

As his modern followers, we now need to consider the issue at hand. Is the price too high?

Let’s keep that question before us and may the Holy Spirit lead us realize how priceless we are to Jesus and how priceless he is to us!

Part I.

Which type of person are you? The type of person that feels the need to have every detail of your life planned, or do you tend to take life as it comes? I can see benefits to both approaches. If you feel compelled to plan your life as much as possible, you avoid unwanted surprises as much as possible. On the other hand, if you simply take life as it comes, you may spare yourself a good deal of stress and anxiety.

Jesus never worried about his life—that would have been sinful. He trusted his Father perfectly and completely. But he also had his life planned out for him down to the last, saving detail. When he was betrayed, when his disciples fled from him, when the soldiers refrained from breaking his bones on the cross—every one of these details were part of God’s plan to save all sinners. And Jesus was keenly aware of that plan.

He announced that very thing to his disciples in the opening words of our text, “[Jesus] then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this.” Jesus spoke these words to his disciples while they were physically near Caesarea Philippi, roughly 130 miles due north of Jerusalem. But spiritually, at least for Jesus, the view of Calvary’s hill just outside Jerusalem was in full view. He knew that’s where he was heading. He knew that’s where he had to go. But most importantly, that’s where he wanted to go because that was his Father’s will and that’s what we needed him to do most of all.

And so, along the way, he made sure that’s exactly what occurred at exactly the time appointed. He didn’t make any side trips, delaying the inevitable. He didn’t allow for any distractions. He didn’t bargain with his Father for a little R&R before the most difficult part of his work of redemption occurred. Instead, he set his sights on Calvary.

Even in the face of intense temptation. That temptation came from one of his closest disciples—Peter—who had just confessed for the other disciples that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus commended him for this confession. But just that quickly Peter became the mouthpiece of Satan. “[He] took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him.” Can you imagine what Peter said to him? “Never, Lord! Don’t talk so foolishly! Don’t waste this opportunity to become everything every Jew is looking forward to! Use your power to begin your earthly reign over your kingdom of glory right here, right now!” As tempting as it was for Jesus, he knew the devilish source of Peter’s words. “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” In other words, Jesus was willing not only to set aside the opportunity to rule in glory here, but also to humble himself to death on a cross. The holy Son of God was willing to take the place of sinful humankind and suffer hell on the cross.

Why would he do such a thing? From a purely human, worldly standpoint, it sounds ridiculous and foolish. But that’s how much he loves us. And the depths of his love for every sinner drove him to the cross.

Is the price too high? Not for Jesus.

We live in a cold, heartless world. Wouldn’t you agree? And supporting evidence of that opinion is that, even when we meet people who express an interest in helping us, they want to know immediately what’s in it for them. Is there anyone left who does something purely out of love? Well, maybe a mother does for her child. You’ve seen or heard the accounts. They’re willing to die for one of their own, even when that child has abused their love. But even such a love has limits. You’ve seen and heard those accounts, too. She can’t take it anymore. Her own child has hurt her so often and for so long, that for her own emotional and physical well-being, she has to put up a wall, a limit, a boundary. If she doesn’t, the price will get too high.

But not for Jesus. Not for a world full of rebellious sinners and not for you and me as individual sinful rebels. It might be different if we didn’t know what we were doing, but the truth is that we know where the God who loves us has set the boundaries and we’ve obliterated them with our sins. We have disappointed his holy will our entire sinful lives. You would think Jesus would need to set up a wall to protect his heart from any more of our assaults. But he doesn’t. In fact, he won’t listen to Satan or his friend Peter who tell him to do that very thing. Instead, he fully realizes what it will cost him to redeem us. The price is his holy blood and life. And he pays it gladly, willingly!

Part II.

But having paid that price for you and me, Jesus has to wonder. He wants to know if we’re willing to follow him. And so he informs his disciples—you and me, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” What’s the cost of following Jesus? Jesus says it means to lose yourself. How so? It means we empty ourselves of our self-worth and find our value in Christ. It means we drop our worldly goals for ourselves and hold tightly onto Jesus’ heavenly goal for us. It means we’ll cut out of our lives anything and everything that gets in the way of our relationship with Jesus, even if that means we have to choose between a loved one and Jesus.

Not sure you want to make that choice? Then ponder this, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” It’s up to you—what you have and can still get in this life or the eternal life which Jesus won for you. What’s most important to you? Are you willing to let yourself and this life go to hold on to Jesus and the life he won for you? Is the price too high? I hope it isn’t. I pray it isn’t. Let your loving God convince you it isn’t.

It won’t be when you realize and embrace how much Jesus loves you and how much you mean to him. His love for us produces our love for him. He loved us first, even when we were unlovable, even before we became members of his kingdom by faith in Jesus. Where can you see his love for you? Look no further than the cross. He embraced the cross on a dark and evil Friday we call “Good” so that he could embrace you forever. That’s love. Pure love. Divine love. Eternal love. And that love calls for you to love him in return. That love calls for you to let go of everything else rather than let go of Jesus.

Is the price too high? Not at all. Not when you consider that what Jesus offers you lasts forever and can never be taken from you. Not when what he offers is a glorious life with the One who loves you more than anyone else. Is the price too high? Absolutely not! Amen.