Creator, Father, King #240

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

QUIZ TIME! RANK THESE decisions on a scale of 1 to 5—with 1 being the most foolish and 5 being the least foolish:

• swimming with great white sharks in chum-filled waters
• bringing along your pet elephant during a shopping trip for fine china
• going spelunking in a live volcano
• taking the phrase “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” literally
• entering a NASCAR race with a moped

Okay, that was a bit of a trick question. They’re all ridiculously foolish choices!

Do you know what else is foolish? The message of the Cross. Don’t believe it? It’s true. Just check out today’s verse! But we need to put this in its proper context.

What’s It Mean?

As we finish our in-depth study of Jesus’ crucifixion, it’s important to understand the truth of 1 Corinthians 1:18.

When the apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the first century AD, the Greco-Roman world couldn’t fathom the idea of a divine being coming to earth from heaven in human form and willingly submitting to the indignity and horror of Roman execution for the sins of humanity. For Gentile unbelievers who were used to reading about superhuman exploits of mythological gods and goddesses, the idea of a suffering Savior was “all nonsense” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Jews, meanwhile, who had spent more than a millennium waiting for their Messiah, were “offended” (verse 23) by the notion of it all.

Today, it’s largely the same. If you are a Christian who professes faith in a crucified and risen Savior, you will meet some people who are indifferent. You will meet other people who might mock you. You might even encounter people who are hostile toward you.

You shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus predicted this in John 15:18-27. But take heart! Your job isn’t to please the world but to worship and obey God and conform to the image of his Son.

Read today’s verse again. The message of the Cross “is the very power of God.” In other words, the Cross of Christ reveals God’s incomparable power to save us from

• our own human foolishness and depravity,
• Satan’s power,
• slavery of sin and death, and
• eternal judgment.

Those who don’t believe in the message of the Cross are “headed for destruction.” Those who do believe “are being saved.”

It’s clear which is the foolish choice and which is the wise one!

Now What?

Read John 15:18-27 for encouragement about the world’s reaction to Christians.

Did You Know?

Paul wrote a similar message to today’s verse in Romans 1:16.