Sunday: The Gospel of the Cross
Daily Lesson for Sunday 5th of July 2026
Paul says that the message of the Cross is the power of God to us. It is not surprising that “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” is the center of his preaching (1 Corinthians 2:2, NKJV).
Read 1 Corinthians 1:17-31. What important point is Paul making here?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul deals with a contrast between human foolishness and divine wisdom. The Cross has the power to display the worst of man and the best of God. This section of 1 Corinthians is introduced by the statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17. Because the cross of Christ is not supposed to be emptied of its power (1 Corinthians 1:17), the message of the Cross must occupy the central place of our preaching (see also 1 Corinthians 2:2).
Paul says that he was sent not to baptize, but to preach the gospel of the Cross. This statement requires two important observations. First, the Greek verb translated as “to send” is apostellō, which stems from the same root as the word “apostle.” Thus, Paul’s fundamental apostolic task was the proclamation of the gospel. Second, Paul’s words about baptism did not mean that baptism was not important, or at least not as important as preaching. He was, instead, rebuking those who made a big deal out of who were the ones doing the baptizing as opposed to the One, Jesus, into whom they have been baptized.
By “wisdom of words” (1 Corinthians 1:17), Paul is not implying that eloquent speeches are bad in themselves. The point is that human wisdom should not obscure the message of the Cross. This phrase refers to Greco-Roman rhetoric. In Athens, Paul used logic, science, and philosophy, but this resulted in little fruit. So, “he decided to follow another plan of labor in Corinth in his efforts to arrest the attention of the careless and the indifferent. He determined to avoid elaborate arguments and discussions, and ‘not to know anything’ among the Corinthians ‘save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.’ ”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 244.
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In what ways can elaborate discourses obscure the message of the Cross? Why did the proclamation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified produce more fruit in Corinth than logic, science, and philosophy did in Athens? Might there, however, be times that logic, philosophy, and science could be helpful in proclaiming the gospel? |
I have never bought a lottery ticket. My mathematics kicks in and I know the chances of being a winner. Typically, there are very few winners, except, of course, the people who run the lotteries. And, just be the way, it is pretty easy to calculate how much they get from each lottery too. But folk are obsessed with winning and that is why each week, millions of dollars are poured into the lotteries, often from those who can ill afford it. Our obsession with winning extends to sport, business and politics. The accolades for sports winners completely overshadow the efforts of the “also rans”. Businesses often try to put themselves ahead by bullying and destroying their competition. Politicians tell enormous lies about each other, damning the opposition, to win votes and gain power.
And then comes the Gospel; the complete antithesis of the “winner takes all”. Paul puts it this way:
The “nonsense” of the Gospel is that it is so opposite to our ideas of winning. What does that say about how we live and share the Gospel?
Love the study of God’s word
SO DO I LOVE THE STUDY OF GOD’S WORD!
I live on a little hill in the country and had someone make a wooden cross to display years ago, not for decoration, but for a reminder to me each time I see it of its meaning, its importance, just how it is everything to me. It grows more rugged as time passes and I feel more joy each time I glance its way. “My” cross isn’t the original old rugged cross, but I certainly pray that it can be a witness to perhaps peak someone or many someones, who may not know Jesus, interests, to inquire as to why someone would have a cross in her yard. I pray for people to come to know just exactly what the cross means for each of us and to accept the love of THE ONE who died for every single sin. I pray for everyone to know and accept TRUE LOVE…it is only in THE CROSS and Jesus Crucified.
In reading this scripture it shows the depth of sin in humanity and how much we need the redemption of God. As I reflect on what I use to be it makes me more appreciative of the cross and keeps me wanted to do right. Without Jesus I’m nothing,it is Him who gives me what I need only He can save.
SDAH 237 In the Cross of Christ I glory
1
In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.
2
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me.
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.
3
When the sun of bliss is beaming
light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming
adds more luster to the day.
4
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure,
joys that through all time abide.
John Bowring, this poem writer, may have shared the same ideology with Paul in the issue of the cross of Christ.
Truth is, without the cross experience we wouldn’t have any other messages to preach.
The cross experience and message made every other messages made sense!!!!
The gospel of the cross is a concept more often misunderstood or even completely rejected and ignored by the world’s major religions. For example, Islam rejects the notion of a sin-bearing Savior for as per the Qur’an, each person is responsible for their own deeds and will reap the consequences of their own actions; therefore, there is no need or place for the cross. In the Muslim mind, it is unthinkable that a major prophet of God would come to such an ignominious end. Likewise, Hinduism, while generally accepting the historical reality of Christ’s death, rejects its saving significance. Humanism, in all its forms—including the contemporary culture of selfism—also rejects the message of the cross, considering it foolish and irrational, especially the idea that Christ bore the sins of humanity. Yet this is precisely what Scripture foretold: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities… and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4–6). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul declares, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
As Christians, we do not Christ crucified merely so that people will be astonished by His suffering or feel sorry for Him. Rather, we proclaim Christ crucified so that people may repent, put their trust in Him, and receive the salvation He accomplished through His sacrificial death. As Paul reminds the Galatians: “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2–3). Paul was astonished that the Galatians imagined they could continue the Christian life through their own achievements after having begun by faith. Such thinking directly contradicted the gospel he had so clearly proclaimed before them—that salvation begins, continues, and is completed by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.
How possibly can the cross, a symbol for humiliation, pain and disgrace, be “good news”? How can a cursed man (Deuteronomy 21:23), crucified on the cross, be the Saviour of mankind? The “gospel of the cross” (the message of the cross, 1 Corinthians 1:18) is all that Paul preached. “We preach Christ crucified.” (1 Corinthians 1:23). This was absurd to both the Jews and the Greeks, likewise to millions of people today. The cross is good news because of what happened through it; God demonstrated His love for sinners (John 15:13), justice against sin was executed Romans 6:23, and God reconciled the rebellious world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19 ).
This lesson about the message of the cross is not simply a reminder that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, but also a call to emulate what Jesus demonstrated on the cross. If we ignore the appeal, then the message of the cross has all gone with the wind!
As we walk into the newness of next week, let us commit ourselves in the name of Jesus:
1. To forgive someone, because Jesus has already forgiven us.
2. Let us reconcile with someone because we have been reconciled with God
3. To overcome evil thoughts because Jesus has conquered evil on the cross.
4. Let us love someone whom we consider to be our enemy because Jesus has made us His friends (John 15:13).
5. Let us not be ashamed to tell someone about the love of God because Jesus is not ashamed to call us His friends.
The Cross of Christ as the gospel was not so absurd to Crispus and all his household, nor to the Corinthians who took Crispus example. Then Christ, the Lord if you prefer, John 11:32, appeared to Paul in a vision, “be not dismayed nor discouraged, because I have more people for you to reach in Corinth.” Paul obeyed the Lord and stayed in Corinth. Last week we found he stayed for 18 months before he went to Ephesus.
Have you wondered why the Cross of Christ is so important? Well we shouldn’t if we are Christians. Let us touch on a few aspects of its importance. By our understanding of the Cross of Christ, we learn that our heavenly Father loves us so much. He died on a tree that was understood in those times as a punishment in the most cruel way for the thieves and murders, not the innocent. Then we get to the point where we realize that like Paul we also can glory in the Cross of Christ. But that is not the end of our experience, we go to Christ daily, and never give up. For I like Paul am convinced that nothing can go between the Lord and my Saviour, or if you prefer nothing can separate me from the love of God. because of a daily relationship with Christ.
Jesus himself gave all, including Paul, the key to successful evangelism in John 12:32. I believe this is why Paul stated what he did in 1 Corinthians 1:12; “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
To both parties it seemed ludicrous. The cross does not fit into the equation of greatness to mortal man that has a preconceived concept of greatness. The genius of “the cross,” is that what on the surface appears to be a grotesque display of utter defeat, subjugation, and conquest of Christ and His movement was the “mic drop” moment that marked all that for the enemies of Christ…however the realization didn’t come until the third day. Then a greater comeback than “Rocky” was witnessed. For the Savior wasn’t just “knocked down” or “knocked out,” he was “knocked dead” and still came back. The stone wasn’t rolled away to let the Savior out, but to let the disciples in, to witness the greatest defeat of the forces of darkness, contrasted by the greatest display of the power of love. It was the ultimate rug pull against the forces of darkness. One moment they were sitting on top of the world thinking that they had won. The next moment the world rolled over on them.
Jesus exceeded His “no greater love” declaration of John 15:13, by laying down His life for His enemies. If they would look at that grotesque display of love and receive it as their own, they too could be saved.
“An anonymous man from Willard, Ohio, won a $100,000 top prize on a $5 “Bingo Times 25″ scratch-off ticket after digging through his own dumpster to retrieve it. He had mistakenly thrown the ticket away but discovered his error before the garbage was emptied, ultimately taking home $73,250 after taxes.” (Ohio man wins $100,000 after accidentally throwing lucky lottery ticket in trash | wkyc.com https://share.google/66GamjnRhtIkIyrgU)
I am not advocating playing the lottery, for I agree with Maurice’s assessment of it. I’m merely making an illustration. All of humanity has been given the “winning lottery ticket.” The sad thing is that many have thrown it away, or have yet to redeem it. This is the only “lottery ticket” humanity should ever purchase. It will cost you everything you have, but you will gain everything you never had. This is one time that all of the “losers” win. Embrace the cross. Don’t throw it away.
In whatever approach or style the proclamation takes, Jesus and the cross must be lifted the highest.
I have always bristled when hearing the statement “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” in isolation of more context. ‘Jesus Christ’ to me means life – and this more abundantly – focused on my heavenly Father. My life in Christ does not exclude the underpinning Truth that I am to carry my own cross and to die to self daily – Luke 9:23.
When Jesus was a child, He made a consequential, clear decision regarding which path to take. By God’s Grace, He chose the path of faith, believing that His Father would not leave Him unprotected when traveling His Father’s Path of Righteousness for His Name’s sake – Psalm 23:3.
I perceive two messages when contemplating the ‘Cross our Lord and Savior died on’. To me it is not as much the physical cross. It rather is its message showing that His death was a long time coming. He chose to ‘die daily’ by deciding not to take up ‘arms’, defending Himself against challenges aimed at His integrity.
The other message is His great mission to introduce the Father; to all who had ears to hear and teach them how to worship the God of Creation. This, in my opinion, is the other message of the Cross: He remained faithful after accepting the Father’s ‘Message of <b>Peace’, requiring its followers to not ‘take up the arms of human warfare as defense against their enemies, but to rather trust in the Grace and Mercy of a benevolent God through/by faith unto Salvation.
Jesus had established His relationship as a child; it was personal, intimate. Questions were posed, answers provided as love and trust increased. At the time appointed, His Faith had matured and God called Him to go to the Jordan River to be baptized by John for all to see as the Holy Spirit testified to Him being the Son of God – Matt.3:13-17.
After ‘boiling down/debating’ the Truths found in Scriptures, what then is ‘the Gospel of the Cross’? Is it not that our God is a benevolent, trustworthy God of Justice, Mercy and Grace – a God of Peace? That Jesus Christ is His Son who laid down His life to demonstrate that we can trust our heavenly Father with our Salvation? To encourage us to live our life within Him – living like He did – b>by/within the Goodness and Righteousness of our heavenly Father without fear? Rom.1:17; Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38.
Well, Paul himself says that even if he spoke the language of the angels and did not have love, it would be all worthless. Whether elaborate or simple, to preach the good news, there has to be love!