#DailyDevotion Jesus Christ Crucified Is God’s Power To Save
1 Cor. 2 When I came to you, fellow Christians, I didn’t come to tell you God’s truth with any extra fine speech or wisdom. 2While I was with you, I was determined to know only Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3I came to you weak and afraid and with much trembling. When I spoke and preached, 4I didn’t use clever talk to persuade you, but the Spirit and His power proved the truth to you 5so that your faith may not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.
Paul had just come from Athens where people value wisdoms when he came to Corinth. Corinth being another Greek city followed in similar fashion of desiring wisdom. When dealing with Greeks you have to be able to deal with Plato, Aristotle and a number of other philosophers. Yet Paul says that he did not come to them in extra fine speech wisdom.
Paul says he was determined to know only Jesus Christ and him crucified while with them. As someone else has said, we may not understand the significance of that. People often look at the crucifix I wear and comment on its beauty. We see crucifixes everywhere and not only Christians wear them today. They come in gold, silver and other metals. They can be encrusted with gems, even diamonds. Yet in Paul’s day that would be quite weird and even offensive. The cross was the torture and execution device for non-Romans who were criminals who committed crimes deserving death.
To be proclaiming a Messiah, a Savior of the world, God incarnate died, was crucified on a cross, well that was just crazy much less foolish. Yet, therein was the wisdom of God and the power of God. But here we are along with Paul proclaiming Jesus Christ and him crucified. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is the promised salvation for the world. From the very beginning it was written, Gen. 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your descendants and her Descendant. He will crush your head, and you will bruise His heel.” The old serpent Satan must strike the heal of the Descendent, the seed of the Woman. He must die. The one who had the power of death (Heb. 10) the devil killed the Author of Life through the hand of wicked men, the Jews and the Romans, by crucifying him. Yet in that act, our Savior Jesus Christ crushed the head of the serpent. Satan is no longer able to accuse us of our sins before God any longer.
Our trespasses God the Father has been reconciled by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. We who once were God’s enemies, ungodly, weak, sinners are made God’s friends and children through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. We who once were cursed by the Law are now blessed by the Son. This God has done for you and for all people everywhere. This is God’s wisdom and God’s power to save, the message of Jesus Christ crucified. For while he died on the cross to make atonement for our sins; he was raised on the third day for our justification. He has conquered sin, death and the power of the devil through the cross and grave. We are united to his victory through faith and baptism into his name. His death is our death. His victory is our victory. His resurrection is our resurrection. He did these not only as a sign or example, he did them in your place so they can be yours freely by his grace.
Heavenly Father, you have made the good news of your Son Jesus Christ’s crucifixion the power of our salvation. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may believe this good news and by your power made your children. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.