Reformation: The Theology of the Cross

When Martin Luther set about challenging the established church and recovering the Biblical gospel, he was challenging how God is to be known.

The Church taught that the way to know God is through the Church. But Luther insisted that the way to know God is through Christ. Specifically, Christ and him crucified.

Luther spoke often of a theologia crucis, a theology of the cross, which he contrasted with theologia gloriae, a theology of glory. Theologians of glory think that God can be known through wisdom, experience and miracles, and that all suffering is bad. Such ideas were prevalent in Luther’s day.

But Luther strongly challenged those thoughts, because they ran contrary to what he saw in Scripture.

In when Phillip asks in the spirit of the theology of glory, ‘Show us the Father,’ Christ immediately pulled him up sharp. He took him with his high-flying ideas of seeking God somewhere else and led Philip right back to himself, saying, ‘Philip, whosoever sees me sees my Father as well.’ Therefore, in Christ crucified is the true theology and the knowledge of God. Luther, Heidelberg Disputation

Luther maintained that visible things (creation, experiences, miracles) do not (in themselves) reveal God. Such things lead to human pride. Rather, God reveals himself to us in what is contrary, back-to-front, upside-down.

So, there is wisdom through folly. Glory through suffering. Power through weakness. Joy through sorrow. And so on.

All of which is displayed supremely in the cross of Christ. So this morning, to close off this whole season of looking at the Reformation, we’re in where Paul powerfully displays the truth that Luther would proclaim 1500 years later.

How can one man’s death have such a global impact?

• In the limelight from early years, but most prolific later in life

The Wisdom of the Cross

• Mixed reactions from those who saw him

• Surrounded by controversy wherever he went

Theme: The cross is the ultimate display of God’s power and wisdom

Aim: To cling to the cross as the only way to know God and to be saved

• Gained a huge following that exists today

• Just one man, yet his death affected the whole world

You might think I’m talking about Jesus. I’m actually talking about Michael Jackson!

How can one man’s death have such a global impact?

As a culture, we are both fascinated and fearful of death. Do you remember last year, when so many celebs were dying? It became a ‘thing.’ People blamed it on the year 2016, as though it was death himself. The fallen famous were treated with great respect and a great outpouring of grief. Or, they at were least trending on Twitter for a day or two.

The King of Pop’s death has sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief. Example:

In the limelight from early years, but most prolific later in life

Mixed reactions from those who saw him

• Facebook group gained 100,000s members in hours after his death, over 1m after a couple of days.

Surrounded by controversy wherever he went

• Albums dominating top 10 charts.

Gained a huge following that exists today

• Great deal of media interest.

• Now, as details unfold, the whole world wants to know how he died and why he died.

Just one man, yet his death affected the whole world

You might think I’m talking about Jesus. I’m actually talking about Michael Jackson!

But when it comes to the death of Jesus, it seems the vast majority are not only uninterested in why Jesus died, but actually don’t care, no interest in finding out.

Why is that? The apostle Paul says it’s because the way and the reason Jesus died doesn’t make sense to unbelievers (v18). But to those who do believe and follow Jesus, Paul says the cross is the power and wisdom of God.

You might think I’m talking about Jesus. I’m actually talking about Michael Jackson!

The King of Pop’s death has sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief. Example:

How can two groups of people have such diametrically opposed views of the death of Jesus? Especially when you consider that Jesus is the clearest way in which God reveals himself to the world. Surely such a big thing should make absolute sense to everyone?

The King of Pop’s death has sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief. Example:

It all boils down to what it is you’re looking for as God reveals himself to us. How you think God should reveal himself affects your view of the cross.

That’s what was happening in Paul’s time. Different kinds of people had different kinds of opinions on how God should reveal himself, and that led to different opinions about the cross of Jesus.

Facebook group gained 100,000s members in hours after his death, over 1m after a couple of days.

In these verses Paul highlights a couple of things that people tend to look for to see God’s self-revelation. These aren’t unique to Paul’s time and culture. Luther saw it in his day and we see it in ours.

Albums dominating top 10 charts.

Great deal of media interest.

Some people look for…

Now, as details unfold, the whole world wants to know how he died and why he died.

But when it comes to the death of Jesus, it seems the vast majority aren’t only not interested in why Jesus died, but actually don’t care, no interest in finding out.

Maybe we think that God has to prove himself with signs and miracles if we’re to become his followers.

V22 - “Jews demand miraculous signs…” Jews of Paul’s day waiting for Messiah. Waiting for God to do things like he did in the days of Moses - plagues, Passover, parting sea, ultimately defeating their enemies. They thought the Messiah would come and defeat their enemies (the Romans) in the same miraculous and powerful ways.

But when it comes to the death of Jesus, it seems the vast majority aren’t only not interested in why Jesus died, but actually don’t care, no interest in finding out.

So when Jesus came claiming to be the Christ, they demanded a miraculous sign. Of course, they’d seen Jesus do countless miracles, but they wanted one that was just for them - proof that he really was the Christ.

Why is that? The apostle Paul says it’s because the way Jesus died doesn’t make sense to unbelievers (v18). But to those who do believe and follow Jesus, Paul says the cross is the power and wisdom of God.

Because the Jews were expecting such a powerful display of God’s power, the sign that Jesus gave them - his death on the cross - became a huge stumbling-block (v23).

Why is that? The apostle Paul says it’s because the way Jesus died doesn’t make sense to unbelievers (v18). But to those who do believe and follow Jesus, Paul says the cross is the power and wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:23 NIV

but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

They couldn’t fathom how the Messiah could come to such a weak and defeated end. That’s not power; that’s humiliating. So they concluded that he wasn’t the Christ at all. He was an embarrassment that needed to be dealt with.

How can two groups of people have such diametrically opposed views of the death of Jesus? Especially when you consider that Jesus is the clearest way in which God reveals himself to the world. Surely such a big thing should make absolute sense to everyone?

They couldn’t fathom how the Messiah could come to such a weak and defeated end. That’s not power; that’s humiliating. So they concluded that he wasn’t the Christ at all. He was an embarrassment.

That’s simply not what they expected from God at all. They expected him to reveal himself in a flourish of great power.

How can two groups of people have such diametrically opposed views of the death of Jesus? Especially when you consider that Jesus is the clearest way in which God reveals himself to the world. Surely such a big thing should make absolute sense to everyone?

Red Arrows rehearsing for Wadd Air Show…

It all boils down to what it is you’re looking for as God reveals himself to us. How you think God should reveal himself affects your view of the cross.

• Never been, but understand it’s spectacular

• A great display of our military prowess, the power we have in the air

That’s what was happening in Paul’s time. Different kinds of people had different kinds of opinions on how God should reveal himself, and that led to different opinions about the cross of Jesus.

• It’s really the RAF showing off, saying - Look at what we can do! Look at what we’re capable of!

In these verses Paul highlights a couple of things that people tend to look for to see God’s self-revelation. These aren’t unique to Paul’s time and culture. These are also prevalent views today.

That’s what the Jews wanted from God - for him to show off, give a demonstration of his power. But instead they got Jesus, who to them seemed weak, pathetic, with nothing even remotely divine about him.

The Annotated Luther, Volume 1: The Roots of Reform Proofs of the Thesis Debated in the Chapter at Heidelberg, May, Ad 1518

This is clear: The person who does not know Christ does not know God hidden in suffering. Therefore, this person prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly, and, in general, good to evil. These are the people whom the Apostle calls “enemies of the cross of Christ” [Phil. 3:18]. To be sure, because they hate the cross and suffering, they love works and the glory of works.

Maybe like the Jews of Paul’s day you think, “I need God to show me if he’s there…That’s the only way I’ll believe.” Maybe you’re a Christian and you want to get closer to God and you think the way that has to happen is for him to do something incredible. Maybe the cross just isn’t enough. You need more.

In these verses Paul highlights a couple of things that people tend to look for to see God’s self-revelation. These aren’t unique to Paul’s time and culture. These are also prevalent views today.

Some people look for…

Do you sometimes wish that Jesus would take on a more attractive image, get some style, get a publicist, write a revealing autobiography? Raise his profile by doing things that will really draw in the crowds?

But it seems like he’s just happy to be the guy who was killed on a cross 2000 years ago, in a land 2000 miles away. Why is he so happy to be the weak guy? Where’s the showmanship, the display of power that we’d expect from a religious leader?

Some people look for…

Here’s the truth Jesus: we don’t want to have anything to do with you because frankly you’re a bit of an embarrassment. If we follow you we’ll be humiliated just like you were. Thanks, but no thanks!

What are some of the ways that we demonstrate a theology of glory rather than a theology of the cross?

Look at , , and surrounding verses. What do we learn here about the role of suffering in our discipleship?

How should the theology of the cross shape our lives as disciples and as a church? What ought to look different about us?

Or maybe you’re not so interested in his power. Maybe you’re looking for God to give you a…

Maybe we think that God has to prove himself with signs and miracles if we’re to become his followers.

V22 - “Jews demand miraculous signs…” Jews of Paul’s day waiting for Messiah. Waiting for God to do things like he did in the days of Moses - plagues, Passover, parting sea, providing food and water and ultimately defeating their enemies. They thought the Messiah would come and defeat their enemies (the Romans) in the same miraculous and powerful ways.

Maybe you think that if God is to be worth following he’s got to prove himself with wisdom and logic in a way we can verify and understand.

In Paul’s day Greek culture all about knowledge (Greeks look for wisdom - 22b). Philosophers were the celebs. The latest ideas/theories. To the Greeks knowledge was everything. So there were great debates/ demonstrations of the power of the human mind.

So when Jesus came claiming to be the Christ, they demanded a miraculous sign. Of course, they’d seen Jesus do countless miracles, but they wanted one that was just for them - proof that he really was the Christ.

So to the knowledge-hungry Greeks, Jesus and his cross was total nonsense. How could the supreme God become a man, spend all his time with down-and-outs, and not interact with the great thinkers of the day? He didn’t even write a book!

On top of that this ‘God’ presents his method of saving the world as dying on a cross!? Total rubbish!! There’s no sense to it. Surely to save the world God needs to impart knowledge to explain the great mysteries of earth and heaven, why we’re here, what we’re to do. Not get nailed to a cross and die in shame and defeat. That defies logic!

The Annotated Luther, Volume 1: The Roots of Reform Proofs of the Thesis Debated in the Chapter at Heidelberg, May, Ad 1518

Because people do not know the cross and hate it, they necessarily love the opposite, namely, wisdom, glory, power, and so on. Therefore they become increasingly blinded and hardened by such love, for desire cannot be satisfied by the acquisition of those things which it desires.

In today’s science/tech driven world it’s all about putting things to the test and proving things. That takes knowledge, wisdom, logic and understanding.

Because the Jews were expecting such a powerful display of God’s power, the sign that Jesus gave them - his death on the cross - became a huge stumbling-block (v23).

In today’s science/tech driven world it’s all about putting things to the test and proving things. That takes knowledge, wisdom, logic and understanding.

So, to many today, just as in Greek times, the cross is just confusing. It doesn’t seem to prove anything. It doesn’t prove that God is there. It doesn’t prove that we can know God. It doesn’t provide understanding as to how we’re to relate to God. It’s just baffling!

They couldn’t fathom how the Messiah could come to such a weak and defeated end. That’s not power; that’s humiliating. So they concluded that he wasn’t the Christ at all. He was an embarrassment that needed to be dealt with.

Maybe what you’re looking for from God is some answers to these big questions that we all have. Why are we here? What is our purpose for living? What are we to do to know God?

Problem is, when we try to find the answers ourselves, in religion or otherwise, we can’t.

That’s simply not what they expected from God at all. They expected him to reveal himself in a flourish of great power.

That’s what Paul means when he writes v20:

1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

If we’re all so clever, says Paul, then how come we haven’t been able to answer these questions? He gives the answer at the end of v20 - “God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

God has deliberately made it impossible for us to work out how to know him. Even with our religions we still don’t have answers. Even with the great thinkers of our day we still can’t work it out. We’re none the wiser.

Illn. During prep - Red Arrows rehearsing for Wadd Air Show…

Are we looking in the wrong places? Where are we to go?

Paul says the answers are found in the very place we’ve been scorning and rejecting all along. God has deliberately thwarted all human efforts to come to him so that we will go to the very place where we have no part to play in our own salvation: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Never been, but understand it’s spectacular

1 Corinthians 1:21 NIV

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

V21 - “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached (the cross) to save those who believe.”

A great display of our military prowess, the power we have in the air

It’s really the RAF showing off, saying - Look at what we can do! Look at what we’re capable of!

Why can’t the world know God through its own wisdom? Because by ourselves we would never be able to work out how to know him. By ourselves we can’t do anything to get to know God.

We want to see God’s power because we want power ourselves: we want to be able to say, “I got to know God in my own strength, by doing my own thing,” as though it’s some kind of achievement.

We want to see God’s wisdom because we want wisdom ourselves: we want to be able to say, “I got to know God by my own powers of deduction, research, study etc.” as though a relationship with God can be established by exercising our minds.

That’s what the Jews wanted from God - for him to show of, give a demonstration of his power. But instead they got Jesus, who to them seemed weak, pathetic, with nothing even remotely divine about him.

Neither our own power or our own wisdom mean anything when it comes to knowing God. Why? Because the barrier between us and God isn’t our weakness or our foolishness it’s our sin.

Maybe like the Jews you think, “I need God to show me if he’s there…That’s the only way I’ll believe.” Maybe you’re a Christian and you want to get closer to God and you think the way that has to happen is for him to do something incredible. Maybe the cross just isn’t enough. You need more.

Our wilful rejection of God in the world that he made is what divides us from him. We’ve chosen to turn our backs on the one who made us, and we’ve said, “No. I don’t want you in my life. I will rule my life. Not you.” That’s essentially what sin is.

And because of our sin, any power or wisdom we think we have to work towards our salvation is useless, because it’s our sin that ultimately disqualifies us from knowing God.

Do you sometimes wish that Jesus would take on a more attractive image, get some style, get a publicist, write a revealing autobiography. Raise his profile by doing things that will really draw in the crowds.

Yet remarkably God hasn’t given up on his creation. In fact, in his power and wisdom he has set in motion a plan to redeem his people, which climaxes in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

So it really is the Cross where God reveals himself to us.

But it seems like he’s just happy to be the guy who was killed on a cross 2000 years ago, in a land 2000 miles away. Why is he so happy to be the weak guy? Where’s the showmanship, the display of power that we’d expect from a religious leader?

We all need to look to…

Here’s the truth Jesus: we don’t want to have anything to do with you because frankly you’re a bit of an embarrassment. If we follow you we’ll be humiliated just like you were. Thanks, but no thanks!

Because Christ crucified is…

Paul says that Christ-crucified is a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” v23, 24

Or maybe you’re not so interested in his power. Maybe you’re looking for God to give you a…

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 NIV

but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

So what is so powerful about the cross? It’s power is in what it reveals in us. Christ-crucified shows us just how powerless we are.

How? Because in dying on the cross Christ does what we could never do in our own power. He overcomes our sin, which is our greatest barrier to the knowledge of God. His defeat on the cross is a great victory over sin.

A sign of his wisdom

The sin that should keep us from knowing God eternally, separated Jesus from His Father as the Father turned his face away. The only way we were ever going to deal with our sin was by bearing that separation in ourselves: and Christ did it for us on the cross!

Maybe you think that if God is to be worth following he’s got to prove himself with wisdom and logic in a way we can verify and understand.

Christ-crucified demonstrates the kind of power we need to see from God. We don’t need demonstrations of miraculous power to know God, we need rescuing from our sin to know God and to know Him eternally. Christ-crucified is the power of God.

In Paul’s day Greek culture all about knowledge (v22b). Philosophers were the celebs. The latest ideas/theories. To the Greeks knowledge was everything. So there were great debates/ demonstrations of the power of the human mind. In fact, it wasn’t so much the content of the theory it was more to do with the form it was presented in - an art form.

Christ-crucified is the wisdom of God because he forces us to face up to reality. We can’t devise schemes to get us close to God. We’ll never be able to do that. It’s impossible because our rebellion will always keep us away.

So to the knowledge-hungry Greeks, Jesus and his cross was total nonsense. How could the supreme God become a man, spend all his time with ‘chavs’ and down-and-outs, and not interact with the great thinkers of the day? He didn’t even write a book!

Christ-crucified forces us to face the reality that can’t do anything, either by power or by wisdom, to obtain salvation. We need him to bring us to God, through the humbling of our proud souls, confessing our dire need for his help, and accepting his offer of rescue through the cross.

The Annotated Luther, Volume 1: The Roots of Reform Proofs of the Thesis Debated in the Chapter at Heidelberg, May, Ad 1518

the person who wishes to become wise does not seek wisdom by progressing toward it but becomes a fool by regressing into seeking folly. Likewise one who wishes to have much power, honor, pleasure, satisfaction in all things must flee rather than seek power, honor, pleasure, and satisfaction in all things. This is the wisdom which is folly to the world.

The only wisdom that we’re to bring is the wisdom that Christ-crucified gives us, which is to accept God’s verdict on us, that we need to be delivered from sin in order to know him eternally.

As long as we’re looking for signs of power and wisdom from God, whilst totally ignoring Christ-crucified, we will be powerless and foolish. That’s God’s verdict on all human beings. Do you accept it?

On top of that this ‘God’ presents his method of saving the world as dying on a cross!? Total rubbish!! There’s no sense to it. Surely to save the world God needs to impart knowledge to explain the great mysteries of earth and heaven, why we’re here, what we’re to do. Not get nailed to a cross and die in shame and defeat. That defies logic!

As long as we’re scorning Christ-crucified as the pinnacle of failure and defeat whilst ourselves clambering in the darkness of our sin we will be powerless and foolish. God’s verdict - do you accept it?

In today’s science/tech driven world it’s all about putting things to the test and proving things. That takes knowledge, wisdom, logic and understanding.

But as long as we’re prepared to humble ourselves, repenting of our rebellion toward God and clinging to Christ-crucified as the only way we can be saved from our sin, then we will know the power and wisdom of God eternally. That’s God’s glorious verdict - will you accept it?

Christ-crucified is the power and wisdom of God.

So, to many today, just as in Greek times, the cross is just confusing. It doesn’t seem to prove anything. It doesn’t prove that God is there. It doesn’t prove that we can know God. It doesn’t provide understanding as to how we’re to relate to God. It’s just baffling!

Maybe what you’re looking for from God is some answers to these big questions that we all have. Why are we here? What is our purpose for living? What are we to do to know God?

Problem is, when we try to find the answers ourselves, in religion or otherwise, we can’t.

That’s what Paul means when he writes v20: “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age?” If we’re all so clever, says Paul, then how come we haven’t been able to answer these questions? He gives the answer at the end of v20 - “God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

 God has deliberately made it impossible for us to work out how to know him. Even with our religions we still don’t have answers. We’re just poking around in the dark still trying to find the way. Even with the great thinkers of our day we still can’t work it out. We’re none the wiser.