(July 16, 2010) I recently listened to an audio sermon of a pastor on Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” This pastor noted that the apostle Paul didn’t say, “May I never boast in anything but the teaching of Jesus.” He pointed out that the extraordinary teachings of Jesus have been repeated throughout the last two thousand years of history such as the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule and many more. He said that Paul also didn’t say, “May I never boast in anything but the miracles of Jesus” even though Jesus healed the blind, the sick, and raised the dead. Lastly, this pastor said that Paul also didn’t say, “May I never boast in anything but the example of Jesus.” The poor, the sick, the hurting, and the lost have been helped throughout the last two Millennia because of Jesus Christ. Yet the apostle Paul exclusively declared that he did not want to boast in anything except the cross of Christ. This pastor went on to say that the gospels really aren’t biographies of Jesus but in fact are all written with the narrative of each one leading up to the crucifixion on the cross of Jesus Christ. He pointed out that the cross is offensive not only to Jews but to Gentiles. Many modern churches ignore teaching about the cross and sacrifice and salvation from Hell yet they all celebrate communion which is a memorial of the cross. Finally, this pastor stated that those churches who focus on good works are in effect being exclusive of those persons who are not “good” people and don’t do good works and therefore are left on the outside of God’s salvation. In actuality, the cross is the most inclusive event in all history because everyone, good or bad, can come to the cross.

I found this pastor’s teaching on the cross to be very insightful. I think it is absolutely clear that the cross is the central event of not only human history but the central event of all eternity. If God had not sent His Son to die for humans the only eternity the human race would experience would be an eternal death in Hell. In Leviticus 17:11 God declared, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” The writer of the Book of Hebrews confirms this, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) Thus, Jesus had to shed His blood for the human race to obtain salvation and thereby peace with God the Creator.

In the early 1980s a Jehovah Witness I worked with commented on my hat which had a cross on the front. She said that if Jesus had been killed in the modern era then Christians would be wearing electric chairs around their neck. Possibly humorous but untrue for two reasons. The first is mentioned above. Jesus’ death had to involve the shedding of His blood. The second is that His suffering and death was prophesied of in many Old Testament passages and He had to perfectly fulfill every one of those prophecies. One of these prophecies was in Psalm 22, “1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?…16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” In a prophecy concerning the End-Times, the world will see Jesus at His second coming, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10) The crucifixion of Jesus meets the requirements of both these prophecies.

The apostle Paul indeed focused on the cross of Jesus Christ in his presentation of the Good News or gospel of Jesus the Messiah:

“17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-24)

He further confirmed the centrality of the cross in his own life in this same letter to the Christians at Corinth, Greece:

“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

I tried to illustrate the truth of this teaching with the logo I designed for my website:

All the rest of life and eternity emanate from the cross and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

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Tags: cross, eternal life, Jesus Christ, salvation
Filed under: Salvation