Jesus Christ and Him Crucified

As this year's Good Friday reflection, enjoy this tract written by my colleague John Koh.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

Friends,

Let us first consider how absurd the message of the Christian faith is – we preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In fact, this message can be summed up in one, commonly recognized symbol: the Cross (✝). Does the cross communicate absurdity in our day and age? We see crosses decorated in houses or worn around necks as symbols of identity or faith; we see crosses on church buildings to distinguish centers of worship. The cross generally evokes positive, familiar connotations to those who might not consider what it really stands for.

During Jesus' time, however, a cross was a sign of offense. It was reserved only for the vilest criminals, who would slowly suffocate while experiencing excruciating pain – all while being stripped naked and put on display to the public's derision. The cross was the most painful, shameful death anyone could face, and that is where our Savior hung. To the watching world, with mouths gaping and heads turned away, this was a scandal. While other religions are marked by symbols of virtue – stars, moons, flowers – the symbol of the Christian faith is an execution device.

Yet, dear friends, the Apostle Paul writes these harrowing words in his letter to the Corinthians, that "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 Cor. 1:18). If the cross connotes nothing but folly to your ears; if it remains as nothing but an absurd message that you deride in your heart, then take heed of what Paul says of those who regard the message of the Cross as such – that they are perishing. But my plea to you in this tract is to show you why the message of the Cross is, indeed, the power of God for salvation. And so, I pray that you consider the words I shall share with you with the weight of life and death, that you too might hear and believe.

Understanding Who God Is

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23)

Let us next consider the question of why – why did Jesus Christ have to be crucified? In order to get to the heart of this question, it is necessary that we have a proper understanding of who God is – the One who, in His wisdom and love, ordained Christ to be crucified even before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8, Eph. 1:3-6).

There are two ways that we come to know God. The first way is through the world He created and sustains. The Bible says that God's "eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived… in the things that have been made" (Rom. 1:20). When was the last time you beheld a stunning sunset and stood in awe of its beauty? Or considered the mystery of your own life – how you have been sustained, matured, and filled with seasons of joy? My friends, consider the absurdity of denying His existence, after having witnessed such clear presentations of the kindness, goodness, and majesty of the living God. Imagine a man living rent-free in a grand mansion who is fed daily and cared for by a generous host; would it not be shameful for him, a guest, to enjoy the host's generosity, yet deny not only his kindness but even his existence?

However, God's creation and sustenance reveal not only His existence, but our obligation to obey Him. This, the Bible says, is why the "wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" (Rom. 1:18). The problem with unbelief is not that people do not know the true God. The problem is that they refuse to face the truth. It is easier to invent a god in our minds – one who does not hold anyone accountable for their disobedience – than to face the reality that all have sinned against the true God, and that none can stand before Him without excuse.

The biggest problem is this, however: that while God's creation declares that all creatures are guilty before a holy and righteous God, it offers no remedy for that guilt. And this leads us to the reason why you must hear what I am about to share with you.

The Second Way of Knowing God

The remedy for our guilt is the gospel message: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And, again, it must be stressed that apart from the gospel, there is no remedy for our guilt. Yet, as we shall see, this second way we come to know God is not merely as the One who "saves us" from our guilt, but as the One for Whom our lives are worth living.

Our Guilty Plea

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

My friends, before we can proceed to any discussion on the remedy for our guilt, it is necessary that you understand the grounds for your guilty plea. Because, in a court of law, unless the defendant pleads guilty to the charges pressed against him, he will always consider the judge's verdict to be unjust, nor will he see any point in accepting the remedy offered for his guilt. Therefore, since we are defendants put "on trial" – charged with guilt against the living God – the question we must answer honestly is: do I, or do I not, plead guilty? And so, let us consider the grounds for our guilt.

The Bible says that sin entered the world through one man: Adam (Rom. 5:12). He was the first man that God created – created good and without sin. Because Adam was created this way, he knew that every thought, word, and deed was to be lived in submission to God. So when God gave His command – "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:16-17) – Adam knew that disobedience meant death. Implicit in this warning was a promise: eternal life was offered to Adam based upon his perfect obedience. Nevertheless, the Bible says that Adam ate from the tree. And as our representative, through his disobedience, he brought death –physical, spiritual (our corrupt nature), and eternal (our punishment) – to all mankind.

Now, one might be tempted to argue against the only just Judge that Adam's sin should not be counted against all mankind. This person might say, "I did not choose to be born with a sinful nature. How then should I be punished for another man's sin?" But such a person is in danger of hypocrisy, because if a criminal harmed him and claimed, "I could not help it, I was born this way," would he accept such an excuse? If this person demands justice regardless of the criminal's "nature," why then would he deny the right for God to judge the sins we commit against Him? Thus, we are guilty on two counts: first, because of Adam's sin charged to us, and second, because of the actual sins we commit daily due to our corrupt nature.

The Promised Savior

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)

Dear friends, at this point, if your conscience tells you that you are guilty before God, this is, in fact, a great encouragement to me. For our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17).

And thus, let us now consider the true remedy that is needed for our guilt. We do not need mere "assistance" in refraining from sin. We do not need a "second chance" to try harder. We do not need a "good example" to show us a better way. And we certainly should not waste our time considering adulterations of the gospel claiming that God simply forgets about our sin because "God is love." God is just. Therefore, He demands perfect obedience to Him as well as a full punishment for our guilt. Thus, we need a Substitute who can render perfect obedience and bear the full punishment on our behalf.

This is exactly why Jesus Christ came. The Church has always confessed that Jesus is God incarnate: truly God and truly man. As God, it was impossible for Jesus to sin, for that would contradict His very nature. As Man, Jesus came as the "Second Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45) to render the perfect obedience demanded by the law of God. Not a single deed, word, or thought was ever apart from His perfect love for the Father – loving Him with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. He kept all His ways pure, guarding them according to the Word of God (see Ps. 119:9). And thus, He earned eternal life.

Now, friends, I plead with you to pay special attention to what I am about to say next, for this is the summation of the message of the Cross. We must put aside the misconception that the Cross was a way for a loving Son to pacify a hateful Father. Rather, the Bible tells us that the Cross was the Father's plan. It was the Father's own love that led Him to send His only begotten Son to take the full punishment that we deserved. In this "Great Exchange," we contribute nothing to our salvation except the sin that made it necessary. Jesus' perfect obedience is credited to us, and our grave sin is laid upon Him. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).

Our Purpose and Great Hope

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. (Ephesians 1:15–19)

My friends, the message of the Cross is an offer to you. The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Yet, the Bible also warns that if you refuse to put your faith in Jesus alone for your salvation, then you remain in your guilt, and you are "storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed" (Rom. 2:5). And so, again, I plead with you, dear friend. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation! Receive the gift of eternal life, earned not by your own efforts, but by the perfect obedience of Christ. Believe in the message of the Cross; look upon the suffering Savior who took your sins upon Himself! What more do I ask of you than simply to believe in this message?

Now, I give thanks and praise to God if you have believed in what you have heard! For the great hope that we share of eternal life is greater than what we could ever fathom; more glorious than any earthly riches; more wonderful than anything we have ever beheld. The great promise of eternal life is communion with our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We were created to worship our God. This is the mystery that we discover by faith. Let us ponder on the profound words penned by St. Augustine: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you" (Confessions, 1:1). So, dear friends, if you have believed in the message of the Cross, I pray that your faith might increase all the more in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that your hopes of eternal life may abound, filling you with joy and gladness of heart.