The Scandal of the Cross: A Transformative Sacrifice

 

Summary

On this Good Friday, we gather to reflect on the profound and often misunderstood symbol of the cross. The cross, now a ubiquitous emblem of the Christian faith, was originally a tool of brutal execution used by the Roman Empire to publicly shame and punish criminals. It is a symbol that has been sanitized over time, often reduced to mere decoration, yet it holds a scandalous and transformative power at the heart of the Christian story.

The cross is a scandal because it defies human wisdom and religious expectations. In 1 Corinthians, Paul describes the cross as a stumbling block and foolishness to those who rely on worldly wisdom. The idea of God incarnate, Jesus Christ, dying a criminal's death is counterintuitive and offensive to human sensibilities. Yet, it is through this act of apparent weakness that God's true wisdom and power are revealed.

Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God, a symbol rich with biblical significance. The lamb represents innocence and sacrifice, harkening back to the story of Abraham and Isaac, where God provides a lamb as a substitute sacrifice. In the story of Jesus, however, there is no substitute. Jesus is both the Son and the Lamb, willingly taking on the sins of the world. His sacrifice is not a temporary measure but a final, once-for-all act of redemption.

Sin, a pervasive power that brings death and suffering, is defeated through the life and blood of Jesus. The cross is the ultimate scandal because it is the final word on sin and death. Jesus' declaration, "It is finished," signifies the completion of God's plan for salvation. While suffering and death still exist in the world, the cross assures us that Christ suffers with us and that redemption is at hand.

We are invited to accept this scandalous gift of grace, to lay down our burdens and sins at the foot of the cross, and to embrace the abundant life offered through Jesus' sacrifice. The cross challenges us to recognize our inability to achieve salvation on our own and to trust in the finality of Christ's work. As we witness the scandal of the cross, we are called to be part of the fellowship of the crucified, living in the light of God's transformative love.

Key Takeaways:

1. The cross, originally a symbol of shame and execution, has become central to the Christian faith, challenging us to see beyond its decorative use to its true meaning as a symbol of God's wisdom and power. [05:09]

2. Jesus as the Lamb of God fulfills the biblical imagery of sacrifice, offering himself as the final and perfect sacrifice for sin, unlike the temporary sacrifices of the Old Testament. [12:58]

3. Sin is both a power and an action that leads to death, but through Jesus' sacrifice, the power of sin is broken, offering us life and reconciliation with God. [18:49]

4. The cross is a scandal because it represents the finality of Jesus' sacrifice, declaring "It is finished" and offering a permanent solution to sin and death. [20:21]

5. We are invited to accept the scandal of the cross, to lay down our sins and burdens, and to embrace the abundant life and freedom offered through Jesus' sacrifice. [25:59]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:16] - The Hippie Store and Symbols
- [02:45] - The True Meaning of the Peace Sign
- [03:32] - Symbols and Their Meanings
- [04:22] - The Cross: A Forgotten Scandal
- [05:09] - The Cross as Decoration and Scandal
- [06:40] - The Cross in Modern Context
- [07:25] - The Foolishness of the Cross
- [08:08] - The Scandal of Christ Crucified
- [09:49] - The Innocence of the Lamb
- [11:21] - Abraham and Isaac: A Foreshadowing
- [12:58] - The Lamb as a Substitute
- [14:34] - Sacrifice and Religious Expectations
- [17:57] - The Power of Sin and Redemption
- [20:21] - The Finality of the Cross
- [23:16] - The Invitation to Accept the Scandal

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Scandal of the Cross

Bible Reading:
1. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25
2. John 1:29
3. 1 Peter 1:18-20

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the sermon describe the original purpose of the cross in the Roman Empire, and how does this contrast with its current symbolic meaning in Christianity? [05:58]

2. What does the term "Lamb of God" signify in the context of Jesus' sacrifice, and how is this imagery rooted in the Old Testament? [10:36]

3. According to the sermon, what does Jesus' declaration "It is finished" on the cross signify about the nature of his sacrifice? [20:21]

4. How does the sermon explain the concept of sin as both a power and an action, and what role does Jesus' sacrifice play in addressing it? [18:49]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the cross challenges human wisdom and religious expectations, as described in 1 Corinthians 1:20-25? [07:25]

2. How does the imagery of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" deepen our understanding of his role in salvation, especially in light of Old Testament sacrifices? [12:58]

3. What does the sermon imply about the ongoing presence of suffering and death in the world, despite the finality of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? [21:23]

4. How does the sermon invite believers to respond to the "scandal" of the cross, and what does this mean for their personal faith journey? [25:59]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the ways you might have viewed the cross as merely a decorative symbol. How can you deepen your understanding of its true significance in your daily life? [05:09]

2. The sermon describes Jesus as the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world. How does this understanding of Jesus' sacrifice impact your view of forgiveness and grace? [10:36]

3. Consider the idea that sin is both a power and an action. How have you experienced the effects of sin in your life, and how can you rely on Jesus' sacrifice to overcome it? [18:49]

4. The sermon challenges us to lay down our burdens at the foot of the cross. What specific burdens or sins do you need to surrender to God, and how can you take steps to do so this week? [25:59]

5. How does the concept of the cross as a "scandal" challenge your understanding of God's wisdom and power? In what ways can you embrace this perspective in your faith journey? [08:08]

6. Reflect on the statement "It is finished" and its implications for your life. How can you live in the freedom and abundance offered through Jesus' completed work on the cross? [20:21]

7. The sermon invites us to be part of the "fellowship of the crucified." What does this mean for your community and relationships, and how can you embody this calling in practical ways? [26:56]

Devotional

Day 1: The Cross: A Scandalous Symbol of Transformation
The cross, once a symbol of shame and execution, has been transformed into a central emblem of the Christian faith. Originally used by the Roman Empire to publicly shame and punish criminals, the cross has been sanitized over time, often reduced to mere decoration. However, its true meaning lies in its scandalous and transformative power. The cross challenges us to see beyond its decorative use and recognize it as a symbol of God's wisdom and power. It defies human wisdom and religious expectations, revealing God's true wisdom and power through the apparent weakness of Jesus' crucifixion. [05:09]

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

Reflection: How does the cross challenge your understanding of power and wisdom in your life today?


Day 2: Jesus, the Lamb of God: The Final Sacrifice
Jesus is identified as the Lamb of God, a symbol rich with biblical significance. The lamb represents innocence and sacrifice, harkening back to the story of Abraham and Isaac, where God provides a lamb as a substitute sacrifice. In the story of Jesus, however, there is no substitute. Jesus is both the Son and the Lamb, willingly taking on the sins of the world. His sacrifice is not a temporary measure but a final, once-for-all act of redemption. This fulfillment of biblical imagery offers a profound understanding of Jesus' role in salvation history, as He offers Himself as the final and perfect sacrifice for sin, unlike the temporary sacrifices of the Old Testament. [12:58]

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you embrace the finality of Jesus' sacrifice in your daily life, acknowledging that no further sacrifice is needed for your sins?


Day 3: The Power of Sin Broken by the Cross
Sin is both a power and an action that leads to death, but through Jesus' sacrifice, the power of sin is broken, offering us life and reconciliation with God. The cross is the ultimate scandal because it is the final word on sin and death. Jesus' declaration, "It is finished," signifies the completion of God's plan for salvation. While suffering and death still exist in the world, the cross assures us that Christ suffers with us and that redemption is at hand. This transformative power of the cross invites us to lay down our burdens and sins, embracing the abundant life offered through Jesus' sacrifice. [18:49]

"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel the power of sin is still strong? How can you invite Jesus' sacrifice to break that power today?


Day 4: The Finality of the Cross: "It is Finished"
The cross is a scandal because it represents the finality of Jesus' sacrifice, declaring "It is finished" and offering a permanent solution to sin and death. This declaration signifies the completion of God's plan for salvation, assuring us that redemption is at hand. The cross challenges us to recognize our inability to achieve salvation on our own and to trust in the finality of Christ's work. As we witness the scandal of the cross, we are called to be part of the fellowship of the crucified, living in the light of God's transformative love. [20:21]

"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30, ESV)

Reflection: How does the finality of Jesus' words, "It is finished," impact your understanding of salvation and your daily walk with God?


Day 5: Embracing the Scandal of the Cross
We are invited to accept the scandal of the cross, to lay down our sins and burdens, and to embrace the abundant life and freedom offered through Jesus' sacrifice. The cross challenges us to recognize our inability to achieve salvation on our own and to trust in the finality of Christ's work. As we witness the scandal of the cross, we are called to be part of the fellowship of the crucified, living in the light of God's transformative love. This invitation to embrace the scandalous gift of grace calls us to live in the freedom and abundance that Jesus' sacrifice provides. [25:59]

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1, ESV)

Reflection: What burdens or sins are you holding onto that you need to lay down at the foot of the cross today? How can you embrace the freedom and abundant life Jesus offers?

Quotes


Now our lives are filled with symbols and metaphors and images that go unnoticed and unrecognized on a regular basis. See, we become accustomed to the meaning that they inherit from what they're applied to without ever investigating their original intent or creation. On this Good Friday, we are confronted with a symbol that I fear many of us have forgotten or perhaps never learned the true meaning of—not just the meaning but the actual true event that occurred, which is the climax of God's story of salvation: the cross. [00:03:49]

The two wooden beams we see throughout Christian churches were not originally meant to bring feelings of pure camaraderie or joy. These two beams were fastened together to be used as a form of brutal execution. The Roman Empire used the cross to kill criminals, dissenters that represented an affront to their kingdom—criminals they wanted to make a spectacle of for all people to see. It was a public execution to set an example of what happens to those who threaten their empire. [00:05:50]

The fact that the cross is now an image most associated with the Christian faith should actually shock us when we think about this fact. If Jesus came in this era, he may not have been hung on the cross, perhaps electrocuted in a chair or given lethal injection. Imagine an electric chair hung up in our church or a syringe filled with poison painted on our walls. This would be shocking, foolish even, scandalous. [00:06:32]

The image of God hanging on a cross makes very little sense in initial observation. It actually looks like weakness, like a God who gave up. But the foolishness of God is true wisdom. When Paul says the cross is a stumbling block, he's using a Greek word, scandalon. This word is used to describe often a trap, an offense, or a snare. It's not just an accidental bump in the road; it's something placed that would be used to cause somebody intentionally to stumble, to trip, to be entrapped by something. [00:08:08]

Christ crucified is a scandal that trips up our own human wisdom. It traps us in the gospel story. It scandalizes what we think salvation should be or what a god should look like. It's easy to forget this because, whether you're a Christian or not, much of our culture and world is "Christianized" so much that we've forgotten that the wooden beams of the cross tell not just a man but God himself. [00:09:12]

The cross is central to the Christian faith not because of its form but because of the one who hung upon it. So who is this man? In the Gospel of John, when Jesus first arrives on the scene, a character by the name of John the Baptist, who prophesied to the Jewish people that a Messiah, a savior, would come, sees Jesus Christ approaching him and he says, "Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." [00:10:00]

The church father Origen says, "Abraham offered God a mortal son who was not put to death. God delivered an immortal son for all men." And this makes no sense. The idea that God would provide his own sacrifice is an irreligious idea. It's counterintuitive to what religion is. It stands in contrast to the entire framework of religious purification and worship. It defies human understanding. [00:13:26]

In other religious practices and even just in relationships, we expect that sacrifice is a form of giving something up so that we may receive something in return. You know, my parents are pastors in an international church in Thailand, and they regularly witness Buddhists making monetary or service-based sacrifices at temples so that they will receive financial blessing or health blessings or fertility blessings. [00:14:10]

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob, David, Ruth, and Mary scandalized himself in our place. And this provided lamb is an image of innocence. A lamb is a young sheep; it's a pure form of life. For a lamb to then be offered as a sacrifice, to be killed for the sake of something beyond itself, that should stir up feelings of tragedy. It's like witnessing somebody that dies too young, too soon. [00:14:55]

Sin is a power that exists in the world whose presence only brings death and suffering. Sin is a power that draws us away from the goodness of God. It's a divisive tool that puts human against human and human against God. Sin is both a power and an action. When we commit sin, we are not punished by God, but we're punished by sin and the effects of it itself. It harms our body; it corrupts our soul. [00:18:20]

The answer to why does suffering still exist if the cross is final is not that we escape in this life. The answer is that Christ suffers with us. It's our only hope. With or without God, life is tragic, amen. But in the shadow of the cross, we witness a God who bears all tragedy. The blood painted on the cross is not a temporary protection but a final word to the wages of sin. [00:22:36]

And I could stand up here and try to tell you that it should have been you on the cross, that we deserved that death. Even if that's true, we cannot atone for our own sin. We cannot achieve our own salvation. We can't work out our own righteousness, no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we white-knuckle our addictions and our lies, our anger, our vindictiveness. [00:24:50]

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Transcript
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