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And an inscription also was written
Over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, And Hebrew THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS Lk23:38 And I, brethren, if I still preach Circumcision, why do I still suffer Persecution? Then the offense of the Cross has ceased. Gal5:11 From the writings of John G. Lake When I came to Christ and God revealed himself to me, I did not come to Christ by the cross. I came to him because I admired his power to heal, his ability to perform miracles, and his appeal to demand the attention of all. So when God saved me, he made me to know that it was a taste of the cross that I would experience, a taste of the suffering of Christ. The question I would like to raise to you in this paper is of tremendous import. When you came to the cross of Christ, did you come as a Greek, a Roman, or a Jew? If you came as a Greek then the offense of the cross is that Jesus lacks human physical perfection. He is mutilated and ugly. He is far removed from the beauty of the Greek gods and goddesses. The Greek would not take a second look at the cross. If you came as a Roman, then the offense of the cross is that Jesus is a defeated foe. He is powerless, weak, and afflicted. The Roman would spit at the cross because it does not represent power and authority. Or when you came to the cross, did you look through the eyes of the Jew. Jesus is hanging on a tree. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Jesus is a symbol of poverty and lack, and poverty and lack are the result of sin. To the Jew the offense of the cross is that Jesus is a disgrace. Now as I look back on my Christian walk I can tell you that I have experienced being looked upon as the Greek, or Roman, or Jew would have looked at Christ on the cross and I have seen myself as they have seen me, as ugly, weak, and disgraceful. Christ has given me a taste of the cross: not so much the pain as the shame. It is the shame of the cross that is an offense to so many. People who reject the cross of Christ are really rejecting themselves. Psychologists have told us that the things we despise in others, the things that annoy us, are really the things that they suppress in themselves. When you reject the cross because Jesus is ugly, it is because of the ugliness that we see in ourselves but hide. When you reject the cross because Jesus is weak, this is because we despise the weakness in ourselves. When you reject Jesus because he is a disgrace, it is because of the disgrace that we suppress in our own life. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become righteous. Jesus became ugly, weak, and disgraceful so that we might become the beautiful ones, the powerful ones, the graceful ones, healing the sick, performing miracles, and walking in integrity. My friend: Look at the cross. Jesus became you and me so that we might be raised in power, glory, and dominion. Look at the cross and see the consequences of sin and repent. If you do, the cross will no longer be an offense but rather the glory of God and you will be born again and made new. So my friend: Look at the cross. I ask you. What is it that you see? Selah |