#Jesus22 - Daily DevotionalsSample

The meaning of the cross

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul always writes of Jesus as “the crucified one”. Why does he do this? He could speak of "the risen one" or the empty tomb. But he speaks of the cross. And how do we speak of Jesus? Do we also speak of the crucified one? Or do we rather speak of the risen one? Or asked differently: which of the following three days is most important for you: Christmas, Easter, or Good Friday?

The cross is a place of torment and death. It's no wonder that people tend not to treat this topic as central. Paul understands this and even goes a step further. In his opinion, the whole thing with the cross is simply nonsense -- stupidity for those who do not believe. So, we are already in the middle of today's text: 1 Corinthians 1 from verse 18. Right at the beginning, Paul asks the question: who can understand the matter of the cross? Where is the wise man or the studied one who can explain it? But then he does not provide a great explanation for the time being. However, he comes to the point that is so important to him. He is saying what happened to Christ on the cross has become the power of God and is God's wisdom.

Here we are on the way to something that I need. Every day, I hear and read so many empty words everywhere. That's how much I long for something that is real and has the power to change my life. Something that I won't regret later. It should be good through and through -- wise. All of this, Paul says, is found at the cross. This week, we are looking at that very topic: "What we find at the cross."

ACTION STEP

Today, think about what the cross means to you. It's best to find someone to talk about it with.