The cross of Jesus is offensive to some, ridiculous to others, irrelevant to many, and glorious to millions. God becomes man, dies on a tree, where He bears on His human body the sins, the sorrows, the weaknesses, and the sicknesses of this world. By His bearing of these things, they are expunged, removed, absorbed, taken away from those who are plagued by them. This is a strange message, is it not?
It is becoming vogue for some theologians to describe the cross as "divine child abuse." They contend that it is abusive of God to punish His own son for the sins of His other creatures. If a man has two sons, and one does evil, it would be abuse to punish the other. On top of that, it wouldn't do any good, for the guilty son gets off without discipline. This is how the argument goes. Such an argument raises good questions. But it also breaks down in crucial points (for example, the Bible never claims that God has two sons. He only has One. The One dies for for the human creatures in order to make them potential children of God. Also, the issue is not discipline or teaching humans to behave, it is redemption).
It can seem odd to the world that the anger of God towards mankind is poured out on His only Son. How is that fair? It's not fair, of course. That's the point. It is free and unfair. We are unfairly treated. If we were fairly treated, we'd be on the tree and we'd face the anger of God ourselves.
This cross can seem very strange indeed. On the cross, so the story goes, God pours His own anger on His Son. He is not saving us from sins, or from sorrow, or from the devil. He is saving us from God. God is saving us from God. God is the enemy of mankind. He is the One to fear. Yet, this Enemy, who has overwhelming power over us, obviously, has even more overwhelming kindness. He gives us what is not fair. He pours His wrath out on Himself.
Yes, the cross doesn't make much sense, does it?
It was there, mankind was ransomed.
It was there, that the scores were evened, and all debts were paid.
It was there that the blood of the Savior was the sacrifice that satisfied the anger of God against us all.
So, we Christians tell this to the world. How does that make any sense?
The Cross of Christ: for many it is foolish, odd, irrelevant, jewelry, silly, for the uneducated, offensive.
The Cross of Christ is the solution. It is the answer. It is the demonstration of God's love to a world that isn't kind. It is the center of the universe, the center of history, and will be the dominating theme of mankind until He ends time.
Life begins at the cross.
"For the word 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
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes," --Romans
