Do you have a mission statement? Lots of people do, often without even realizing it. A personal mission statement might be something like, “I want to be the best person I can be”.
The apostle Paul’s mission statement was to preach “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. Look at how he explains this in his letter to the Corinthians:
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 Cor 2:1-2)
Paul’s aim was always to preach the message of the cross. To communicate “Jesus Christ and him crucified” should also be our aim, because this is still the way God saves people. But firstly, let’s be clear on what we mean by the message of the cross.
What is the message of the cross?
Simple
The message of the cross is simple at one level: Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, and rose again to be the Lord of all. Remember that the message of the cross also includes Jesus’ resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 for Paul’s straightforward summary of the gospel).
Complex
But the message of the cross is complex at the same time. Jesus’ death achieves justification, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation; it disarms the heavenly powers; and more. And his resurrection means that he is Lord and Judge; that he is coming again; that he is our Great High Priest and the giver of the Holy Spirit. I went to a five-day conference once on the topic of Jesus’ death. We studied the Bible from morning till night and still there was more to know. It’s a big topic. And if the message of the cross is at the heart of what we should be communicating to people, then we should know it well.
Stop and consider: How well do you understand the message of the cross in all its nuanced complexity?
Action: There are plenty of books that help to explain the message of the cross. How about committing to reading one?
Why does Paul focus on the cross?
The message of the cross is not ‘wise’ to most people. In fact, the idea that God would kill an innocent Jewish man 2000 years ago to pay for the sins of the whole world is offensive to many people. Add to that the notion that it’s only by trusting in this crucified man that you will get to heaven, and Christianity becomes even more absurd. On the surface, it sounds like a crazy religion.
So why does Paul aim to communicate the cross first and foremost, and not some more attractive, palatable message?
The reasons are threefold:
- The cross is God’s testimony. Paul didn’t have a choice. He was simply telling people “the testimony of God” (1 Cor 2:1). The cross is God’s message.
- The cross is a spiritual message. It’s like a car and petrol. The two things are designed to work together. Similarly, the message of the cross is a spiritual message, designed by God to work with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps people to understand and then trust in the message (1 Cor 2:12-13). The two work together to bring people to new life.
- The cross humbles. People who understand and embrace the message of the cross know that they are sinners who can’t save themselves. They know that Jesus has saved them by dying in their place. God gets all the glory. You don’t have to be brilliant to be saved; you just have to humble yourself (1 Cor 1:26-31).
Implications
Ultimately, if people are going to be saved, they need to hear the message of the cross. I’m not suggesting you never address other topics or questions that non-Christians might have (like Paul does in Acts 17), but ultimately people need to hear the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Please keep this in mind as you seek to talk to your colleagues at work about Jesus or if you are organizing an evangelistic event.
Keep the main thing the main thing; make Paul’s mission statement your mission statement: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2).
Question: Why does the apostle Paul use the message of a crucified Jewish man as his centerpiece?
