October 7, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell
World Communion

Why Claim the Cross of Jesus?
Galatians 6:12-15 (TNIV)

“Those who want to impression others by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. ¹⁴May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.”

The cross has been gold-plated; used as a symbol of help in time of war through the Red Cross; it is worn around necks, on wrists and on ear lobes; it even hangs from some car rear-view mirrors. But what does it mean—really? Why should we claim the cross of Jesus as our “sign”?

I. The cross reveals the worst in people.

The Renaissance was a period in history of great intellectual growth and inventions—but it also was a time when general thought became that human beings are basically good rather than sinners who need a Savior. People are “naturally” good. This idea of the “goodness of people” gained momentum in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in classical liberal theology. The secular world called it Social Darwinism and it said that people are getting better and better and that eventually we will be able to solve all human problem. We will keep progressing until we make Utopia on earth. That theory went like wildfire until the devastation of WW 1 was seen. People’s believe in our eventual creation of Utopia was shaken. We WW 2, and the devastation it brought, including the shocking horror of the concentration camps—that destroyed Social Darwinism as a viable thought movement.

Most of us admit the truth of what the God tells us in Romans 3:10-12-“As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ¹²All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’” History, the news, and even our own lives betray the truth too often!

The careless words we say, the hurtful attitudes we exhibit, the uncaring things we do. Yes, we are guilty. We know it. No wonder when God called us to leave OUR ways and only live His ways—we tried to destroy Him. The cross reveals the worst in people.

II. The cross evokes the best from people.

Sacrifice. Heroes. Have a way of drawing the best, most positive of responses to life from us.

About Jesus’ life and death:

When we think of who that was on the cross and why He was there—for YOU and ME—it evokes the best from us. It challenges us to know, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

Has the cross of Jesus Christ been evoking the best living from you? Is your attitude toward people growing better because of His attitude from the cross?

III. The cross saves the least of people.

Think of the categories we make up for people—and for ourselves that define us as “unworthy”:

An art gallery had a painting of man playing chess with Satan. The picture showed that Satan had this man in a dangerous position. There was only a one word caption at the bottom of the painting—“Checkmate.” The evil one had the man. What a sad painting it was for all who came to see it in the gallery—that uncompromising position of failure and destruction. His soul was lost. He had no hope.

Then, one day, an old, white-haired chess master came in and began studying the painting. He, too, was caught up in the predicament of the young man. He finally saw that there was one move that the young man could make to get out of that predicament. He began to shout, “Hey, you’ve got one move left! You’ve got one move left!” Folks in the art gallery began to gather around to see what the commotion was. They, also, began to rejoice with the old man. It wasn’t hopeless after all. He had one move left.

That is EVERYONE’S situation—The cross saves the least of people—we still have one move—the move to Jesus and the healing grace that He offers to EVERYONE! He is reaching out the everyone!

What will you do now?

So, to what do you give glory in your life? Your accomplishments? your position? your family? your name? your health? These things may be good, but they are lacking in some area. The only thing that I can truly celebrate life in is the honesty and hope of the cross of Jesus. May we never boast except in His Cross. And so let us now prepare our hearts to receive Holy Communion. Amen.