“…by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14, NIV84)
There’s an old story of a church in England with a stone archway inscribed with the words: “We preach Christ crucified.”
Years passed and generations of preachers came and went.
By then, the cross seemed too old-fashioned and barbaric. The church stopped preaching salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice and began preaching about following Jesus’ moral example instead. Ivy had grown up the arch and covered the word “crucified.” The slogan now read, “We preach Christ.”
Eventually, the church decided that focusing on Jesus as the only way to heaven was too narrow and exclusive – even offensive. The pastor gave sermons on social and political issues. And the ivy kept growing. Now the sign read, “We preach.”
Paul told the Corinthians: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2) As we discussed last week, without the crucifixion, we are lost in our sin and without hope. We saw from the economic realm that we have been redeemed. From the legal realm we’ve been justified and reconciled. This week we’ll discuss the cross from a religious perspective: Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin.
I hope you’ll join us Sunday!
