HOLY WEEK: The Hope of the Cross

This is a special time of year for believers. From Palm Sunday to the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection, we focus on the events of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and Passion Week – leading to Good Friday and the cross.

One reason this season is so important to Christians is that it presents an opportunity to focus on the cross and its significance to our faith.

In the earliest days of Christianity, the cross was not a cherished symbol – it was a scandal, a sign of shame and brutality.

• Early believers didn’t display it or even speak of it openly.

• Instead, they used secret symbols like the fish or the anchor, quietly marking their faith in the shadows of a hostile Roman culture.

• It wasn’t until the Mid–4th century (c. 320–350) – that the cross increasingly emerges in Christian art and public symbolism as a sign of victory and triumph, rather than shame and defeat.

What changed? Perhaps the Church caught the Apostle Paul’s revelation:

“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 1:18

Once a symbol of horror, the cross became a symbol of hope – not because the world accepted it, but because Jesus transformed it.

Background

To understand the hope Paul speaks of, we must step into the world of first-century Corinth, a city bursting with diversity, status-seeking, and spiritual confusion.

Corinth was a booming, cosmopolitan city in Greece. Think of it as an ancient version of New York or Los Angeles – wealthy, flashy, philosophical, and morally chaotic.

• It was where Greek wisdom was worshiped, and Roman power was idolized.

• People loved eloquent speech, impressive ideas, and visible strength.

• In that kind of world, a crucified Savior sounded ridiculous.

The idea of a crucified Messiah was unthinkable – to both Jews and Gentiles.

• To the Jews, the Messiah was supposed to crush Rome, not be crushed by it.

• So when Paul preached about a Messiah who was executed like a criminal, it was a stumbling block – a scandal. How could that possibly be the fulfillment of God’s promise?

• To the Greeks, who loved logic, philosophy, and polished speech, the message of a crucified man as Savior was foolishness – utter nonsense.

• Death on a cross was the lowest form of humiliation in Roman society, reserved for slaves and rebels.

In this context, Paul explains why the cross is central to the Christian faith, and why it brings hope to those who trust in God’s wisdom, but confusion and even hatred to those who do not.

One reason is that the cross offers hope that confronts human expectations.

Paul writes: 

“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.”  – 1 Corinthians 1:22–23

I don’t believe Paul was just making a theological point here – I think he was confronting the cultural mindset of his day head-on.

• Corinth was a city full of people who worshiped image, intellect, and influence.

• The Jews demanded miraculous signs – proof of power.

• The Greeks craved polished wisdom – proof of brilliance.

• And into that world, Paul stands and says, “We preach Christ crucified.”

Not Christ the miracle worker. Not Christ the philosopher. But Christ – crucified.

The word crucified isn’t merely an event Paul mentions in passing. The word is a perfect participle, meaning not only that Christ was once crucified, but that He continues in the character of the crucified One. In other words, the crucifixion is permanent in its efficacy.

• To the Jews, that was scandalous – because their law said, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

• To the Greeks, it was just plain stupid.

• The word Paul uses for foolishness is mōria, which is where we get the word moron.

• The Greeks didn’t just disagree – they thought people who believed in Jesus were morons.

Paul doesn’t soften the message to make it more palatable. He doesn’t tweak it to fit the times.

• He says, this is the message we preach.

• We are not ashamed of Christ and the cross.

Why? Because in God’s wisdom, what looked like defeat on a Roman cross was actually the very place where sin was crushed, death was undone, and God’s love exploded into history. The cross was never meant to impress the world but to save it.

The cross was never meant to impress the world but to save it. – Pastor Bob Moya

So when Paul says, “To those who are perishing, the word of the cross is foolishness,” the Greco-Roman elite would have seen the cross as so absurd that believing it made you seem insane or ignorant.

Paul wasn’t trying to adjust the gospel to fit the culture – he was confronting the culture with the shocking, saving, upside-down message of the cross.

This isn’t just an ancient issue – it’s a contemporary one. Today’s world still sees self-denial, repentance, and faith in a crucified Savior as irrational and weak.

The cross cuts against the grain of every culture that idolizes image, autonomy, and personal power. Christians today face the same challenge as those in Corinth: will we cling to the cross of Christ and proclaim it, or distance ourselves from it? The cross is confrontational, and living your faith in Christ takes courage.

The cross is confrontational, and living your faith in Christ takes courage. – Pastor Bob Moya

Some of you have watched the movie about Desmond Doss, a devout Christian and conscientious objector who served as a combat medic in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. He refused to carry a weapon, yet he ran into gunfire to rescue wounded soldiers.

The other troops mocked him relentlessly – he was seen as weak, foolish, even unpatriotic. But on Hacksaw Ridge, Doss saved 75 men, lowering them one by one down a cliff under heavy fire, praying, “Lord, help me get one more.”

What looked like foolish weakness was in fact radical courage and sacrificial love. In the end, the same men who mocked him were the ones whose lives he saved. President Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military decoration.

Just like the cross, Doss’s story flips the script:

• In the cross, the world sees weakness; yet God reveals strength.

• In the cross, the world sees foolishness; yet God demonstrates wisdom.

• The cross may look like defeat, but it rescues those who are dying.

Today, the preaching of the cross is absent in some mainstream denominations and churches. The message of the cross is offensive to some and inconvenient to others.

Many church goers crave messages that make them feel good rather than confront sin. But Paul said, we proclaim Christ and Him crucified.

Here is the question for us today: Have I embraced the crucified Christ, or am I chasing a more “acceptable” version of Jesus – one who’s less offensive, more polished, more culturally friendly?

Is His sacrificial death still the central message of our church, or do we adjust our message to satisfy the world?

John Stott said:

“The power of the cross is not just theological – it’s personal. The closer we get to its reality, the more it changes us. The world stays distant and mocks; the believer draws near and is transformed.” – John Stott

The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

This Resurrection season, let us re-embrace the cross as central to our faith – rejoicing in its implications and reflecting on the victory of our risen Savior.

Until next time – stay strong in the Lord,

Pastor Bob

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About Pastor Bob Moya, DMin.

Dr. Bob Moya has served as the lead pastor with his wife Candace at City Chapel in Arlington, Texas for over 25 years. He recently graduated with a doctorate degree in Spiritual Renewal and Leadership in the spring of 2024. When not serving at the church, you'll find Bob enjoying a good read at Barnes & Noble, sipping a nitro cold brew or black coffee from Starbucks, or spending time with his family.