Yardley United Methodist Church
Feb 22 - Mystery and Meaning
  • Love Divine All Loves Excelling
  • The Wonderful Cross

      • Isaiah 55:8–9NRSVUE

      • Mark 8:31–37NRSVUE

      • 1 Corinthians 1:18–25NRSVUE

      • Isaiah 55:8–9NRSVUE

      • Mark 8:31–37NRSVUE

      • 1 Corinthians 1:18–25NRSVUE

      • Isaiah 55:8–9NRSVUE

      • Mark 8:31–37NRSVUE

      • 1 Corinthians 1:18–25NRSVUE

  • The Mystery and Meaning of the Cross

    1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Mark 8:31-37, Isaiah 55:8–9

    Theme:
    The cross stands at the center of Christian faith and at the edge of human understanding. Scripture offers not one answer but many images—each revealing something of God’s wisdom through what looks like foolishness to the world.
    Purpose:
    This opening sermon introduces the series and sets the tone for a reflective, grace-filled exploration of the cross. The goal is to create permission for mystery, to invite the congregation into wonder rather than certainty, and to prepare them for the diverse ways the church has understood the meaning of Jesus’ death. The sermon reminds listeners that the cross is not something we explain once and for all, it is something we enter into and are shaped by again and again.
    Introduction:
    “Why did Jesus have to die?” Faithful people have wrestled with this mystery since the beginning. C. S. Lewis had an insightful: “The central Christian belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start. Theories as to how it did this are another matter. A good many different theories have been held as to how it works; what all Christians are agreed on is that it does work.” Of course, we can and should wonder about the mystery of our salvation. There is no shame in wondering, as everyone from Paul to the disciples to early church leaders have struggled to make sense of the Crucifixion—this is why we call them atonement “theories.”

    The Cross Looks Like Foolishness

    Focus on 1 Corinthians 1:18-25: Paul’s reminder that the cross looks like foolishness to the world but is God’s wisdom and power.
    “Why would anyone choose to die for someone else?” Give some examples: parents with children, military, etc.
    While these human examples give us a glimpse of sacrificial love, Christ's sacrifice on the cross elevates this concept to a divine level, overturning all worldly expectations.
    This paradox lies at the heart of Christian faith: the first shall be last, the weak are strong, death brings life.
    What other paradoxes, or unlikely joining of images, are central to the faith?
    The cross is where God’s logic breaks into human logic, where mercy meets justice, and grace overcomes sin. By our worldly standards, what God did for us would not make sense.
    In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says “My thoughts are not your thoughts . . .” God’s way of redemption surpasses human understanding. Not understanding everything about the cross is not failure, it’s faithful humility of knowing what is ours to hold and what is ours to trust.
    In this space of faithful humility, we can view the crucifixion not merely as a historical tragedy, but as a profound convergence of opposing forces.
    The cross is both intersection and contradiction: heaven meeting earth, love meeting violence, divinity meeting humanity, etc.

    What does the cross do?

    Recognizing this ultimate intersection naturally leads us to question its spiritual function and its direct impact on believers.
    In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul’s statement is “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross transforms us as it reveals who God is and who we are called to be.
    The cross reshapes our definitions of power: not dominion & domination, but compassionate service & self-giving love.
    This divine definition of power directly challenges societal structures and how we operate daily.
    How does this counter the notions of power in our world?
    Tell a story about someone who discovered unexpected strength through surrender or service, an example of paradoxical power.
    The cross is not just an event to remember, but a pattern to live by. Jesus calls his followers to take up their cross, which means we live with the same self-giving love that transformed the world.
    This pattern is not just a theological suggestion; it is a direct call to action from Christ himself.

    Invitation to the Cross

    In Mark 8:34, Jesus says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (v. 34, NRSV).
    The mystery of the cross becomes meaningful when we allow it to shape our daily lives. Following Jesus means learning to love sacrificially, forgive freely, and trust deeply, even when the path is hard.
    Are you ready to journey this hard and holy path?
    To aid you on this journey, we will spend the upcoming weeks examining how early Christians and theologians made sense of this path.
    Each atonement theory we’ll explore in the coming weeks is one way of understanding this mystery. Together, they form a fuller picture of the God who saves not from suffering, but through it.
    Briefly preview each of the weeks ahead to show how broad of a picture this series will paint, and why it is important to take it step by step.
    First, we begin by understanding God as Logos, the active love of creative God often conveyed by actual words but also as divine statement through action. That divine final statement is the Cross. This theological understanding from John’s gospel undergirds all others.
    As we prepare to dive into these deep theological waters in the weeks to come, we must anchor ourselves back in the foundational mystery we started with.

    Back to the Paradox of the Cross

    The cross was Rome’s instrument of death, but God made it the instrument of life.
    The cross was humanity’s greatest cruelty, and God turned it into the world’s greatest mercy.
    The cross looks like the end, but it is the beginning of the Resurrection.
    I invite you to live in the tension mystery this week, and through Lent—trusting that in the cross, God’s wisdom is wiser than human wisdom, God’s power is stronger than human strength.
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Yardley United Methodist Church
office@yardleyumc.org
(215) 493-3345
https://www.yardleyumc.org
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