The Power of the Cross

What is power?

Does power come from weapons? Some believe they gain power and respect with a gun in their hands. Are we only a powerful nation because we have largest military in the world? Does our power come from our weapons? Others say money is the source of power in the world. In the coming century it may be that the might of trillion dollar corporations will out weigh the power of a nation with a large military. In the United States we would like to think power comes from the people. We, the people, elect our leaders. We will choose who will be our president. We will choose who will pass laws and run our government. That's power.

Power found from weapons, money and politics goes back centuries. The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great used all three to gain tremendous power. He was the first Christian Emperor and gave credit for his pivotal military victory at Milvian Bridge to Christ because of an epiphany he had the night prior. A cross appeared in a vision and a voice saying in Greek: "In this sign, you shall conquer." Constantine found great power in this "cross" and later in life became a Christian. A decade after this battle Constantine's mother Helen went to Jerusalem to see some of the sights of Jesus' ministry. Guess what she found. Miraculously she found the True Cross upon which Jesus was crucified. Soon pieces of that True Cross spread throughout Christendom. Surely real power could be found in these pieces of wood.

Maybe... Maybe not.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul writes that "The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Truly power is found through Christ's cross: But not through pieces of wood... or military power. Constantine and Helen and so many Christians after them have gotten it wrong. Power is not found in a relic, instead the true power of God comes through the message of the cross. And the message of the cross is that weapons and money and politics are not the true sources of power in the world: only God rules!

The message of the cross is that the Messiah reigns through death. Jesus loses. He has no weapons or money or political influence. He is the opposite of everything we would expect power to come from. But through that cross... that symbol of defeat... Jesus actually conquers and wins. He dies for our sins and defeats sin, death and the devil on that cross. Indeed: in this sign, you shall conquer... by giving up your whole life to follow him.

Many say its foolish to proclaim Christ crucified. But is it? What good did it do that Constantine won at the Battle of Milvian Bridge? That is just an event for the history books. Constantine and his Empire died off a long time ago. Likewise money comes and goes. Political power is given and taken away in an instant. Are those real sources of power... or phony sources of power that too many people have been suckered into believing?

Instead we are fools for Christ. We carry no weapons, except the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We seek no money, expect that which can support our work for Christ. We don't seek the approval of the masses either. Outnumbered 10 to 1... 100 to 1... 1000 to 1 we press on serving the Lord because we have been given real power through the Blood of the Lamb.

"For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength (1 Cor 1:25)." Yeah it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to our human minds. We are tempted to believe that real power is found in wealth and adoration. But truly our power is from God and God alone. So we proclaim Christ crucified. And stand in awe because though we are fools the Lord continues to do miracles through us every day in the name of Christ. That is real power.