The Power of Powerlessness: Unpacking the Significance of Jesus’ Crucifixion
In a stunning display of weakness, Jesus hangs on the cross, a victim of circumstance and cruelty. The soldiers guarding him can’t help but mock his powerlessness, unaware that this very moment would become the pivotal point in human history.
The Shame of the Cross
Crucifixion was not only a means of inflicting physical pain but also a tool for public shaming. Victims were left naked, exposed to the elements and the ridicule of onlookers. Jesus, the Son of God, was no exception. As the soldiers gambled for his clothes, they reinforced the notion that he was nothing more than a helpless, defeated man.
A Claim of Power, A Display of Weakness
But what the soldiers didn’t understand was that Jesus had already claimed the power to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. This assertion seemed laughable, even scandalous, in light of his current predicament. And yet, as we read in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ words held a deeper meaning. He spoke not of the physical temple but of his own body, which would be raised from the dead in three days.
The Temple of God
Under the old covenant, the temple served as the meeting place between a holy God and his sinful people. It was a place of sacrifice, of atonement for sin. But with Jesus’ death and resurrection, he became the new temple, the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity. His sacrifice paid the price for our sin, reconciling us to God once and for all.
Preaching Christ Crucified
As the apostle Paul wrote, we don’t simply preach Christ; we preach Christ crucified. It’s in the weakness of the cross that we find the power of God. Jesus’ demonstration of power is not in spite of his weakness but precisely because of it. In his death and resurrection, we find the supreme meeting place between God and sinners.
A New Understanding
The disciples, who initially didn’t understand Jesus’ words, later remembered them and believed. They saw that Jesus was not just a man but the Son of God, who had become the temple, the meeting place between God and humanity. And it’s this understanding that we, as believers, must hold onto – that the power of God is not in strength but in weakness, not in glory but in shame.
Leave a Reply