We Preach Christ Crucified Part One
1 Corinthians 1; 23

The thought that the Messiah (God’s anointed) had been hanged on a tree and had come under the divine curse (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23) was intolerable to many Jews. Reformed Bible Study
One the most horrible and shameful ways of dying is being crucified on a cross. The condemned hung on a pole or a cross for several days or even up to a week would eventually die of c asphyxiation. Asphyxiation results from lack of exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide resulting from respiratory failure or disturbance, resulting in insufficient brain oxygen, which leads to unconsciousness and death. Apostle Paul wrote these words,” For the word of the cross is foolishness to (those who are perishing. Matthew Henry penned these words, “None of the famous men for wisdom or eloquence was employed to plant the church or propagate the gospel.” Because seem foolish to them.

We should consider another avenue why put His only Son Jesus though excruciating pain and agony? Why is the cross the only means of forgiving sins? Does not demand us to forgive? Why not simply forgive instead sending His Son to the cross that suffered both physical and mental anguish? Why does He not practice what preaches? One cynic declares these words,” It sounds like a primitive superstition that modern people should long since have discarded.” The modern day philosopher dismissed the cross foolishness no different than the Apostle Paul day.

While the average Christians dismiises the scholarly person questons. Or the cynic asks the questions and most of them are not looking the answers, however, the cynic are asking tough but a fair questions and there’re answered within the bible. if they examined the scripture and the evident. You would find the answers within the bible and in human behavior.

Moses desire to see The LORD glory, God granted Moses requested, however, “You cannot see My face, for no one can seep Me and live. “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then, I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”

According to Isaiah account, He saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah utter these words, ““Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Than an angel touch Isaiah with live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is take away and your sin atoned for.” Than the Lord spoke him. Isaiah saw himself as sinners, and acknowledged before the LORD and The LORD atone sins before spoke with Isaiah.

Do you know the first words that Apostle Peter uttered to Jesus where to Jesus? “, Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”. Jesus spoke these words to Peter, “Don’t be afraid,” Simon. “From now on you will be catching people! ”Ó Then, Peter left his fishing nets follow Jesus.

When the Apostle John encountered the glorified Jesus on the isle Patmos. He fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid.

All three men were frightened because they saw themselves as sinner. Yet, they were not afraid because one was become a prophet, the another followed Jesus, and last one wrote Revelation. As scripture states, “So they quickly left the tomb, terrified but also ecstatic, and ran to tell Jesus’ disciples.” A lot reason they’re frightening they encountered a Holy God that is without sin.
Prior falling into sin Adam and Eve had constant fellowship. Than they ate the forbidden fruits were naked and ashamed and they clothes themselves, and God while walking in the garden, and they were afraid, and they hid themselves God.

How many of us has encounter a terrifying moment with God or just a terrifying moment. It changes your prospective you start seeking spiritual direction and your way of thinking changes for example, than either acknowledge as God or you blame Him.
God hates all foam of sins, Sin is missing the mark. The free dictionary define sins as; Deliberate disobedience to the knew will of God. For example, Eve and Adam eating the fruit that God told them not to eat. The Greek word means, hamartia meaning to miss the mark, and mention 122 times New Testament. The Eastern Bible dictionary defines sin as; in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission, or commission. Furthermore it, define; It is “not a mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver and moral governor who vindicates his law with penalties. The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is intrinsically vile and polluting. Sin s carries with it two inalienable characters (1) ill-desert, guilt (reatus); and (2) pollution (macula).” While sin has many shapes foams, and definitions, in which will not elaborate?

Since we’re created in God’s image God’s love us with a holy love, and hates sins. He hated sin so much that needed to punish it. The Eastern Bible dictionary defines punishment of sin as; that it justly deserves punishment, and calls down the righteous wrath of God.
How many parents had to severely discipline their children one time yet they still love them thou they committed a wrongful deed. My brother took a bike away from his son and scolded him severely because he disobeyed his mother, yet still love him, and still very close even to this day. If person was walking down street that would have thought him to be cruel, but discipline shape a person As scripture states, “ God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But, if you are without discipline  — which all receive— then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Sin need to be punished by God.
Since we’re sinner and God is holy and without sin. We need a substitute to take our place. For example, we need someone who has committed no sin. Yet, we also need some one who is human and who experience what human experiences, like hardship, being hungry, tire and tempted by sin. He needs to He need to be both God and Man. He needs to fulfill the moral and ceremony laws.
Under the old sacraments is was impossible take way sins with the blood of sheep and goats for two reasons; One sacrifices was made year after year to atone for ours sins. Secondly, the high priest was administering sacraments was a sinner as while, and needed to apply for sacraments to himself administering to the people. For example, the High Priest would enter the Holies of Holies once year; however, not without blood that sprinkle on himself first than for the people. As scripture states,” Every priest stands daily ministering and offering continually the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. It is the foreshadow for the ultimate sacrifice in which it will do away with sacraments once and for all, and God the Father would be satisfied with the sacrifice.

John Stott wrote these words, ‘The concept of substitution may be said, then, to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin  is man substituting himself  for God, While the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserve to be; God sacrifice himself for man and puts himself were only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives the belongs to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone.” In short sin is awful and man wanted be like God.
Despite are rebellious state God still sent the God man who committed no sin take our place. Mankind still needed someone to take it place to reconcile himself with God. As scripture states, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Yet, another scripture passage states these words,“ For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though maybe for the good man someone would dare even to die. But, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood; we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Once again sin is awful!
The rest of 1 Corinthians 1; 24 – 25, 27; states words, “ but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. But, God has chosen the foolish things of (the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,”