2025 Lent Devotional – Day 40

Lent Devotional: Day 40
The Power of the Cross
Rev. Dr. David Mende

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For the message of the gallows is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18). That sounds weird, right? This is how the first-century people felt about Paul’s message on the cross.

During Paul’s time, crucifixion was considered to be such a terrible form of execution that people hesitated even to mention it. Today, we wear crosses around our necks and use them as decorative pieces in our churches and homes. But originally, the cross was a symbol of death, torture, and shame. That’s why many people rejected the message of the cross and dismissed it as “foolishness.” They scoffed at the idea of a crucified Savior. They saw the cross as foolishness. They thought that the cross told the story of a defeated man. The world values power and dominance. So, the message of the cross seemed absurd to many in Paul’s time. Even the religious leaders of Jesus’ time expected a political Messiah who would deliver them from Roman oppression and establish an everlasting kingdom.

However, the cross of Christ is the focal point of the gospel. It is the center of our faith. God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9). The cross represents God’s love and justice. Without the cross, there is no salvation. Jesus bore the punishment for our sins on the cross (Isa. 53:5). The cross frees us from sin and gives us new life. We don’t depend on our good works but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is the power of God to those who are being saved. That’s why Paul writes, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Paul did not boast in his accomplishments, but in the cross of Christ alone.

So, the message of the cross divides people into two groups. Some see it as folly and reject it. However, others see it as God’s power and are saved. We cannot contribute anything to our salvation, except our sin! Like a person drowning in a miry clay, we were helpless and unable to save ourselves. But praise God, Jesus died in our place on the cross and redeemed us. As we observe Lent, let’s go to God empty-handed and cling to the cross of Christ.

Prayer: Dear Father, help me to always cling to the cross by depending on what Christ has done for me.