By Stuart Powell
Paul wrote his first letter to the believers in Corinth to guide them away from selfish individualism and encourage them to walk together in harmony with the gospel. That is a challenge because the gospel always revolves around the countercultural message of Jesus’ death. The Message presents Paul’s encouragement with these words:
While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so cheap, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25, The Message).
Eugene Peterson’s description in The Message of how the Jews viewed Jesus’ cross as an “anti-miracle” is an intriguing concept. It describes in a way what happened on Good Friday. In a shift from what Jesus did throughout his ministry, God led his Son away from wonders and supernatural demonstrations of his authority on the last day of his life before the Cross. The only recorded miracle Jesus performed on Good Friday was healing Malchus’s ear (Luke 22:50-51; John 18:10). Everything else that happened that day was the horrific fruit of human wickedness and rebellion.
Jesus offered no convicting response to the abuse and false accusations slung at him during the mock trials before Caiaphas and Pilate. He did not soften the pain of the whip in the praetorium. He did not heal a single wound on his own body. The cross beam did not become lighter when Jesus picked it up. He did not command the nails to crumble or the hammer blows to miss their mark as the soldiers stretched out his arms. The wooden beam did not disintegrate as it dropped into the hole bearing its innocent cargo. The mocking mouths of his enemies were not muted as Jesus struggled to breathe.
All the miraculous signs of that day came directly from the heavenly throne of grace: the darkness, the earthquake, the prequel resurrection of saints, the tearing of the curtain. Jesus commanded none of these. He did not heal the sick or cast out demons. No, God the Son meekly and humbly suffered that day until death stilled his heart.
Isn’t it amazing what God did with the anti-miracle of Good Friday? He conquered the curse. He paid every penalty for sin that we earned with our selfish blood, sweat, and tears.
Around this table we celebrate the powerful work of God hidden from the world in Jesus’ death on the cross. We recall his beaten body as we eat the bread of Communion. We celebrate Jesus’ choice to pour out his life blood for us as we drink the cup. This celebration may baffle the world, but we use our time together to keep the memory of Jesus’ redeeming death alive in our hearts.
Stuart Powell lives outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, where he serves with the North Side Christian Church.
Amazing writing, Stuart. Great vivid language describing His love and grace.