The Path God Chose: The Cross – The Cost of the Path God Chose

This sermon was preached during an Easter program under the theme 'The Path God Chose,' focusing on Jesus Christ's voluntary choice of the cross. Paul records in Philippians 2:6-8 that Christ 'made himself nothing' and 'humbled himself,' relinquishing his equality with God to become human and then die on the cross. The cost of the path He chose was extraordinarily high, requiring complete self-emptying from the highest position to the lowest place of shame.

The sermon shows that the shadow of the cross followed Jesus throughout his entire life. Approximately 700 years before his birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold a Savior not as a conquering king but as one 'despised and rejected' who would bear the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53). The painting 'The Shadow of Death' by William Holman Hunt illustrates this, depicting the shadow of the cross already present even while Jesus worked as a carpenter. Jesus himself also predicted his death in John 12:32, confirming that the path of the cross was foreordained by God from ancient times.

The cross was chosen as the symbol of Christian faith even though it represented the most terrifying punishment of the Roman Empire and was viewed by Jews as a sign of God's curse (Deuteronomy 21:23). Both Romans and Jews mocked the faith in a crucified Savior, as evidenced by ancient graffiti satirizing Christian worship. Paul acknowledges this in 1 Corinthians 1:17-23, calling the message of the cross 'foolishness' to those who are perishing but 'the power of God' to those who are being saved.

The sermon explains three vital meanings of the cross. First, the cross reveals Christ's love and forgiveness of sin (Romans 5:7-8; John 3:16), moving and transforming even the most violent people such as the apostle Paul. Second, the cross transforms injustice, shame, and hatred into victory, forgiveness, and reconciliation, restoring the relationship between humanity and God and among people themselves (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Third, the cross conquers death, humanity's most fearful enemy, and brings the hope of eternal life in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

The sermon concludes with words from the Vietnamese hymn 'Ngôi Hai Xuống Đời' by composer Hùng Lân, inviting the congregation to meditate on the wondrous sacrifice of the Infinite One who took on fragile human form for sinners. The message calls every person to look upon the cross to receive God's love, to live in reconciliation, and to carry that hope to others.