The Paradox of the Cross

This Good Friday sermon, delivered on Thursday, April 14, 2022, is based on Matthew 27:27-50. The pastor opens with the historical background of Jesus Christ's life and ministry: from a carpenter in the village of Nazareth to one who preached the Kingdom of God with unprecedented authority, performed miracles of healing, and raised the dead. Because crowds followed Him everywhere, the Jewish religious leaders grew jealous and conspired to have Him killed, ultimately pressuring Governor Pilate to authorize crucifixion.

The first paradox is that the one mocked as king is truly the King. Roman soldiers dressed Jesus in a scarlet robe, pressed a crown of thorns on His head, placed a reed in His hand, and knelt in mocking worship: "Hail, King of the Jews!" The inscription nailed above the cross confirmed this title in three languages. The pastor emphasizes that Jesus's kingdom is entirely unlike earthly kingdoms: rather than ruling by force and coercion, He reigns through love and servanthood, as expressed in Matthew 20:25-28. The early church's paradoxical confession is quoted: "Jesus Christ reigns from the cross."

The second paradox is that the one utterly powerless on the cross is the Almighty. The pastor explains in detail the agony and humiliation of crucifixion: death came through suffocation under the body's own weight, preceded by savage flogging that tore the flesh, and the condemned was hung completely naked before a mocking crowd. Jesus was so exhausted He could not carry His own cross to Golgotha, and He died before the two criminals crucified beside Him. Yet the very one mocked for claiming He would "destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days" rose from the dead, becoming the eternal temple, as confirmed in Revelation 21:22.

The third paradox is that the one who could not save himself is the Savior of all. The pastor explains that the name Jesus means "Yahweh saves," citing Matthew 1:21, and uses the true story from Simon Wiesenthal's book The Sunflower to illustrate the nature of forgiveness. The central theological point is that every sin committed against a fellow human being is also a sin against God, and therefore God's forgiveness is the most essential thing any person needs. Jesus did not save Himself precisely so that sinners like you and me could be saved.

The sermon closes with the illustration of the men aboard the Titanic who sacrificed their places in lifeboats for women and children, highlighting the greatest paradox of the cross: the innocent, all-powerful King of kings, who could have saved Himself at any moment, willingly accepted every suffering, shame, and death on the cross out of love for undeserving sinners. This is the heart of the Gospel: God loves sinners even when sinners reject Him.