The Meaning of the Cross

This sermon was delivered on Maundy Thursday evening, April 5, 2011, based on John 19:17. The pastor begins by recounting the final hours of Jesus' life — from the Last Supper, Gethsemane, six trials, to His crucifixion between two criminals and His death at 3 p.m. on Friday. The sermon also presents the historical context of crucifixion as Rome's most brutal execution method, described by Seneca, Josephus, and Cicero as the most horrific of deaths, in order to highlight how Jesus completely transformed the meaning of this symbol.

The first meaning of the cross is forgiveness. When Jesus hung on the cross, He bore all the sins of humanity — past, present, and future. The sermon uses the analogy of an immigrant with a criminal record needing a government official to vouch for them, illustrating how Christ intercedes for sinners before God. Yet forgiveness is not automatic — the conditions are: acknowledging oneself as a sinner unable to save oneself by good works, genuinely repenting, and receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. The contrasting lives of Judas Iscariot and Peter illustrate that the only difference between the two was that one accepted the grace of forgiveness while the other did not.

The second meaning is love. The cross makes God's infinite love for humanity concrete rather than abstract. Christ did not die only for those who loved Him, but also for those who betrayed, mocked, and tortured Him. The sermon uses the story of U.S. soldier Dennis Weichel, who sacrificed his life to save an unknown Afghan girl, then contrasts that with the even greater love of Christ as expressed in Romans 5:7-8 and 1 John 4:16,19. God's love through the cross is faithful, steadfast, and unchanging — unlike human love that shifts like the wind.

The third meaning is hope. The sermon acknowledges that the question of human suffering is one that philosophy and religion have struggled to answer for millennia. But the cross provides an answer: God transformed the most tragic circumstance — death on a wooden cross — into redemption and glorious resurrection. Therefore, believers have solid grounds for hope that God will also transform their present hardships into a meaningful future filled with His blessing.

The sermon concludes with the image of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus, representing the two choices every person must face. One mocked Christ; the other repented and pleaded: 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' Jesus responded with the promise of paradise. The sermon closes with 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, reminding the congregation that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God.