Good Friday, the Cross, and Foolishness

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness..."

This famous line from A Tale of Two Cities says a great deal about the significance of the Cross, which is the focus of Good Friday on the Christian calendar. In countless ways, the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross was both the best of times and the worst of times. It is a paradox that has been the source of endless wonder for those who believe, while being considered foolishness by those who don't. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul declares that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those being saved, it is the very power of God (v18). What was true in Paul's day is true in our day as well. In so many ways, the Cross represents a vivid collision of opposites that is intolerable to the wisdom of the world, while being so very true for those imperfectly aligning themselves with the wisdom of God. Among the mysteries of the Cross:

1) The Cross is a place of both conflict and concord. It is at the Cross that radical love and radical hate meet; where life and death intersect; where Light and Darkness converge. It is mindblowing to consider that crucifixion, a method of execution whose brutality was unrivaled, was the method used by God to reconcile the world to himself. Conflict and concord, together. It is through the Cross and all the conflict it encapsulated that the Son of God perfected his work as the Son of Man in order that the sons of men might become sons of God. This is utter foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those of us who believe, it not only makes perfect sense, it is a constant source of healing for our own broken souls.

2) The Cross is a place of both choice and no choice. The Cross, as much as anything else, forces all of humanity to make a choice about this Jesus who was crucified. Is he who he says he is, or is he something less? It is the Cross that confronts everyone with this question and forces everyone to make a choice about Jesus and its implications in their own lives. This choice is not just A choice, it is THE choice upon which all other choices are judged. But at the same time, the Cross is also about no choice. In Gethsemane, the God-man Jesus submits to the Father's will to voluntarily be executed for the sake of the world. It is the Cross which provides meaning to the Incarnation. Jesus had to be fully God in order to be the sinless sacrifice that would be acceptable. But Jesus also had to be fully man in order to authentically represent humanity in his sacrifice. Choice and no choice, together. It is at the Cross that we simultaneously see a brutal murder, and a willing sacrifice. This is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those of us who believe, it provides purpose and wisdom for living.

3) The Cross is a place of both humiliation and exaltation. By relinquishing his rights and being submissive unto death, Christ allowed his humiliation to take place. But as Paul says in 1 Cor. 1, the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. The only human throne that Christ ever occupied was the Cross. The only human crown Christ ever wore was the crown of thorns. It is at the Cross that God took the mocking humiliation of men and made it an avenue of exaltation, whereby Christ is granted kingly authority over all heaven and earth (Mt. 28.18, in fulfillment of Ps. 2.8). This is utter foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those of us who believe, it resonates with the mockings and sufferings we endure as his followers, and puts all of life's circumstances into a meaningful and hopeful context.

We live in a culture today that closes its eyes to pain and suffering, turns its back as best it can on the brokenness of the world, and tries to insulate itself and hide from having to face the ugliness that often accompanies mortality. The wisdom of the world considers the Cross of Christ to be a revulsion much of the time, and it's not hard to see why. But on Good Friday, the world would be wise to consider that the wisdom of men will not prevent suffering. Everybody will endure suffering, regardless of how many physical and mental inventions we concoct to try and avoid it. It is the Cross of Christ that provides meaning, purpose, and even fulfillment to the sufferings we will endure anyway. It is the love of Christ, as supremely demonstrated through his sacrifice on the Cross, that holds all things together (Col. 1.17). It is the love of Christ that reconciles all things to himself as a result of making peace through his blood (Col. 1.20). This is where true hope lies. It is where the foolishness of men and the wisdom of God meet, and where a decision has to be made about Christ.