Jesus Christ, the only Son of God […]
was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
Nicene Creed
Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord […]
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried
Apostles’ Creed
When I served as the pastor of a Chinese church, I got to know many international students who had little knowledge of the Bible or Christianity. Some knew that the cross was a symbol of Christianity but had no idea why. It was one of my life’s greatest privileges to explain it to them.
When we get past glittering pendants worn on necklaces to the gritty reality of history, a cross is an odd choice of symbol. Crucifixion ranks alongside landmines, atomic bombs, and gas chambers on the list of mankind’s most horrific inventions. It was designed to maximise brutality and degradation, combining intense, prolonged physical pain with exposure to shameful humiliation.
It was, quite literally, excruciating. (i)
Yet from the beginning Christians preached Christ crucified, not as a cause for shame but something in which to boast. They knew that the cross was the climax of God’s great subversion, the divine turning of the tables. In the events surrounding his crucifixion, human beings did their worst to Jesus.
Denial and betrayal.
False accusations and unjust beatings.
Mockery and abuse.
Stripping and shaming.
Pierced brow, hands, and feet.
Lifted up and struggling for breath.
Yet in this very same moment, God in Christ was accomplishing his decisive victory over sin, the devil, and death. As Christ bore our sins and God’s just wrath against us, God was demonstrating fully both his love and his justice (Rom 3.26; 5.8). Through our supreme act of defiant rebellion against him, God acted to reconcile us to himself.
The cross of Christ achieved our salvation. But it should also shape our service.
I suspect most would agree that we should preach the cross. But do we live and serve in the way of the cross?
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
The Lord Jesus taught that the measure of a good shepherd is to lay down one’s life for the sheep just as he himself would do (John 10.11). This path is not unique to leaders. Jesus’ call to all his disciples is to take up their own crosses and follow him (Matt 16.24-26). The principle of death to self and new life in Christ is central to the meaning of baptism (Rom 6.4). The mindset of Christ Jesus—stooping to empty himself and serve as a humble servant—should also characterise every believer. It should drive all our behaviour, especially as we relate to one another (Phil 2.5-8).
We are disciples and believers first.
We are leaders and ministers secondarily.
There are, however, particular challenges for leaders as they seek to live a cruciform life. One of them is the difficulty of leading in a fallen world, in which leadership is sometimes seen as an opportunity to ‘lord it over others’. This danger was identified by Jesus, and he addresses it in conversation with his disciples. The following passage contains one of the great descriptions of servant leadership.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matt 20.25-28
Perhaps one of the most dangerous temptations lies in the expectations of others. If we do not consciously resist this temptation, which deceives us into pursuing our own self-interest, we will end up in trouble.
Instead, we must intentionally follow the way of the cross.
It does not happen by default.
Notice how the apostle Paul keeps the cross right at the centre of his final comments to the Galatians.
Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
Gal 6.12-15
In this passage, Paul identifies two important implications of the cross for authentic Christian ministry.
CONFRONTING SELF-INTEREST
Firstly, the cross confronts our tendency to promote our own self-interest.
Paul writes that the false teachers who were trying to persuade the Galatian believers to be circumcised were motivated by a desire ‘to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ’ (Gal 6.12). I’m not sure they would have agreed. No doubt they would have argued that their teaching was based on the authority of the Old Testament, or that it promoted godliness. However, Paul knew what was really going on. They had counted the cost of the cross and they did not want to pay it. Their call to circumcision might have sounded painful and costly, but compared to the cross it was child’s play.
What about us? How tempting is the easy path of self-interest, that avoids the way of selfless sacrifice? I’m not referring to the false humility of the driven, workaholic control freak claiming to be a tireless servant of God. Instead, we need to ask ourselves whether we’re truly motivated by our love for the flock, and whether we are actually modelling a life of steady faithfulness.
Cross-shaped ministry is not self-interested but self-giving for the sake of others.
CONFRONTING SELF-AGGRANDISEMENT
Secondly, the cross challenges our tendency towards self-aggrandisement.
The false teachers wanted to boast about people getting circumcised, but Paul writes, ‘May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal 6.14).
This statement is a two-edged sword.
Its doctrinal edge cuts through the false claim that circumcision is necessary for salvation; instead, it points to the cross of Christ as the sole means of salvation.
Its personal edge slices away any pretensions we may have about our own importance. Our achievements and status are of no value compared with the wonder of the cross.
What about you? Have you ever been tempted to boast about your achievements? Have you ever allowed people to get the impression that you’re deserving of credit for your good deeds? Or after you’ve delivered a rather good sermon, has your pride ever shunted aside your humility?
In truth, we should take every opportunity to remind our people that all we do and all we are is a response to the unmerited favour of our God. It’s all because of the grace we’ve received through Christ, who died for us when we were still sinners. When people look at our ministry’s publicity materials and our social media feeds, do they see Christ or do they just see us?
Cross-shaped ministry is not self-aggrandising but self-effacing for the glory of Christ.
Christian leaders, ‘We believe Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, and buried.’ This confession should shape our preaching, but it should also move us to service that is self-sacrificial and self-effacing.
In Christ crucified we have a Saviour who perfectly embodied these qualities. That’s why he’s worthy of our worship.
So, make this your confession today, ‘I believe in the crucifixion’.
(i) The word ‘excruciating’ means ‘of the cross’, indicating that crucifixion is the very definition of extreme pain.