The Power of God

The power of God is revealed in the proclamation of a Messiah, one who was crucified by the World Empire on a Roman Cross. Chairman Mao Zedong famously declared: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” This describes the modus operandi of the State and its raison d'etat since the dawn of civilization. Men and women may be motivated in one of two ways: Persuasion or Force. Invariably, the Political Machine chooses the latter.

History eloquently testifies to the failure of the State to rid the world of war, hunger, poverty, and suffering in general. Utopian societies exist only in our dreams and in the promises of our would-be overlords. This is true whether the form of government is monarchist, fascist, socialist, or democratic.

[Cross - Photo by Soul devOcean (Florida) on Unsplash]

The use of state power to dominate men and nations stands in sharp contrast to “the Power and Wisdom” of God manifested in the life and death of Jesus. Through him, God has defeated evil and redeemed men and women in unexpected ways that defy the beliefs and ideologies of the existing world order.

Jesus performed miracles, exorcised demons, and taught with great authority, often attracting large crowds. Yet, his contemporaries failed to recognize his messianic identity despite his many deeds. None of the Jewish religious leaders, high priests, or Roman authorities acknowledged the Nazarene as King, Lord, or Messiah.

Only the Roman centurion at Golgotha identified Jesus as the Son of God as he breathed his last. This man was likely the officer in charge of the execution:

• “And Jesus uttered a loud voice and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, who stood by over against him, saw that he gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God” - (Mark 15:37-39).

In light of what God has done for us through Christ’s Death and Resurrection, the Apostle Paul declared to the Church of Corinth:

• “We preach Christ Crucified, to Jews, something scandalous, and to Gentiles, foolishness. But to those that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God” - (1 Corinthians 1:21-24).

Contrary to political activists and world leaders, ultimate power does not come “through the barrel of a gun” and coercive force, but from the preaching of the Crucified Messiah. Not because that makes sense to the world, but because it is the way chosen by the God who created all things to display His power and vindicate His wisdom.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus healed the sick and exorcised demons, impressing his contemporaries. Yet they failed to comprehend who he was, and ironically, only the demons that were exorcised by Christ recognized his identity and status.

On the verge of understanding his identity, Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah. However, his momentary insight vanished when Christ explained what this meant:

• “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the nations. And they will mock him and spit upon him and scourge him and kill him, and after three days, he will rise again” – (Mark 10:33-34).

Only in his self-sacrificial death is the Messiah of Israel revealed and understood. He is the ‘Suffering Servant of Yahweh’ described in the Book of Isaiah, the man who was sent to sacrifice his life for others – (Isaiah 53:1-12).

Nevertheless, the religious leaders of Israel mocked him and conspired to kill him, even using political intrigue to manipulate the Roman governor to become an accomplice in their crime. The Nazarene was not the kind of messiah they could or would tolerate.

TRUE GREATNESS

Jesus declared that when he was “lifted up, then you will know I am the one.” Not his supernatural powers or political might, but his death by crucifixion was the foundation of his sovereignty. “If I am lifted up from the Earth, I will draw all men to me.”

However, despite being the Messiah of Israel, Jesus died alone, rejected by the Jewish nation, abandoned by his closest disciples, and crushed by the might of Rome.

Contrary to the ways of this world, Jesus instructed his disciples to take up his Cross and follow in his footsteps. Greatness in his Kingdom is measured by self-sacrificial service, not grandeur or power over others:

• “And Jesus called the disciples, and said to them, You know that they who presume to rule over the nations dominate them; and their great ones tyrannize them. But it is not to be so among you, but whoever would become great among you will be your servant. And whoever would be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” - (Matthew 10:42-45).

• “Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works” - (Titus 2:13-14).

After his resurrection, Jesus was exalted, but his exaltation came at great personal cost. As Paul explained to the Church of Philippi:

• (Philippians 2:5-9) – “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, counted not the being like God a thing to be seized, but instead, he poured himself out, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, indeed, the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God highly exalted him and gave unto him the name above every name.”

We want power, wealth, and popularity, but only by finding a way to circumvent the Cross. The idea that God achieved victory over Sin, Death, and Satan through the unjust death of a politically powerless man contradicts our collective human wisdom and experience. Nevertheless, Paul calls this message “the Power and Wisdom of God.”

It is impossible to comprehend Jesus apart from his self-sacrificial death. No man or woman can be his disciple without emulating his example by living a cruciform life of service. True power is found only in the Cross of Christ.

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SEE ALSO:

• Expediency over Holiness - (Why do church leaders excuse lying, adultery, extortion, and other serious sins when committed by their political allies?)

• The Servant's Path - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power for his Messianic mission if only he would accept the Devil as his overlord)

• The True Emperor - (Messianic promises from the Psalms are applied to the present reign of Jesus, who possesses all authority in Heaven and on Earth)

• Le Vrai Pouvoir - (La puissance de Dieu est révélée dans la proclamation d'un Messie crucifié par le monde sur la Croix romaine)