The Cross of the Gospel | Resources
Sermon Text: Colossians 1:21–23
“Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.” (CSB)
Devotional
Billy Graham once said, “The cross is offensive because it confronts people. Even so, it is a confrontation we all must face.”
That sentence stuck with me for years because it shows just how hopeless we are without Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ is offensive because regardless of who you are and your background, it is the opposite of who you are. That is offensive! The cross jumps into our lives and says everything we do, say, and have worked to become is wrong and upheaves our roots. We were hopeless because we never would have considered Christ without Christ’s intervention. We didn’t ask for it or want it until God chose to make us like Him (Rom. 5:8).
The cross is offensive because it doesn’t help you along your path. It places you on a path you didn’t know about or want (Eph. 5:8). It doesn’t adapt to your life; it overtakes your life and plans (Rom. 6:17-18). It doesn’t merge with your self-made identity; it destroys who you think you are and replaces your identity with Jesus Christ Himself (2 Cor. 5:17).
Here’s why this is a good thing: It doesn’t make you better; it presents you as perfect before God (Col. 1:28; 1 John 2:1-2). This is how God has reconciled us to Himself, providing a way for us to be with Him. Anyone who receives Jesus will be with God, their creator, forever (John 3:16). We all must be confronted with the truth of the Cross of Christ (Heb. 9:27-28). He is the only way to God (John 14:6), but His exclusivity is universally available regardless of who you are and your background. Have you received Him? If yes, praise God and no one else! If not, what’s stopping you?
Discussion Questions
1. How does Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross change our identity? How did it change your identity?
2. Share your testimony. When were you reconciled to God and presented “holy, faultless, and blameless before him”?
3. In what areas of your life are you failing to put Jesus first?
4. What does this text teach us about the gospel?
5. In light of this text, what does it look like to obey the prompting of the Spirit this week?
Memory Verse
“Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him.” Colossians 1:21–22