Sunday, February 1, 2026
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany 4A)
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Sermon Audio
As we gather… There’s a lot of ways we might be tempted to spruce up the Christian message. Emphasize that God loves you, and minimize the parts about what God wants from you. Highlight the promises of health, wealth, and prosperity, and put the tough parts of following Jesus in the fine print. We can grow the church this way, right? Paul tells us that that is not how it’s supposed to be. He decided to know nothing among the people of Corinth other than Christ and Him crucified. Christ crucified isn’t slick. He isn’t beautiful. In fact, Isaiah tells us that Christ crucified had no beauty that we should desire him (Isaiah 53). Nonetheless, this jagged word of the cross is what needs to strike our hearts that the Holy Spirit can kindle faith in our hearts and give us eternal life. This message of God suffering, dying, and rising for us is the heart of the Christian message, mess and all. But as our lives are messy, we can fit into this story and in this story find hope for our stories.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have you ever sat back and thought about how foolish the Christian faith is without the eyes of faith? It is downright laughable according to the wisdom of man. “So, you are telling me that a man 2000 years ago was conceived by a spirit, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on a cross, descended to hell, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, sits at God’s right hand, and He still comes to you today in His written and spoken Word, water, bread and wine?!” You nailed it! Unbelievers look at us like we’re crazy. “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Unless God has called you to faith in Him, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross seems to be utter foolishness. The sinful heart always wants its own wisdom to stand over the wisdom of God. When presented with the cross of Christ there are only two options: look on it as foolish and perish or be saved by the power of God that hangs upon the cross. The cross shows that all men are sinners and that Christ is their sole savior in ways that human reason can’t comprehend. “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
What makes Christ crucified such a stumbling block for the Jews? It completely scandalizes them! They had been waiting for the Christ to come, but they expected Him to come in the way they wanted. They wanted a savior, but one from their earthly problems. They wanted Him to be born from their elite system of laws. They had built up for themselves an ornate system to protect themselves from what they thought sinning was according to God’s law. They didn’t think they needed Jesus to save them from their sin, because they had convinced themselves they weren’t sinners. They just wanted to be freed from their Roman overlords. How dare God point out their sin! “But we have kept the law!” they proclaim. but, but, but… They had made their own rules to be their god and looked down on all of the “sinners” out there. The cross scandalizes them because they can’t see that they are in need of a savior from sin. Christ as the fulfillment of the Law scandalizes anyone who thinks they have already fulfilled the Law themselves.
Are we not capable of the same trap? We are certain that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, descended into hell, and on the third day rose from the dead for our sins. Thanks be to God that He has called us into such faith and led us to trust in Him above all things! But do we ever fall into the trap of becoming secure in our sins as the Jews were? Have we ever thought, “I may have slept with someone before marriage, but at least I’m not struggling with homosexuality like those sinners.” but,but, but… It is easy for us to overlook and justify our own sin and compare ourselves to others. Don’t be scandalized by the cross. Instead fall to your knees at the foot of it, acknowledge your sin, and plead for mercy to our Savior who gave His sinless life for all sinners. God will not forsake the repentant who cling to Christ.
What makes Christ crucified folly to the Gentiles? As we discussed before, the wisdom of man can’t understand how one man can die for all men. It seems moronic even! Even if it could be true, how could one know with such certainty? Corinth was a place where people from all walks of life would gather. These Gentiles were known for their philosophy and debauchery. They would spend their days discussing the latest wisdoms that man had to offer and their evenings pursuing their lusts. They could have said something like, “This Jesus fellow might be who you say He is, but He could just be another son of Jupiter. Who can know?” but, but, but… The wisdom of the age always seeks to put itself above God. Christ crucified shows God loving His creation so much that He humbles Himself by taking man into Himself to do what man can’t do: Live a perfect life, die a sacrificial death, and rise so all can live eternally. Only the death of God who takes human flesh into Himself can accomplish this. What sinful man views as foolishness, the death of God in the flesh, is truly the wisdom of God for the salvation of man.
Does the same issue not still plague us? With the plethora of religions out there, it is easy for the forked tongue of the devil to whisper in our ears, how can you be certain? If God is so loving, how can He let so many people perish in unbelief? We then begin to doubt. We think of our dear friend or family member who has either fallen from the faith or never knew Christ crucified to begin with. “I know that Jesus lived and died for the sins of the world, but would He really let my loved one perish?” but, but, but… We try to place our own wisdom over God and try to imagine a way into heaven that doesn’t involve a crucified Christ for the sake of our friend who doesn’t believe in Him. This is one of the hardest things in the world. We want to know what God has not given us to know. This is where we have to forget about all of our “but, but, buts” and look to the “but” that God gives us today, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Here we see what puts to foolishness the wisdom of man. We are placed back into the calling in which we were called in our baptism. When all of our doubts want us to fall into disbelief we rely on what God has promised. Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. God loves the world and gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. This is not our doing. We know that God calls people to believe in Him through the waters of Holy Baptism and through His written and spoken Word. God is the one who is faithful, and in His wisdom He will bring all of His called people to Him. “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” God has placed His wisdom in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. He will keep you in Him as you go through this world. He will strengthen you in the hearing of His Word and in His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Through these gifts He will give you the strength to stand and realize that the wisdom of the world is but foolishness compared to the wisdom of God.
You have been united to the wisdom of God through Christ Jesus. God has placed you here, in this place, and secured you in His calling. Through what the world sees as the ultimate weakness, being placed on a cross, God brought forth His glory and strength for the world to see. He now sends you out in your weakness to be witness to His strength. He has humbled you to know your sin and fall before the cross so you don’t stumble over it. In this humility you know that you are no better than any other sinner out there. This realization will help you share the love of God through Christ Jesus to the struggling sinner God has placed in your life. He has given you His wisdom so that you know that any man-made wisdom is but folly. When your loved ones stray, you cling to your calling and live a life of one who has been made righteous for Christ’s sake. You let your words and deeds witness to Christ crucified and trust that He gives growth and His words will not return void. Pray without ceasing for the promises that God has given to all who have been baptized into Him. Pray that He will return the lost and keep the wavering in His mercy. We hold to the promises and wisdom of God and trust that He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The cross of Christ reveals the extent of his grace, mercy, and love for His beloved creation. Thank the LORD that what the world sees as a stumbling block and folly you have been called to see as the power and wisdom of God.
Jesus Christ is your source of life – your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This is the faith that the world can’t understand but you have been called into. This is the faith that God will keep you in until He returns. You, who believe and are baptized, have been redeemed in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your righteousness. He will continue to sanctify you and keep you in His wisdom into life everlasting. The Word of the cross is the power of God by which you are being saved. Thanks be to God!
The peace of God which passes all understanding guard and keep you in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.