Skandalon It’s a Greek word, but you might recognize in it another word, an English word: “scandal.” That’s right, the English words scandal and scandalous come from the Greek word, skandalon.
“So what?” you might ask. “What’s with the English vocabulary lesson?”
Well, I’m glad you asked. Let me tell you. Skandalon (which refers to something that causes offense and thus arouses opposition) is the word at least one inspired Bible author uses to describe the very message he is writing about.
As the apostle Paul prepares to share his good news with the Christians in a Greek city called Corinth, he refers to his message about Jesus Christ as skandalon! Right up front Paul declares that the story of God’s work in saving from His own just and righteous wrath the world He created, skandalon, a cause of offense that arouses opposition.
And of course the good news about Jesus is scandalous. Consider the content: God created the world and everything in it, including human beings. He created them (humans) for a relationship with Him characterized by infinite, unconditional love. However, our first forebears deliberately rejected God, bringing guilt and death upon themselves and all their progeny forever. Not only that, but the offense of their sin was as infinite and eternal as the One they sinned against. So they, as finite beings subject to death, could never adequately pay for what they did. They couldn’t live long enough or be good enough to ever fix what they broke.
And that’s not all! God, knowing that only a human being of infinite love and eternal purity could atone for sin, became a man! Who ever heard of such a thing? Scandalous!
And not only did God become a man and live a perfect life of total love and faithfulness to the demands of righteousness, but He died, He DIED on a cross as a substitute for every man, woman, and child that had ever been, ever was, or ever would be. God took on Himself the sin of the WHOLE world.
Scandalous! Unheard of! What God in all of heaven would condescend to such a task?
And then, three days after He was crucified, three days after being laid to rest in the cold, darkness of a tomb, the God-man, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead!
“Honestly,” someone might say. “Who could believe such a story?” Welcome to the skandalon of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Consider yourself scandalized.
But think of this. Suppose someone said, “I can’t believe in God or in this story without some proof, some miracle that supports God’s existence and His love.”
Well, the very scandal is the proof. God took on human flesh as the man Jesus Christ, lived a fully human life, suffered and died a completely human death for the eternal benefit of those who were subject to punishment for their sin. The act of becoming, and living, and dying, which is the content of the scandal for many, is the single greatest proof of the power of God’s love. God’s love is clearly seen in the sacrifice of Himself for those He loves.
On the other hand, a person might respond, “It doesn’t make sense to me. It seems unreasonable.”
But again, let me offer this: How else can God solve the dilemma between justice and mercy caused by human sin? We cannot save ourselves, and God cannot deny Himself. He must be all that He is at all times. He must be eternally just and infinite love or He is not, by definition, God. So, how does He punish sin and extend mercy? There’s only one reasonable way for God to resolve this tension: become a man Himself, live the life men were created to live and then offer Himself to death, the innocent for the guilty.
By faith we acknowledge the scandal of the cross. By faith we embrace the reality of the resurrection. By faith we accept the mercy and love of God. By faith we cling to Christ and own the scandal that God loves us so much that He gave Himself to death on a cross in order to save us for Himself. It is miraculous. It is reasonable. It is true. It is very, very good news.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. Pastor Dale McIntire has served as pastor of the Cornerstone Community Church in Grand Marais since April of 1995.
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