Emphasis Preaching Journal
The death of Christ on...
Illustration
The death of Christ on a cross can become either a stumbling block or a bridge in one's faith. For biblical literalists in Jesus' day, his death on a cross was a certain sign that he was not the Messiah. After all, Deuteronomy 21:23 clearly states that anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. For pagans, Jesus' death on a cross was a certain sign that he was a nobody. As Arnobius (c. 300 C.E.) wrote, "We are not angry with you [Christians] because you worship the omnipotent God, but because you pay daily homage to a man ...