The cross and the Christ who hung on it reveal the wisdom of God.
When we look at the cross, we see the cruelty of mankind and the love of God. We see the betrayal of man and the faithfulness of God. We see that what appeared to be defeat was actually victory, what appeared to be foolishness was just the wisdom of God unfolding before the world.
1 Corinthians 1:24 tells us that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This is one of the greatest paradoxes of the gospel: the thing that seemed foolish to men was the very means through which God accomplished what human wisdom could never accomplish.
A common question I hear is, if God is all-powerful, why did He not simply wipe sin away and give humanity a fresh start?
The story of Noah helps us understand why this would not have solved the real problem. God judged the wickedness of the world through the flood, yet it was not long before the same problem appeared again. After the flood, God Himself testified that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). The problem was not merely the world around man. The problem was within man. It was the fallen nature. Humanity did not just need a new environment. We needed redemption.
And God had already revealed His plan. From the very beginning, after the fall, God gave the promise of a Redeemer (Gen. 3:15). The cross was not an afterthought or God’s response to a failed attempt at restoring humanity. It was part of His eternal purpose to redeem us through Christ (Eph. 1:4–10).
Scripture also tells us that the life of the flesh is in the blood and that God gave blood upon the altar to make atonement for souls (Lev. 17:11). And in Hebrews 9:22, we are told that “without shedding of blood there is no remission”. The sacrificial system was pointing toward the greater sacrifice that would be fulfilled in Christ.
And this is where the wisdom of God begins to look foolish to men.
Why would the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, come in the humble form of a man? Why would He be born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth? Why would He choose a carpenter’s household and associate Himself with the lowly, the sick, the rejected and the outcast? The Jews expected a Messiah, or a king who would overthrow Roman rule. The Greeks considered the message of a crucified Saviour foolishness. But Paul tells us exactly what was happening:
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”
1 Corinthians 1:18
God chose what the world considered insignificant so that no human being could boast before Him. He chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise (1 Cor. 1:27). What good could possibly come from Nazareth? Yet from that seemingly insignificant place came the One through whom salvation would reach the nations.
This is the wisdom of God.
Through His humanity, He was able to reach the lowly, the sick, the segregated, and the rejected. How could He bear the burden of the sin of the whole world if He did not first take upon Himself human flesh? Because He took on flesh, we are sure that He understands us (Heb. 4:15)
The incarnation itself is an expression of divine wisdom. The One who could not be contained by the heavens humbled Himself and became man (Phil. 2:6–8). The Judge became the One who would bear our judgment. The One who was without sin became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).
Human wisdom would have considered the cross the ultimate evidence that Jesus had failed. His followers abandoned Him. His enemies mocked Him. His body was beaten, pierced, and nailed. Yet while men thought they were putting an end to Christ, God was accomplishing redemption.
Paul says that the rulers of this age did not understand the hidden wisdom of God, “for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:7–8). They thought they were defeating Him, unknowing to them that they were just playing parts in God’s grand plan.
From that fall in Genesis, we can see the Scripture moving steadily towards Christ and the cross. Every book, every prophecy, every foreshadowing and every promise was preparing the way for what God had ordained. Everything was all part of the plan that God was revealing even from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15; Lk. 24:27, 44–47).
This is the wisdom of God.
Human wisdom tells us that we must work our way into God’s approval. We must earn our acceptance. We must prove ourselves worthy. But God’s wisdom is displayed through Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice and finished work, we receive salvation by grace through faith—not because of works, so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8–9). We do not climb our way up to God. God came down to us. We did not save ourselves, Christ did it all.
And this is one of the greatest demonstrations of God’s wisdom: He accomplished what humanity could never accomplish for itself, while leaving no room for human boasting. Salvation is entirely God’s work, accomplished through Christ.
Therefore, the cross is the demonstration of both God’s love and His wisdom.
Colossians 2:2–3 tells us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. He Himself is the embodiment of it. So, Christ does not merely demonstrate or represent the wisdom of God; He is the wisdom of God.
When the early disciples followed Jesus, it was not just about associating with someone who could give them wise counsel. They were fellowshipping with the One in whom the fullness of divine wisdom is found.
Divine wisdom begins with knowing Christ. Until we come to know Him, we have not truly begun to walk in the wisdom that comes from God. We may be able to pick up one or two principles from Scripture and apply them to make wise decisions, but there is a deeper wisdom that comes from knowing and walking with Christ.
And the most sobering thing about lacking wisdom is that, until we begin to walk in it, we may not even realise how unwise we have been.
But the good news is that for as many as believe, Christ has been made wisdom for us (1 Cor. 1:30). He reveals to us unsearchable truths, guides our steps, teaches us God’s ways, and leads us back to God.
The limitless, pure, peaceable wisdom that comes from above is found in Jesus Christ. He is the wisdom of God. And to receive this wisdom, we must first be found in Him.
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