Wisdom Incarnate: Lesson 2
Overview
The Cornerstone of God's Wisdom: Christ Crucified
The wisdom of God is, by the world's measure, upside down. Paul tells the Corinthians, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:1-2. This is the starting point for every believer—the simple, sturdy confession that Jesus loves us and died for our sins. A preschooler can say it. A 99-year-old saint can rest his life on it. A biochemist with decades of learning can speak it with the same childlike trust as anyone else. That confession is not infantile in the dismissive sense; it is the cornerstone on which all genuine wisdom is built.
Yet Paul also writes, "Among the mature we do impart wisdom" 1 Corinthians 2:6-8. As we grow in faith, God opens his Word more deeply. We can read "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" John 1:1-3 and recognize Christ as the eternal Word through whom all things were made. We can ponder how Jesus, sharing our flesh and blood, destroyed death by his own death, freeing those held in lifelong slavery to the fear of it Hebrews 2:14-15. The deeper we go, the more we find ourselves circling back to that same cornerstone: Christ crucified for us.
This shapes how we share our faith. With those new to the gospel, we don't lead with lofty theology but with the plain, powerful word that Jesus died and rose for them. With fellow believers maturing in the faith, we can press into the deeper mysteries together—knowing we will never outgrow the cross, only grow further into it. And when life raises questions we can't answer, we can say with Job, "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" Job 42:2-3. We are not the creator; we are not required to have every answer. We are invited to trust the One who does.
So when your wisdom feels small, or when someone asks a question you cannot resolve, return to what is unshakable: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Invite the neighbor without a church home to hear that word proclaimed—Christmas Eve is a wonderful occasion, where the gospel is preached in a way accessible to the youngest believer and rich enough for the most seasoned. God plants the seed; the Holy Spirit gives the growth. Our calling is simply to speak the wise word he has already given us.
Transcript
Okay, let's open in prayer. 3s
Heavenly Lord, we thank You for Your grace. 6s
We thank You for Your mercy and we thank You that You give us every opportunity to share 8s
Your good news with those around us. 15s
Lord, keep our eyes and our ears open to those opportunities and use our mouths to proclaim 17s
Your Word to everyone that has ears to hear. 24s
Lord, we ask that You would use this time of study together to enrich our faith lives, 28s
to spurn us on, to be able to share Your Word with others that we would continue to plant 35s
seeds everywhere we go and that our own faith lives would be growing instead fast devotion 45s
and love towards You and towards others. 52s
Lord, we lift this to You in the name of Jesus Christ. 54s
Amen. 58s
Okay, so as I said, yesterday I was at my grandfather's service and this is the grandfather that I shared 59s
that story that he was 99 when he came to face 99 and a half when he died and so it really 67s
is a joyous thing. 74s
But as I was talking, you know, I realized and I think I shared with you his confession of 77s
faith that he said, I know Jesus loves me and Jesus loves everybody whether they're 87s
rich or poor, fat or skinny and my little sister assured him that that is correct. 92s
And it's amazing. 97s
He was a biochemist. 100s
He started the pathology lab at Creighton University. 103s
He knew complex things that I can't even begin to try to figure out how to even explain it. 106s
I think Tony, you might be able to. 116s
But just really, really wise according to the wisdom of the world and yet his confession 121s
So I was thinking, okay, we have this series of wisdom incarnate and what is the wisdom of 136s
God? 145s
And we talked last time about how it really is counterintuitive to the world's wisdom. 145s
If you would, please open up to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 150s
1 Corinthians chapter 2. 157s
We're Paul just beginning in the first verse. 164s
Paul says, when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery 168s
of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 174s
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 177s
And you think about our place. 184s
Remember, we're asking ourselves throughout this series. 188s
What does this wisdom in Christ or wisdom of God mean for us? 192s
And how does it affect who we are as the church today? 197s
So when we meet people, because as we know, we are always missionaries, when we meet people, 202s
sometimes it is appropriate to dive deep into theology because they may be familiar with 210s
it already. 219s
But there are times where we meet people that have no clue, no clue at all. 220s
And with that, it would be foolish to go to them with lofty wisdom as Paul writes. 228s
But that's when we are called to come with the true pure gospel of Christ and Christ crucified. 238s
Let's keep going down to chapter 6, not chapter 6, verse 6. 246s
Yet among them mature, we do speak wisdom. 256s
Though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to perish. 259s
But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 265s
None of the rulers of this age understood it. 274s
For if they had, they would have not, would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 277s
So again, here, Paul, we see that there are appropriate times to speak with depth of wisdom, with mature wisdom. 283s
But he speaks to those who are mature in faith in that higher or deeper aspect. 292s
And so it, but it's a higher, deeper aspect of the gospel claim of Christ crucified. 300s
When we have that and we grasp that, we can go deeper. 311s
And God continues to reveal his wisdom as we continue to grow in faith in Jesus Christ. 316s
Because Jesus Christ is the revelation of God. 324s
We know God through knowing Jesus Christ. 330s
I think about the little preschool kids that we have. 335s
And every single one of them can say, Jesus loves me. 338s
And they can all know that and they can claim it. 344s
They can hold onto it and they say it with assuredness. 347s
They would not be able to even begin to attempt to explain what it means to be simultaneously divine and man. 352s
They could not explain the two natures of Christ and how that works towards redemption and how that works for you and I. 363s
But they absolutely know the bare bones Christ died for our sins. 371s
And they know that Jesus loves them. 376s
So same sort of thing. 379s
As we grow in faith, as we grow in knowing God, knowing Jesus, we can go deeper and deeper into understanding Christ, into understanding the Trinity, into understanding God's Word for us. 382s
Pastor Eibel had a sermon a couple years ago on the milk and taking the milk like babies and how in Hebrews the writer was talking about, you come to a point of maturity and you continue to mature in the faith. 398s
None of us wants to stay or remain immature in faith because that means that we remain infantile. 418s
But we are invited into the wisdom of God into knowing him as he continues to open his Word to us. 427s
If we go over to Hebrews, so we're going to look Hebrews chapter two. 438s
And we're going to talk a little bit actually what you can go to Hebrews chapter two and bookmark it because we're going to go to John chapter one. 448s
Sorry, we will come back to Hebrews. 457s
I promise. 460s
John, oh, I'm going the wrong way. 464s
In the beginning, which says in the beginning, so in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 476s
He was in the beginning with God. 488s
All things came into being through him and without him, not one thing came into being. 490s
As one who is infantile in the faith, could you explain that? 498s
It takes a certain amount of maturity to hear this and to understand the Word is Jesus himself. 509s
And God created through his Word all and God brought into being through the Word. 522s
The Word was with him, but the Word wasn't separate from him. 532s
The Word was with him and was God. 537s
And so as we talk to people, it's hard to begin, although I would say I would never say don't begin with John because John is absolutely incredible. 541s
It's hard to begin with big ideas with big ideas of the wisdom of God. 555s
In Hebrews, now we'll go to Hebrews chapter 2. 565s
In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14, we read, is there, oh, Hebrews is after the letters of Paul. 573s
I'm sorry, my brain is just jet lag from Omaha. 583s
It's the same time zone. 590s
I have jet lag, y'all, my goodness, oh, my. 597s
So Hebrews, so this is after the after Paul's letters. 604s
So you're going to go past the gospel's past, ax past, all of Paul's letters. 608s
You're going to find yourself at Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14. 613s
Since therefore the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise, and he's speaking of Jesus, shared the same things so that through death, he might destroy the one who has the power of death that is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 618s
So again, this is the wisdom of God at work that he would through death, destroy the power of death that is absolutely counterintuitive to what we understand as the right order or what makes sense a sensical order. 637s
How do you destroy death with death? 658s
But as we come to know Christ, Christ crucified, we understand that it is alone by his death on the cross that we don't have to fear death. 662s
So we share that word of Christ crucified that is absolutely counterintuitive to the wisdom of this world, to the wisdom of this age, and we continue to press with that because it is that word alone that assures for us that our sins are forgiven. 675s
It is that word alone that when we hear that, when we receive that and through his Holy Spirit, God grows that seed that has been planted in our hearts, then we come to understand, okay, Jesus, Jesus died on the cross. This did something for me. 703s
What did it do for me? It forgave my sins. How does that work? 727s
As we begin in faith, it's okay to ask that question, how does that work? And to be able to say, I don't know yet. 734s
So if someone asks you, as you are sharing even the most basic of God's wisdom, that Jesus Christ was crucified for their sins upon the cross, and we are saved by his crucifixion, and they say, how does that work? 744s
You can say, I don't know, but I do know this. 765s
And you come back to Christ, and you come back to his purpose for being born, and you come back to his perfect life, and you come back to what the prophets had said about this man, and it's not all done in one conversation. 774s
Wouldn't it be amazing if in just one conversation we all had the full realization of the wisdom of God? 793s
Hasn't happened yet, Barbara is saying, hasn't happened. 799s
But this is the glorious word, and the word of grace for us from God's word, and why God's word is always active and always living and always new for us, never changing, but always new. 807s
Because we never grow to wise for it. 828s
We never grow wiser that passes or that we pass the word of God. 835s
As we grow in faith, building on that cornerstone of Christ, Christ crucified, as we grow in faith, God in His wisdom continues to open His word to us. 844s
Continues to open His word so that we can go to John chapter 1, and we can read that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. 860s
And it's no longer a huge question mark. 874s
But we know that that word is Christ, and we know that Christ is the word incarnate, and we know that Christ came for a purpose which is to die for our sins. 879s
And so as we work through the wisdom that God reveals to us, we come back to that cornerstone from which we started, which really is that cornerstone of the wisdom of God. 894s
That Christ is crucified for you. 908s
It's kind of interesting, as I'm talking, and it's really interesting that the immature in faith, the first thing that the Holy Spirit grants them to know, and this is true for all of us because we all have been or are immature in faith. 913s
We're all in a process of maturing and growing, but we all started with that first cornerstone that Christ is crucified, that He died for your sins, that you are forgiven, and it is all founded in Christ. 934s
And what happened as we dig deeper and deeper, and God reveals more and more of His word to us, and revealed depths of wisdom to us through His word? 950s
We come right back to that cornerstone, to that foundation. 962s
And so as we share the good news with those that are new in faith, we begin with Christ, Christ crucified because that is the pure wisdom of God. 968s
And as we grow, and we have deeper and deeper conversations with people, I know in the small groups, those conversations can go pretty deep. 980s
If you have not participated in a small group, I really encourage you to do so. It can be a really, really enriching time, not only that fellowship, which is just wonderful, but it's that depth of faith that you continue to grow into, and grow into with one another. 989s
But what happens in those conversations, as we grow and wisdom together, stop laughing at me. 1010s
As we grow in wisdom together, we're also growing in the wisdom that brings us right back to that base truth that Christ is crucified, because it's that promise, that wisdom of God that we continually cling to, continually can count on, and is unshakable. 1018s
I think I only have to ask if that makes sense, because I know it makes sense. 1045s
It's such a gift, such a gift that in God's wisdom, he gives us the one word that can be as simplistic for the preschoolers to understand, or as deep for the deepest theologians to understand. 1050s
And everywhere in between, I am so excited whenever I get to, now I'm tangenting, and I'm sorry, but we're just going to go there. 1068s
I am so excited every time I get to have that opportunity to chat with any of you, and you're on a new wisdom search, not outside wisdom, but God is just growing you and leading you in His word, 1077s
and opening His word to you, and it is so exciting from an outsider's perspective to get to see how God matures and grows and shapes and changes and works through His word in so many various ways with so many various people, and it is so exciting only in the wisdom of God. 1095s
Only in His creative and imaginative being so far out of what I could ever, ever understand could He come up with this. 1124s
We can go through Scripture. We can go through His word, and because we have His word in the light of Christ and Christ crucified, every single word jumps off the page, and we are richer, and we are closer to God, and what we don't understand, we can say, OK Lord, I don't get this now. 1138s
And that's OK, because I know if I'm to know it, one day you will reveal it to me, and we don't have to search outside of Scripture to understand God's word. 1164s
He gives us His own word so that we can understand His wisdom through His own wisdom. 1177s
It's this constant circular which I know I'm kind of, yes, I know I'm tangenting and I'm sorry, and I know I need to filter more because I share my inner thoughts too much. 1187s
But I get excited about God's word, I get excited about thinking how above and beyond it is from me, and yet it is so accessible to every single one of us. 1201s
Is that not exciting? Like it is just so exciting. And I think about the grace that we have in the Lord Jesus, and that it's not us that have to be wise, it's not us that has to have the lofty wisdom as Paul writes. 1219s
It's not us that has to have the eloquent words as told by today's lesson. It's not us that has to be the one to have all the answers because it's not reliant upon us in Job. 1241s
What is that that God says to Job? Job, where do we go? Where is it? Job? Oh my goodness, this paper is thin. 1255s
Job chapter 42, where this is after he's been demanding answers from God, demanding answers, and God comes to him and says, OK, I'm going to answer you when you answer me. 1270s
And he really challenges Job and puts Job rightfully so in his place as a created being, not the creator, as one who does not have all answers or all wisdom and does not deserve to have all answers or all wisdom. 1283s
And Job answered the Lord saying, I know you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this? 1302s
Let's see here. Oh, who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 1311s
Job knew that he had spoken out of turn. He knew that he was demanding knowledge that was not for him to understand. 1323s
But what was for him to understand was what the Lord would reveal to him. And the Lord, the Lord made Job trust him. 1331s
The Lord in his wisdom made Job trust him. And so when we face things in life and we question and we ask why? And again, I think of my family, my grandpa, a lot of questions. 1346s
I have people coming to me from my family asking me questions. Why? Why? Why? And we don't get to know why? That's not the wisdom that God has given us. That's not the place or the role that God has given us. He has given us the opportunity to be wise in him. 1361s
But why is in knowing that he is God, bothers, son, and Holy Spirit? He has created us. He has redeemed us. And he empowers us to live every single day. 1384s
We don't know so much. And I promise you, you all know a lot more about a lot of things than I do. I'm always so impressed with you all, just such incredible people. 1402s
But we're all wise. We're all wise in Christ because we all know Christ has died. Christ is risen and Christ will come again. 1417s
So when we feel unwise, we rest in this wisdom. When we are questioned and our wisdom is questioned or the wisdom of God is questioned by those outside of the faith, we come to them with the wisest word that we have from God, which is Christ crucified, because that we know, that we hold for sure. 1431s
And there is no doubt and no question about that. And as God prepares their hearts to hear that as he prepares them to have that word, he is planting those seeds. And he will continue to help them to grow in wisdom in his own timing and in his own place. 1456s
And we don't know where we are in that journey for other people. We have no idea. But by God's grace, he brings people into our path that we can share a wise word with them. 1475s
Not a word of wisdom of this world, but a word of wisdom that is God, hence self, for you, for them. 1487s
So they will hear the wisdom preached, they will hear God preached Christ crucified preached on Tuesday. If you have anyone in your life that does not have a church home, I really encourage you to come Christmas Eve is a perfect, perfect, perfect sermon because it is, it is all. 1497s
The wisdom of Christ, born Christ died Christ crucified that is the wisdom that is proclaimed every single Christmas Eve in a way that is so accessible. I have never yet once experienced a Christmas Eve service here that I thought, oh, I think a new believer or a non-believer. 1527s
I don't think they'd be comfortable. Every single year, I walk away saying that was just right because it's Christ, Christ crucified the wise word for the infantile of faith and the wise word for those who have been lifelong learners and believers. 1550s
So there's, it is none threatening to come to a Christmas Eve service, even those who don't believe are usually okay with going to a Christmas Eve service. 1575s
So I really, really encourage you to invite someone, invite them, tell them you'll meet them here, bring them yourself, you know, drop them in your car, something, make sure that they get here because they will hear the wise word of God. 1587s
And they can only continue to grow wiser and wiser and more mature in that. 1603s