Jonah Albrecht…Holy Cross Sunday…Galatians 6:14-18…Christian Life Begins and Ends..Cross

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. ¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

INJ whose cross is the anchor of our faith and the only means of our salvation, DFR:

Back in the day of traditional knighthood, there was a certain level of decorum when it came time for a knight to introduce himself. They would announce their name and the house they belonged to, or to whom their allegiance lied. Perhaps the most famous being “I am Sir Lancelot of the Round Table.” That announcement would identify him as a knight of King Arthur. Power, influence, and respect would automatically come to Lancelot because of Arthur’s influence.

Nowadays we do still announce who we are by stating our last name. But that is about it. When I was in high school, all I had to do was say, “I’m an Albrecht brother,” and just about everyone at Immanuel immediately knew who I was because of my 5 older brothers who had gone before me. In that case, the reputation of my name truly did precede me. But if that were a total stranger who had never met my family before? My name would mean nothing.

What do we do in the case of a total stranger? We tell people about ourselves – details that might set us apart from anyone else…boast if you will. Suppose now, that the stranger is spiritual. It is someone from the outside world who does not know your identity spiritually. What do you say then? What is the defining qualities in which you can identify yourself and “boast”? Any answer outside of the cross of Jesus your Savior is wrong. As a Christian, your life begins and ends at the cross. Without it, you have no identity, but are one with the world. Because of it, you have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding and the mercy of God which gives you eternal life with Him.

As we consider the cross of Jesus and how it defines our lives as Christians, let us pray: Lord, grant us Your Holy Spirit as we study Your Word. Sanctify us by Your Truth, Your Word is truth. Amen.

The book of Galatians is one of the few New Testament books where we are given a clear understanding of the false teachings the Apostles dealt with in their day. For this fledgling church in Asia Minor, it was a group of people called the Judaizers. The Judaizers were a group of Jews that would essentially follow in Paul’s footsteps from Jerusalem and go into cities where he had begun a congregation. But instead of edifying the people and encouraging them in the same teachings Paul had brought, they preached a deadly, poisonous gospel. It really can’t be called a “gospel” at all. Gospel means, “good news,” and they brought the exact opposite.

There were many Jews who were living in Galatia when Paul arrived. He would go into the Synagogue and preach on how Jesus of Nazareth had fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead for the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. He was the promised Messiah. This was and still is the principal message of the Gospel. And at first, Paul and his partner Barnabas found great success in Galatia, among both Jews and Gentiles.

However, Jesus dying on the cross meant that the Old Covenant, the ceremonial laws by which the Jews lived, were no longer needed. By the time Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians, the Judaizers had settled in and begun to compromise. They said, “Sure, we believe that Jesus was the Messiah and died on the cross, but you still have to keep the Old Testament laws in order to be saved.” Did you catch it? They added on a requirement to something that was a gift of God’s grace.

We see, albeit indirectly, what they were teaching in our text. Paul says, For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision. Circumcision was a rite God gave to Abraham as a sign of the Covenant Promise from God, and every Jew was supposed to have this done to receive that Covenant. It set them apart and made their identity belong to God. But now, that Covenant had been fulfilled in the cross of Jesus. It brought an end to the need for circumcision because the God had come and secured their identity to the cross.

And that is why the false teaching of the Judaizers is poisonous. It removes the cross of Christ from the picture. Sure, they might say they believe Jesus died, but by adding on additional requirements, they make the cross worthless and powerless. It is still up to you to save yourself. Paul knows how dangerous this false teaching can be to the church. He warns in Galatians 3:1, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” To lose the cross is to lose the Gospel.

God has chosen to reveal Himself to the world through the cross. Not by glory, but by humility. Not by glorification, but by crucifixion. The Christian faith is not a set of philosophical ethics, or ideas on a way of life, though it does produce those things. First and foremost, the Christian faith is about what God has done to remedy the sorry state of humanity that we have created – to restore us to Himself as holy children. Paul tells us exactly that in our text. It is not the externals – circumcision or uncircumcision, but a new creation.

That new creation only comes through the crucifixion of Jesus – upon whom God laid all your sin and mine. The new creation comes by the Holy Spirit who creates the faith to look to the cross, not as a sign of shame, but as a beacon of hope and a certain trust for salvation in God’s grace. The life you now live begins at the cross. Your old life, that which belonged with the world, dead in trespasses and sin, has been crucified. It has been put to death.

That is what Paul means when he says, But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. His old way of life, which he spent persecuting the church, has been done away with. He is a new creation by the cross of His Savior and God is glorified through that new life.

You too are God’s new creation. Your sin, your former self has been put to death in the cross of your Savior. You were baptized into God’s family by the promise of life that came from the same cross. When you think about your identity spiritually, boast in the cross of your Savior. That is, tell others that your identity belongs to Him and because of Jesus dying in your place, you live to Him and His glory. Your life began with the cross.

It isn’t always easy to keep the cross of Jesus on our minds every day. Especially when we are faced with great tragedy. The last two weeks have had their share of tragedy. The Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minneapolis, MN. Iryna Zarutska who was randomly stabbed on a train in North Carolina. The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Evergreen School shooting in Colorado on Wednesday. Also, this week was the 24^th anniversary of 9-11 terrorist attacks. It was enough for everyone’s heart to weigh heavy, especially for those who lost their lives or loved ones.

We will never fully understand the evil that people do. What should our response be in the face of such tragedy. When evil rises all around us, what can we do to remain steadfast?

¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

When we see horrific incidents in the news, it reminds us of our own frailty. Death is not natural, but it comes for each one of us. It came for the Apostle Paul through martyrdom at the hands of a wicked emperor. Whether it is natural causes, sickness, disease, or accident, the reality is this life will come to an end.

How will your life end? Paul encourages you to “walk by this rule,” that is, continue to hold fast to the cross of your Savior and let the Holy Spirit guide you through faith. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives you peace which surpasses all understanding – the peace that you are justified by faith; that you have received from God’s hand mercy and grace. He provides the hope for dark times and healing for wounds that appear to be too deep. Let the Holy Spirit lead you back to the cross to see God’s love in action. If He was willing to give up His life for you, there is no sin, wound, or scar, that He can’t heal. It doesn’t matter how or when your time of grace may come to an end, you have the comfort of knowing that your life ends with the cross.

If your life comes to an end on this earth, then you will have the words of Paul fulfilled for you in 1 Corinthians 15, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” And if Jesus returns before death comes for you, then you will have the words of Jesus fulfilled for you in John 11:26, “everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Either way, God’s promise to you is life. The life He began in you and the life everlasting He will give to you because of His Son, because of His cross.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.