Grace to you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Introduction: We Want Answers

Have you ever thought, “If only I could have a face-to-face with Jesus”? Maybe you’d like to ask why life feels so crazy, or why suffering comes when you least expect it and at all the wrong times. The Greeks in John 12 wanted that face-to-face: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.¹” Jesus points them, and us, not to a private conversation, but to the cross. If you want to see Jesus, see Him there. That’s His throne, His office, His battlefield. And it changes everything.

I. Where to Find Jesus

We expect glory to shine in strength and success. The world says, “Find God in your prosperity and power.” Jesus says, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself.²” Lifted up, not on a pedestal, but on a cross. It’s backwards from the way we tend to think. This is the heart of Christianity. Luther said, “The cross is our only theology.³” Why? Because here God does His greatest work under what looks like weakness.

Remember Israel in the wilderness.⁴ Complaints led to fiery serpents. People cried for mercy. God gave a strange answer: a bronze serpent lifted on a pole. Whoever looked, lived. Salvation came not by running faster or fighting harder, but by looking to God’s promise. That was a preview of Jesus: lifted up to give life to the world.

II. The Cross Answers the Questions That Matter Most

Does God love you? Look at the cross. Love isn’t a feeling; it’s a Savior nailed and bleeding for you.⁵

Does God keep His promises? Look at the cross. Every prophecy, every covenant, every word finds its Yes in Jesus.⁶

Does God care about what happens to you? Look at the cross. He cared enough to bear your sin and suffer in your place.⁷

Does God see you? Look at the cross. Jesus was forsaken so you never would be.⁸

Some questions stay unanswered like:why this illness, why that loss, but not the questions that matter for eternity. God doesn’t give us a road map He gives us a Redeemer. Faith trusts Him even when reasons are hidden. That can be challenging because we want control, but faith lives by promise, not sight.⁹

III. The World Calls It Foolish—But It’s the Power of God

St. Paul says:

We preach Christ crucified…
the power of God and the wisdom of God.¹⁰

The world says knowledge is power, self-reliance is wisdom. But that’s a dead-end road. The cross looks weak, but it breaks the power of sin and death. It looks foolish, but it gives eternal life. As Paul reminds us:

The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.¹¹

This isn’t theory. It’s life. We know storms come. Crops fail. Cows get sick. Families struggle. You can’t control it all. The cross says: Jesus has taken what we can’t handle and carried it for us. That is strength the world can’t give.

IV. What Does This Mean for Our Daily Life?

The cross isn’t just history, it’s here and now. In Baptism your old self was buried with Christ, and you were raised to new life.¹² In the Lord’s Supper your crucified and risen Savior puts His forgiveness into your mouth. ¹³ In His Word He speaks hope when the headlines scream of sick societies.

When life confuses fix your eyes where Jesus wants to be seen: On the cross. Then live cross-shaped lives, marked by: humility, forgiveness, and service. Not because it’s easy but because it’s what Jesus has done for you. Luther wrote in the Small Catechism:

That we live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
This is most certainly true.¹⁴

That starts now.

Illustration from Local Life

Think about after a major storm hits.¹⁵ The barn may be gone, but the cross down the road still stands. The church, even if damaged, is still the Church where people gather to lean on God. He can handle it. That cross says: “This isn’t the end. I’m with you.” That’s what God says to you in every storm. You are not abandoned. You are baptized. You belong to Him.

Conclusion: Lift High the Cross

We have no other real hope, no other real theology, no other real song to sing. The cross stands because Jesus stands: crucified, risen, and reigning. Life high the cross. Lift it high in your words, your worship, your witness. Because the cross doesn’t just give answer your questions, it changes your life.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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NOTES

1John 12:21