A Sense of Nonsense | 1 Corinthians 1:18-21

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Our text today is 1 Corinthians 1:18-21.

Some things only make sense after they save your life.
Before that?
They sound like nonsense.

That’s how Paul describes the cross.

To one group, the message of Jesus crucified is the power of God.
To another, it’s foolishness — a ridiculous idea wrapped in impossible claims.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. — 1 Corinthians 1:18–21

Paul is drawing out a tension we still feel today:

The cross sounds like nonsense… until it saves you.

The world hears weakness.
You hear rescue.

The world sees defeat.
You see freedom.

The world mocks the message.
You’re living proof of its power.

And that’s the point Paul is making:
God didn’t design salvation to impress the world.
He designed it to expose the emptiness of human wisdom and highlight the strength of divine grace.

Sometimes following Jesus is going to feel like stepping into “a sense of nonsense.”
Not because the cross is foolish — but because the world around you is blind to its beauty.

So don’t be surprised when obedience looks odd.
When forgiveness feels unreasonable.
When holiness makes you stand out.
When trust seems unexplainable.
When truth gets labeled as narrow or outdated.

You’re not walking in nonsense.
You’re walking in God’s wisdom, even if the world can’t see it yet.

What looks like nonsense to the world is the very thing God uses to save it.

So stay steady. Stay centered.
And let the message of the cross shape your courage today.

DO THIS:

Say this today: “The cross is God’s power at work in me.” Let this declaration reset your confidence when doubt creeps in.

ASK THIS:

1. Where do you feel pressured to make your faith look more “reasonable” to the world?
2. How has God used the message of the cross to rewrite your life?
3. What part of following Jesus feels most like “nonsense” to outsiders?

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, give me the courage to trust the power of Your cross even when it looks foolish to others. Help me walk in Your wisdom with boldness and joy. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Lead Me to the Cross”