1st Corinthians 1:22-24
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The apostle Paul preached about Jesus all over the known ancient world, and Corinth was no exception. Corinth was also no exception in that it had its share of false teachers and people who were being led astray by such teachings. With these two verses, Paul sets the record straight.
The Jews in the crowd wanted a Messiah, but they wanted one who would actually lead their nation politically. The Greeks (and presumably, many other folk) wanted a Messiah, too, but they wanted one who would fix all the world’s problems with His wisdom. Jesus did neither of these things–instead, He was crucified for the sins of man, to bring us back into a relationship with God. He was not the Messiah that some expected, and thus many were easily pulled into false doctrines.
Are We Falling Into the Same Theological Traps?
Today, two millennia later, many humans are still confused. Many still seek “signs” that Jesus is coming back, “signs” that God exists, etc.. And many still wait for God to solve their problems, believing that if they are only just Christian, then their lives will be perfect.
There is a significant problem with these two viewpoints. If we need “signs and wonders” to believe in Jesus, then we’re not ever going to see Him. And, even if we do witness Him working, we won’t have the capacity to believe in Him, just as the people Paul was preaching to had difficulty believing in Jesus (a convicted criminal) as Savior.
Jesus did not die to solve the world’s problems, nor did He come to unite a human political nation (or a political world, for that matter); He came, lived a sinless life, and died bearing all our sins, that we might each personally accept His sacrifice for us and be saved from that sin. We need to want the eternal power and endless wisdom of God (Christ) in our lives, rather than spectacular signs and human-sized wonders.