What Do You Think of the Cross?

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and the sermon at our church posed the question What Do You Think of the Cross?

There are three basic views that people have of the cross:

1. It could be a "stumblingblock" -- to those who expect God to show Himself as the Almighty that He is, they see the lowliness of the Savior being born in a stable and then being crucified on a cross as weak and contradictory with Him being the All Powerful.  And so, some reject the cross itself because it doesn't fit with what they want to see in God.
2. It is outright ridiculous to many -- really, it is not just the cross that is ridiculous, but the whole idea of God and of Him sending His Son to die.  The sign over the cross embodies this view, "This is The King of the Jews".
3. For some, the cross is the symbol of Jesus sacrificial death to fully atone for our sins.

On the front of the latest Newsweek magazine, there is a cross formed by the words, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America".  What a statement at the beginning of this week during which we (as Christians) celebrate the Via Delarosa -- The Way of Suffering, and the victorious Resurrection of our Saviour.  I think we know which view the editors at Newsweek take...

One day, Jesus will return as King.  I wonder what the front page of Newsweek will be on that day?