Looking at the Cross
A Sermon on Galatians 6:14
Originally preached March 30, 1956
Scripture
14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Sermon Description
The cross is a symbolic picture that has universal recognition. But what is the meaning behind the cross and what does it represent? Does Scripture instruct how to view the cross today? In this sermon on Galatians 6:14 titled “Looking at the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points to the passage as a way to test (positively or negatively) one’s understanding of the cross. Here the apostle Paul points out two aspects of the cross that are important to understand: he glories (boasts) in the cross and he glories in nothing else. The cross is his boast because of what took place on the cross as Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice. In relation to Christ’s great demonstration of love, everything else in the world fades in comparison. There is nothing left that is worthy of boasting in. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws out the implications for today, he confronts with the question, “Why should I glory in the cross today?” The listener is encouraged to reflect anew on the meaning of the cross, as well as consider the cross and the worthlessness of the world, the deliverance the cross provides from the law, and the beautiful, wondrous character of the cross as the manifestation of God’s love and power.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul says that he glories only in the cross of Jesus Christ. Merely believing in the cross is not enough. To truly believe is to glory in it.
- There are many wrong ways of looking at the cross, but the right way is the one that leads you to glory in it. The cross is the only thing Paul glories in.
- Paul suggests that any view of the cross that doesn't lead to glorying in it is a false view. The cross exposes the worthlessness of everything else.
- The cross shows the uselessness of things like nationality, morality, religion, abilities, and wisdom in providing salvation and a relationship with God.
- The cross proves these other things useless because it is the only way of salvation and forgiveness. If the cross was necessary, nothing else can achieve what it did.
- The cross does something for us - it separates us from the world. It crucifies us to the world and the world to us. The world is under judgment, but the cross delivers us from that.
- The cross separates us from the world's condemnation and sin. It enables us to understand sin and be delivered from its power. We are given new life and understanding.
- We are separated from the world by being united to Christ in his death and resurrection. We are crucified with Christ, dead to the law and sin. Though in the world, we are not of it.
- The cross is a wondrous spectacle - the death of God himself for our sins. It displays God's attributes - wisdom, power, love. And it was all for us in particular.
- The question is whether we can say the cross was for us. If so, we will glory in it alone. It will be our glory in life and death and for eternity.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Glorying in the Cross: Questions and Answers
What does it mean to "glory in the cross" according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, glorying in the cross means making your boast in it, not merely believing in it intellectually. He says, "It isn't enough merely that we should believe in the cross. It isn't merely enough that we should accept the teaching concerning it or that we should believe about it. Even that isn't enough, truly, to believe in the cross is to glory in it." Glorying in the cross involves an exultation, a deep appreciation that goes beyond mere acceptance or admiration, leading to boasting in Christ's sacrifice rather than in anything else.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe many people have a wrong view of the cross?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that many people have a wrong view of the cross because they approach it merely as spectators, view it only as a tragedy, or see it as something that simply needs to be forgiven. He points out that "there are many ways of looking at the cross, and there will be many and varied ways today of looking at it and considering it. But all ways of looking at the cross are not right and are not true." The true test is whether our view leads us to glory in the cross, not merely observe it, pity it, or feel sorry about it.
How does the cross of Christ separate believers from the world according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the cross separates believers from the world in two ways: "by which the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." He elaborates that the cross delivers us from the condemnation of the world and from the power of sin in the world. He states, "It's the cross that cuts the knot that ties me to the world and sets me free. It has purchased my pardon and my forgiveness, and so I am separated from the perishing world." This separation happens because believers are "joined to Christ and are made one with him," having been "crucified with Christ."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean when he says the cross shows "the worthlessness of everything else"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the cross exposes the worthlessness of everything else we might glory in—including nationality, morality, religion, abilities, wisdom, and wealth. He states, "The fact of the cross is the end and the death of everything else. It is the condemnation of all human endeavor, of all human self-reliance." The cross proves these things are worthless because "Christ died upon the cross because men was completely helpless and entirely hopeless." If other paths to God were effective, Christ would not have needed to die.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe our union with Christ through the cross?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that believers are "joined to Christ and are made one with him" in a way that is "amazing and incomprehensible." Quoting Galatians 2:20, he says, "I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I. But Christ liveth in me." He elaborates that "When Christ died, he in Christ also died...He has been crucified with him. He has died with him. He has been buried with him. He has been raised again with him." This union means believers are "dead to the law," "dead to sin," and "dead to the world"—no longer under condemnation or belonging to the kingdom of darkness.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones call the cross a "wondrous spectacle"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the cross a "wondrous spectacle" because it displays "the prince of glory dying, God expiring." He describes it as "the spectacle of the ages and of all history." He points to the incredible contrast and paradox: "From the highest throne of glory to the cross of deepest world." The cross is also wondrous because it reveals all the "glorious attributes of God" in the most magnificent way—displaying His wisdom, His power, and above all, His love through the sacrifice of His Son.
How is the cross personal for believers according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the cross is intensely personal because Christ died specifically for each believer. He quotes Paul's words, "who loved me and gave himself for me," emphasizing, "That's the marvel... He knew me there. He was dying for me in particular there not something general, but also particular." This personal aspect of Christ's sacrifice is what makes the cross so precious to believers—knowing that the Son of God loved them individually and died for them specifically.
What should be the Christian's attitude toward Good Friday services according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones critiques services that approach Good Friday with a purely mournful character. He states, "So often services on this day have a mournful character. There is no glorying in the cross. It's a dirge, it's a lament. It's a pagan mourning. It reminds one more of pagan ritual and ceremony than of a christian celebration." Instead, he suggests the proper response to the cross is to "glory in it and boast of it and exalt in it and sing about it," recognizing the triumph and victory achieved through Christ's sacrifice rather than focusing exclusively on its tragedy.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.