Opening Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us even when we don’t understand everything. Help us listen to your Word today. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

“The Jews want to see miracles. The Greeks want wisdom and smart ideas. But we tell everyone about Jesus dying on the cross. To the Jews, this sounds terrible—God wouldn’t die! To the Greeks, this sounds silly—how could a dead person save anyone? But to everyone God calls, Jesus on the cross is the most powerful thing in the world. It’s the smartest plan anyone could ever think of. God’s ‘foolish’ plan is wiser than the smartest person’s best idea. God’s ‘weak’ plan is stronger than the strongest person’s greatest strength.”

What This Means

Imagine you’re building the tallest tower at school. You want the biggest blocks, the strongest pieces, the most impressive design. Everyone will say, “Wow, look how smart and strong you are!”

But what if God built a tower out of broken pieces? What if He used the smallest blocks, the cracked ones nobody wanted? Everyone would laugh. “That’s silly! That tower will fall down!”

That’s what people said about Jesus dying on the cross. The religious people wanted a superhero king with lightning bolts. The smart people wanted clever philosophy they could figure out in their heads. Nobody wanted a God who would die.

But here’s the amazing thing: God’s “foolish” plan worked. When Jesus died on the cross, He didn’t lose—He won. He beat death. He beat the devil. He saved us from our sins. The thing that looked weakest was actually the strongest thing ever.

And guess what? God still works this way. He doesn’t pick the biggest, smartest, strongest people to be His children. He picks ordinary people—people like us—and says, “You’re mine. I love you. I saved you.” Not because we’re impressive, but because Jesus is.

When we got baptized, God said, “You belong to me now.” Not because we were good enough. Because Jesus was good enough for us.

Let’s Talk About It

Eberley: Why do you think people wanted God to show up with power and miracles instead of dying on a cross? What does this teach us about how God is different from what people expect? Where else in the Bible does God work through weakness instead of strength?

Sonja: If you were going to save the whole world, what would you do? Would you pick the cross? Why do you think Jesus picked something that looked so weak? How did it turn out to be the strongest thing?

Dahlia & Freddy: Did Jesus win when He died on the cross? Who did He beat? (Death and the devil!) Is Jesus stronger than anything?

Remember This

Jesus saved us in a way that looks foolish to the world, but it’s the smartest, strongest thing ever.

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for saving us on the cross, even though it didn’t look like a good plan to anyone. Help us trust you, even when your ways seem strange to us. You are wiser and stronger than anyone. Amen.

Memory Verse

“The cross is the power of God.” (from 1 Corinthians 1:18)