The Cross: symbol of shame and degradation? or sign of power and wisdom of God?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - John 15:13

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:7-8

The attitude of selfless concern, sympathy and self-sacrifice for those far lesser than oneself is exactly what makes God even more majestic, noble and commendable to Christian thinking.

Whereas for a Muslim, that a ruler would subject himself to such humiliation for the sake of his lowly subjects is unthinkable.

That God would degrade Himself and come down to the level of His own creation; that God would sacrifice Himself/His own son (in fact, even having a son) for lowly created beings; that a perfect, infinite, uncreated God could at all relate to a flawed, finite, created world; or even that an innocent prophet might die at the hands of sinful unbelievers – these ideas are anathema to Islamic thinking.

As Hodi Jones sneers, such actions would disqualify a King from being worthy of his throne.

So the same action of God sacrificing Himself for humanity makes Him more deserving of worship to Christians, while making Him totally undeserving of deity to Muslims.
(http://scottthong.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/one-pieces-neptune-a-kingly-sacrifice-christian-and-muslim-views/)

It is exactly as what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23,24 -

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

On Good Friday, we who believe in the Christ, came to the Cross and contemplating it, fell in love with and adoration of such a great Saviour. There's no other love that can compare. But many others can only see the humiliation and scoff: "What kind of god is that who is so weak and pathetic?"

But they forget: then came Sunday! The One crucified and buried broke out of the grave, rose from the dead, defeating Death and all the principalities and powers, and now reigns on high over all. He is alive! And His spirit is moving mightily all over the world today, convicting and drawing men to Himself still, bound by unbreakable cords of love and gratitude.

Mercy and Justice

How compassionate and merciful God is! The laws He laid down for the Israelites in Deuteronomy 23 and 24 show a concern for the poor, the stranger, the fatherless, the widow, the hired servant that is poor and needy. As He is, so we, His people, are to be: compassionate, merciful, considerate of the needs of the disadvantaged in society.

But against those who sin, He will punish. He is holy and He cannot see any unclean thing in us, or He will turn away from us.

Thank God for Jesus becoming our Passover Lamb giving His body for us, shedding His blood for us and writing a New Testament in His blood for us. (Luke 22)

He who is Lord and King of all so humbled Himself and became a worm, trampled on by evil men, crushed and disfigured, without resistance. And we, His followers now, also have to humble ourselves and be prepared to suffer as He did, to serve as He did, to live and die as He did. Therein lies our hope for resurrection and salvation, for he who saves his life will lose it, but he who gives up his life for God will gain it.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
So help me, God.