Without reading the full context of our verse today, it’s really quite hard to understand. When we read the verse, “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you (2 Corinthians 13:4).”
It actually says that we are weak in Christ but by God’s power, we will live with Him. Now, it is indeed quite hard to understand but we must know that the whole chapter was written as a final warning to the Corinthians to repent. As Paul reminds them that before God will come back, they must all repent and go back to God.
However, many false apostles accuse him that he is actually very weak because of what he was doing at that time. Yet, Paul did not let them call him weak because he is preaching the Word, he answered them that indeed he is weak because it is the power of God that empowered him and strengthened him. Paul then mentioned our verse today, that Christ was crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God. Although when Christ was crucified on the cross, He was very weak. Christ is also human, He can feel pain, He can feel suffering, and He can feel all the humiliation He got during that time.
Indeed it was a moment of weakness, He was crucified in weakness, but that was a triumph! He was weak by that time but it was triumph through weaknesses. What Christ did on the cross was a triumph against sin and death. It was a victory over sin and death that with the power of God, He lives. Through it, we are also made alive through the death of Christ. The crucifixion of Christ might be a very weak moment in a physical aspect, but it was a victorious and powerful moment in the spiritual aspect.
Therefore, we must really understand that what Christ did for us was a total act of redemption. We are redeemed, saved, and pardoned because of Christ’s sacrifice. We can now be in heaven and enjoy eternal life because of the sacrifice of Christ. Let us always put in our minds that indeed there is triumph through weakness. The death of Christ seems to be a victory for the enemy, but the truth is that it is a victory of God that made our salvation possible. Again, all glory and honor belong to God. He is capable of turning weaknesses into triumph and victory.
