An unsuccessful evangelization

The first Christians were Jews. But when they preached their brand of Christianity to the fellow Jews, the results were mixed. They were successful among the common Jews but unsuccessful among the rulers. By the time we reach Acts 5, there were about 5000 Christians in Jerusalem among the Jews. Christians were a sect within Judaism. They had the Apostles who were leaders outside Judaism. They took part in the breaking of bread on top of the Jewish rituals. They shared their possessions among themselves, making them separated from the ordinary Jews. In short, they had new leaders, a new liturgy and a new way of life. They formed a distinctive community situated within Jerusalem, the heart of Judaism.

When Christianity met Orthodox Judaism, clashes were inevitable. Christians believed in a crucified criminal in whom God did not curse but raised from the dead. They believed that salvation came from him and not in obeying the Torah. Sins were forgiven through believing in him instead of offering sacrifices in the Temple. This was the testimony Peter gave in front of the Jewish authority.
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him (Acts 5:31-32).
How could the Jewish authority accept such heretical views? Peter's testimony was doomed to failure. No wonder these Jewish Christians had to turn to Gentiles.

The deacons are learning the history of Christian mission. Early in this mission history, the Apostles preached to their fellow Jews. They shared the same cultural background. In their preaching of the gospel of Jesus, they could quote the Scripture which was their common heritage. So, what was the obstacle that made the Jewish authority so difficult to overcome? St. Paul, the greatest missionary, has the following explanation.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).
Jews demanded signs and miracles. But Jesus and the apostles had already worked many miracles. Yet, a million miracles were not enough to convince them to believe in a crucified Jesus. This was the stumbling block because for the Jews, a crucified man was cursed by God.
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Have you ever tried to preach a crucified Jesus? To children? To a marginal member of the society? To the learned or respectable of the society? God can't be serious. Nowadays, we find less and less statues of the crucified Jesus in churches. We have the resurrected glorified Jesus instead. The focus of Christian theology has shifted. I am not advocating a return to the crucified Jesus. After all, the crucified Jesus has proved to be a stumbling block for people in general to accept Christianity. The Church has to grope for other ways to make Jesus more acceptable to the modern man.

Dear Lord, without Your grace, it is difficult even for us to accept a crucified You. All of us seek for a happy life. Help us discern Your redemptive work on the cross. Amen.