1 Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Col 2:14 Wiping out the handwriting in ordinances...nailing it to the cross. (15) Stripping off the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
In a very real sense, the cross of Christ is the center of the universe. After God created the heavens, the earth, and the billions of items in the universe, an archangel rebelled, and many angels followed him. This archangel became Satan, and his followers became the evil rulers, powers, and authorities in the heavenlies.
Eventually, the man created by God fell and became sinful. The rebellion of the angels and the fall of man put God into a difficult situation. God's way to deal with this difficulty is the cross.
Firstly, God became a man, thereby putting humanity on Himself. Then Christ, God incarnate, went to the cross and was crucified. During the thirty-three and a half years of His earthly life, Christ walked from the manger to the cross.
When He was crucified, many things took place. On the cross God judged sin and the sinful old man. Through the cross, our sinful nature was terminated.
At the very time God was judging sin and sinful man, He also nailed the law to the cross. When God was nailing the law to the cross, the evil angels also were present and very active. But, according to verse 15, God stripped them off through the cross.
By stripping off the rulers and authorities, God made a display of them openly. He openly put them to shame and triumphed over them. What a great matter this is!