What is the message of the cross?

The message of the cross(1) has not just a historical side, but applied, is also a "daily" principle in our lives, the condition and provision Christ gave to disciples. Because only this message truly exalts who Christ is, and what He's done, at the expense of who we are and what we do. It will always have 2 sides: a death and a resurrection. A legalistic or lascivious message will lack either one or both of these ingredients.
It exposes our old man, and it exposes us to the New Man!
On the negative side, the message of the cross exposes the old man(2), encompassing our flesh(3), for what it is, with all its attitudes, its passivity, its religious expression, its indifference, its hardness, its lukewarmness (4), it's half baked hypocritical Laodicean carnality, and it condemns the flesh, consigning it to complete crucifixion. This is absolute reality. And it can be likened to the sacrificial surgery.(5)
On the positive side it exposes us to the Perfect, New Man (6), Christ, Who is all, in all(7). To the availability and provision of the supernatural perfect spiritual and victorious resurrected Christ and all He is for us, in us, and what He has done for us, as us(8), and wants to do through us(9), instead of us, freely! On the negative side, "You cannot serve God" God says through Joshua(10). Then positively, God shows us Christ, "the Servant of the Lord", through Isaiah(11). "Yet not I", "But Christ"!(12)
(1) 1Co1.18,23
(2) Rom6.6
(3) Jn3.6
(4) Rev3.16
(5) Heb4.12
(6) Ep2.15, 4.13,24
(7) Col3.11
(8) 1Co1.23
(9) Col1.27
(10) Josh24.19
(11) Isa42.1,19, 43.10, 52.13, & especially 53.11
(12) Ga2.20b