Was the cross a defeat, or a teaching?

Neither defeat nor merely teaching. The cross is love made visible. It is the shepherd laying down his life for the sheep, the grain of wheat falling to the ground so that much fruit may grow. What the world sees as defeat, my Father transforms into victory over sin and death itself. You have heard me say: whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The cross is this truth lived out completely. It teaches, yes—but it is far more. It is the new covenant in my blood. It is the way the last become first, the way death becomes the door to life, the way hate is conquered by love that will not strike back. Do you think God's kingdom comes through the sword, through earthly power? No. It comes through a love so complete it bears all things, endures all things, gives all things. This is how the Father loves the world.