Christ & Him Crucified

CHRIST & HIM CRUCIFIED:

He spilled both blood & water

8-25-02

John 19:15-34

John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

In this verse… the Jewish religious leaders run up their true colors:

"We have no king but Caesar."

They had long since abandoned the Theocracy—the God-King—relationship established with the promise given to Abraham… and confirmed with the Law given to Moses.

More than a 1,000 years before… they demanded a king like other nations.

They chose to be like the world… not like God!

For 600 years they both prospered ... and suffered ... through a parade of GOOD kings and BAD kings.

For the past 400 years no prophet had spoken until John the Baptizer came out of the wilderness.

Three hundred years before they had suffered domination under Greek rule.

Some years later… they enjoyed a flash of nationalism when the Maccabees overthrew the Greeks… and cleansed the temple of their Greek Gods.

But their joy was short-lived.

Rome moved in.

Now their religion—as they had corrupted it, is more important than God!

They were comfortable.

They had redefined God’s Word to suit their own purposes.

The emptiness of their cry, "We have no king but Caesar!" still echoes through the bloody streets of Palestine today.

19:16 Then delivered he (Pilot) him (Jesus) therefore unto them (Jewish leaders and the military guard) to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

This is the beginning of the end.

It, too, is the end of the beginning.

Jesus came to earth for this very purpose!

It was the end of his first advent ...

but the beginning of our salvation!

19:17 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”

John spares us the agony of the trip out the gate and up the hill.

Jesus had been beaten in the face until he was unrecognizable.

He had been flogged with a cat-o-nine tails to within an inch of his life.

Now he has to carry the equivalent of a railroad crosstie nearly half a mile.

Jesus stumbled (according to Mark’s account) and a wealthy North African—Simon of Cyrene—was commanded to pick up the cross and carry it for Jesus.

This had a lasting impact on Simon.

He and his sons became a building force in the early Church.

This parade to Golgotha is the culmination of 2 examples of the Old Testament:

1. Isaac carried the wood for his own offering up the hill.

2. Sin offerings always were taken outside the camp or city.

19:18 “Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”

Matthew called the others "robbers."

Luke referred to them as "criminals."

They represent the world—you and me! Everyone... then... now... in the future... must confront Jesus.

Sooner… or later… everyone will have to make a decision about Jesus—everyone!

The thieves:

· Both cursed him at first.

· One remained unrepentant and arrogant.

· The other recognized… and accepted Jesus for who he is… and he asked:

"Remember me when Thou comest into thy kingdom."

What is the significance of all of this?

Why crucifixion?

Why Rome?

A lot of learned people put Christianity down—call it one of the newer religions ... like Islam.

Communist China for years has referred to Christianity as a “Western” religion—rooted in European culture.

However, Just last week (8-22-02) Chinese anthropologist announced finding Christian artifacts dating back to the first century.

Actually, ancient Chinese writings reference Hebrew doctrine as early as Abraham.

Christianity predates all world religions. Christianity predates creation!

Eph 1:4 “According as he (GOD the Father) hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

1 Pet 1:19-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

Good & Evil

GOOD and EVIL are absolute terms as defined by God

“Good” is anything that is according to God’s will and God’s Plan.

“Evil” is everything that is according to man’s will—that which comes out of the flesh, or according to the world’s ... or Satan’s ... standards!

CHRISTIANITY was celebrated by ABEL outside of the Garden when he made an offering according to instructions from God ... and offering in commemorating of the gift of salvation that would come on the Cross of Christ.

CAIN introduced RELIGION when he fashioned a faith based upon his own accomplishments.