Easter At Christmas

Sermon for 12/14/2003

Psalm 22

Introduction:

Retails tell us that this is going to be the best Christmas ever. I thought the first one was pretty good.

Christmas has replaced Easter as the most important holiday…

(Mat 1:21 NIV) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

IN THE FIRST LIGHT

Bob Kauflin / Clydesdale

In the first light of a new day no one knew HE had arrived

Things continued as they had been while a Newborn softly cried

But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of His birth

In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth.

As His mother held Him closely it was hard to understand

That her baby, not yet speaking, was the Word of God to man

He would tell them of His kingdom but their hearts would not believe

They would hate Him and in anger they would nail Him to a tree.

But the sadness would be broken as the Light of Life arose

And the Firstborn of creation would ascend and take His throne

He had left it to redeem us but before His life began

He knew He’d come back--- not as a baby--- but as the Lord of every man .

Hear the angels! Oh the singing! ... On the morning of His birth!

Yet how much greater will our song be when He comes again to earth! !

WBTU:

A. The crucifixion as depicted by David in Psalm 22 is just as graphic as the same story as found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The only difference is the gospel writers tell of the actual event after it happened and David in this song tells the same story before it happened.

B. The accuracy of the prophecy is to say the least, accurate and amazing.

C. The gospels tell us the events and the details of the crucifixion but this Psalm tells us the heart and mind of Christ while he was up there.

D. We shall see what occurred in His heart and soul as He became the sacrifice for the sins of the world.

E. We will base our thoughts around the 7 last sayings of Christ from the cross. All of them are alluded to here in this Psalm.

For instances:

1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Vs. 1-6.

A. God the Father turned his back upon Christ while he was on that Cross.

B. There was no place for Christ to turn. He had no place to go. The Man Christ Jesus was forsaken. No other ever has had to experience that. No one. He alone.

C. Vs. 3- You are the Holy One. The holiness of God could not gaze upon the sin of the world. (2 Cor 5:21 NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

D. Forsaken. We don’t know what that is. The vilest man on this earth today is not forsaken of God. Anyone can turn to Him. But when Christ takes my sin upon Himself, He is forsaken of God.

E. Why? This is not the why of impatience. It is not the why of despair; it is not the why of doubt. It is the human cry of intense suffering, aggravated by the anguish of His innocent and holy life.

F. Groaning or KJ Roaring- At his trials he was silent. When they beat him, He said nothing; when they nailed him to the cross, He did not whimper. But when God forsook Him, He roared like a lion. He is like a wounded animal.

G. Vs. 4-5- Why God, why? I can understand why Peter denied me and ran off. I can understand why Judas betrayed me, but your leaving me at a time like this, I just can’t understand. Why? You delivered Daniel from the lion’s den. You delivered Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego from the fiery furnace; you delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale. You delivered Joseph from prison in the land of Egypt and made him governor of Egypt. Why cannot I be delivered?

H. Even those who were not delivered at least had God with them. We think of people like Stephen in the book of Acts given a vision of heaven. We think of others who tradition tells us sang songs at their execution, preached sermons, who had a smile on their face, but not Christ.

I. God is holy and Christ was taking the sins of all time. More to it than this. Jesus had to do the work of redemption alone. There could be no help from anyone, not even the Father. It was to be a victory for Jesus and Jesus alone. No one will ever be able to bring His salvation do-it-yourself kit to the cross- Jesus saves and Jesus alone.