Lessons From The Cross - Part 1: Make The Right Choices In Life Series

Lessons from the Cross

Part 1: Make the Right Choices in Life

John 19:1-16

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - May 30, 2018

(Revised June 9, 2020)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to John 19. Last time we took a big-picture look at the darkest day in human history: The day that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. But since the Lord's sacrificial death on the cross was God's perfect plan for salvation, we were also able to look beyond the Lord's suffering to the abundant miracles and mercy of the cross. By dying on the cross, Jesus completely fulfilled His mission on earth. The price for our sins was paid in full! Thank God for the cross of Jesus Christ!

*Over the next few weeks we will take a closer look at the events in this chapter and see some crucial life lessons for today. Tonight our focus is on making the right choices in life. Let's get started by reading John 19:1-16.

MESSAGE:

*Husbands: Do you remember where you were when you decided to ask your wife to marry you? I was sitting in a McDonald’s on the north side of Atlanta. My brother Jon and his wife Marianne were there with me.

*We were in Atlanta to pick up Mary at the airport later that day. And I didn't say anything to them, but right then and there I decided to ask Mary to be my wife. That was certainly one of the best choices I have ever made in life! Praise the Lord!

*We all make choices every day, but how can we make the right choices in life? God's Word can help us, and this Scripture helps with 3 of the most important choices we can ever make.

1. FIRST: CHOOSE COMPASSION OVER CRUELTY.

*We should always choose godly compassion over ungodly cruelty. That’s what Pilate and the Roman soldiers should have done in vs. 1-3, and for context, I'll back up to John 18:36:

36. Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.''

37. Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?'' Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.''

38. Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?'' And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.

39. But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?''

40. Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!'' Now Barabbas was a robber.

Chapter 19:

1. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

2. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

3. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!'' And they struck Him with their hands.

*In vs. 1, they "scourged" Jesus. "Scourged" is an ugly sounding word. But no word can express the brutality of the merciless beating Jesus took from that Roman whip laced with pieces of metal and bone.

*John Phillips explained that this scourging was especially evil, because Pilate had just pronounced Jesus innocent. Then he callously handed the Lord over to this torture. But this kind of cruelty was a typical Roman choice when they questioned a man unprotected by powerful friends or Roman citizenship. (1)

*They "scourged" Jesus. Then in vs. 2-3, the soldiers began to mock Jesus: They "twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they struck Him with their hands."

*Even their praise was cruel: "Hail, King of the Jews!" It means "rejoice, be glad, fare well. Good health to you! Peace to you, King of the Jews." They mocked Jesus with their cruel praise, and they struck Him with the palms of their hands.

*Now I know that we would never be cruel like that. But there may be times when we choose a least a little cruelty over compassion. Have you said ever cruel things to your husband, wife, children, parents or friends?

*Mary and I almost never argue now, but the first few years after we got married, we locked horns more than a few times. And one of my problems was, that if I could latch on to a little bit of being right in a disagreement with my wife, I wouldn't let go of it. I would rub it in Mary's face until she couldn't take it anymore.