AM sermon preached at Central Christian Church March 16, 2008
Jesus at the “Cross” roads sermon series The Road to Calvary [Jesus’ Death]
BEGIN SLIDE SHOW AS COMMUNION TIME IS WINDING DOWN…SLIDES WILL AUTOMATICALLY ADVANCE TO THE FOURTH SLIDE, A BLANK ONE…
So did you hear the story about the old preacher who lay dying on his bed in his home? He sent word to his accountant and his lawyer, both church members, that he’d like for them to come and visit him in his home. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling.
For a time, no one said anything. Both the accountant and lawyer were touched and flattered that the old preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moment. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. Finally the lawyer said, ‘Preacher, the two of us have been wondering, why of all people, did you ask for us to come?’ The old preacher mustered up some strength , then said weakly, ‘Jesus died between two thieves so I thought I would too’.
Seriously now ---today we enter the third week of our Jesus at the Crossroads sermon series. The purpose of this series is for us to take another look at the roads Jesus traveled which took Him to the cross and beyond. Last Sunday morning’s message took us into the Garden of Gethsemane where we began to get an idea of the enormous price Jesus paid to purchase forgiveness for us. This morning we’re going to get an even better understanding of that price as we pick up where we left off ---with the arrest of Jesus--- and fast forward from there to His being lead out of Jerusalem to be crucified. Now as far as the arrest of Jesus goes, we saw last week how Jesus surrendered Himself to the angry mob that met Him in the Garden. We saw how they didn’t, and in fact couldn’t take Jesus by force. And we saw how Jesus, intent on doing His Father’s will, turned Himself over to them without resistance. That’s where we left off last week--- well, almost immediately things began to snowball against Jesus. Like a pack of wild dogs that increasingly maddens at the sight and smell of the blood of its weakening prey---an evil insanity which started in the hearts and minds of Jesus’ enemies began spreading like a plague over Jerusalem---infecting both Jews and Romans. With every slap across Jesus’ face, with every slash wound created by the whip tearing into His back, with every vile mocking remark---every false witness, with every grimace of pain---every drop of blood, the insanity grew. And yet amazingly in the midst of all this horror---we find God returning His best for man’s worst.
Whether we read about what happened to Jesus in our Bible or we watch it portrayed in a movie, it seems to me that the things that were done to Jesus shock us---sicken us, shock us and at times even surprise us. I mean after all, in Jesus we find a person who has done nothing wrong turning Himself in to the powers that be, the religious and government authorities, first century Palestine’s equivalent of today’s church and state. But do these powers treat Him with dignity or fairness, do they attempt to make certain justice is served? Absolutely not. Priests, soldiers and onlookers spit upon Jesus. They call Him names and pile abuse upon abuse. Soldiers blind-fold Jesus, then punch Him in the face and say “Come on Jesus---you’re supposed to be a prophet, tell us who punched you!” They strip Him naked. They whip Him. They put a crown of thorns on His head and beat him with a reed. And before day’s end they parade Him through town, nail Him to a cross and crucify Him, murdering an innocent man.
Jesus’ story and the story of His crucifixion have been preached for almost two thousand years. Most of us have heard the story all of our lives. Many of us have taught it in Sunday School classes or discussed it in small group meetings. I’ve been preaching about it for more than two decades and yet even after all of that exposure to the story of the cross it never ceases to amaze me. And yet nearly every time that I study it in depth I find another little detail, a subtle little something, another facet to the story that recreates the wonder of it all.
This week it was first of all the words Jesus spoke to the women who were following Him as He marched towards Calvary. And then it was in something Matthew alone mentions. I want to let you in on those things this morning but even more I want to share with you what I believe are the most important things we can learn from Jesus’ suffering and death.
Let’s do some digging in the Word. If you have your Bible with you I encourage you to open it to Luke 23. We’re going to begin our reading at verse 26. First though, before we read from there, let’s set the stage. It’s about 9 in the morning on Friday. Jesus had allowed Himself to be arrested in the middle of the night on Thursday. All night long Jesus was shuffled back and forth from court to court to court. At each court He was insulted and mocked. During the night and wee hours of the morning, Jesus stood trial before the High Priest, before Pilate and Herod. He’s already been slapped around, punched, stripped and flogged. He’s sleep derived. His face and head are swollen. His back and very possibly his entire backside are raw and bleeding. Saliva and blood flow mingled together on His clothing and in his hair. And He’s being lead out of the city…
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Luke 23:26….26As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. [John in his account tells us that Jesus was made to carry His own cross…but that doesn’t mean John’s right and Luke is wrong or vice versa. I believe they‘re both right. And rather than see these details as contradictory I see them as complimentary---meaning they’re both true. I’m guessing that as the soldiers were leading Jesus towards the place of His crucifixion they did the usual thing---they made the person being crucified carry his own cross—in this case that person was Jesus---however after all that Jesus had already been through He probably had little strength left in Him to carry a cross---that weighed about 200 pounds, possibly more---and so here’s an exhausted Jesus being forced to carry His cross and He’s probably moving at a turtle’s pace…the Roman soldiers forcing Jesus along were possibly growing more and more aggravated by the slow approach and so they grabbed, someone off the street--- It happened to be Simon, and they said to him---You, carry this man’s cross. Simon was surely repulsed by the idea, but he was probably even more afraid for his own life---he probably knew that the Romans had already crucified more than 30,000 people and that these soldiers would think nothing of throwing up a fourth cross that morning on which to nail an uncooperative Jew---so he submits to their will and he picks up Jesus’ cross and carries it for Him] 27A large number of people followed [Jesus] him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30Then " 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' 31For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
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I think for most people when they read the words we just read, the first thing that comes to their mind is “huh?” Here you are in the midst of this incredible drama, moving long with it as it unfolds and suddenly you have Jesus talking about barren women, people crying out for the mountains to fall on them and something about when the tree is green and when its dry---and you find yourself scratching your head and saying to yourself “I don’t get it.” And then if you’re like most of us, after taking a momentary pause, you just move on and leave the words a mystery. But let’s not do that today. Because you see, I’ve found that these words reveal something wonderful about Jesus that we’d never put together if we simply pass over them. Now I don’t want to go into all the details, that would take too long. So let me simply give you the jest of things. The Jews have always considered the birth of a child as a blessed event, something to rejoice about. Even when they were in captivity, living as slaves, the birth of a child was a joyous occasion; it was seen as evidence that God was still on their side, still blessing them. Barrenness on the other hand was viewed as a curse, a harsh judgment of God for some sin that had been committed. Knowing that that was the cultural mindset of the Jews, it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that the Jewish nation would have to be undergoing some awful, terrible judgment and times would have to be incredibly tough for a Jew to say that the woman who was barren was better off than the woman who had kids. But Jesus said He saw such a time coming---He saw a time coming for the Jews where they would rather the mountains fall on them than face the alternative. Most Bible commentators agree that what Jesus was speaking about was the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, something that would take place about 35 years after He died. The Romans would come down so hard upon the Jews at that time that in a matter of days they’d leave thousands upon thousands of Jews dead---and many of them would be killed by crucifixion---so many that one ancient historian claimed that before the rampage was over there wasn’t any wood left to be found in the city with which the Romans could make any more crosses.
So then, I wonder if you see what’s going on here? Jesus ---after all of the abuses He’s already taken is being forced on His way to the place He’s going to be crucified and in these moments of exchange between Himself and the women who are crying for Him, Jesus’ heart is heavy, not because of what is about to happen to Him, but because of what He knows will be happening soon in Jerusalem. [SLIDE] In short, as Jesus was treading the road to the cross, His heart was filled with compassion for others. And it would remain that way in His final hours. It would shine forth as Jesus would ask God to forgive the people crucifying Him because, He said, “they don’t know what they’re doing…” We’d see it as Jesus instructs John to take care of his mother. Jesus compassion would be such that He would forgive one of the thieves that was being crucified with Him telling the man “today you’ll be with me in paradise.” Is it any wonder that sometimes we sing “Amazing love, how can it be, that you, my Lord, would die for me?”
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Besides being struck by the compassion Jesus showed on the way to the cross, I was struck by the miracles Matthew mentions which are not mentioned in the other gospel accounts----and in particular one detail he makes note of in regards to one specific miracle. Let’s look now in Matthew 27. Skipping down to verse 45 we read… [SCRIPTURE SLIDES…]
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
[BLANK SLIDE]
Any of you watch the recent eclipse of the moon? I watched it for a little while after my daughter Shannon had called me on my cell phone to remind me about it. She knows I enjoy those special events of nature. Talk about special events of nature---. [SLIDE] While Jesus is hanging on the cross, a strange darkness covers the land in the middle of the day. Luke states in his account that the sun stopped shining; perhaps the darkness covered the world and even shut out the light of the moon. This was no eclipse though. The darkness lasted from noon until three in the afternoon, until the moment of Jesus’ death. Matthew though isn’t the only one to mention that miracle and I said earlier it was a little detail in Matthew that struck me. [SLIDE] The miracle of the temple curtain being torn from top to bottom isn’t what I’m after either because it’s mentioned in all four gospels. [SLIDE] Now it’s true, Matthew is the only gospel writer that mentions there being an earthquake at the exact moment of Jesus’ death. And it was an earthquake of such magnitude that rocks split. Apparently the whole of creation convulsed at the moment its Creator breathed His last. But that’s not the detail either. By now you’ve probably figured it out---it’s the pre-resurrection resurrection activities which only Matthew makes note of. [SLIDE] Matthew says that at the moment of Jesus death as the earth was quaking, some tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people were raised to life. And while that itself is incredible, I had read about that before and had taken mental note of it. What I’d read before though on who knows how many occasions but had always seemed to slip by me was [SLIDE] the fact that these people who were raised from the dead waited until after Jesus was resurrected before they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people. I had never before really paid any attention to that little detail…but then this week I watched a video curriculum called “The Murder of Jesus.” The featured teacher was Dr. John MacArthur and at one point he zeroed in on this little detail and he offered this explanation---the reason they didn’t go into Jerusalem before Jesus, the reason they waited for Jesus is because [SLIDE] they knew that rightfully Jesus was to be the firstborn from the dead---meaning that Jesus had preeminence, Jesus was the most important---He was the one to be given first place in all things. So out of respect and acknowledgement of Jesus rightful position, these few holy persons who were privileged to experience a bodily resurrection at the time of Jesus’ death waited. What the did and where they went during the time between Jesus’ death and His resurrection we’re not told about---only that they waited until after Jesus’ resurrection before they appeared to anyone. [BLANK SLIDE] Where are they now? The Bible doesn’t tell us but I assume that they too like the prophet Elijah were taken body and soul to heaven---I’m guessing it happened shortly after making their appearances in Jerusalem and that that’s why nothing is ever again mentioned about them in the Bible.
Now Matthew’s writing of the resurrection of these holy people will be a stumbling block for many people. They’ll come across it or hear about it as you have today---and it will raise doubts in their mind. Others will see it as even more cause to continue in their unbelief. But then again there will be some, like me, who will see it as even more reason to believe. Matthew wrote that these resurrected holy people waited for Jesus. To me that little detail’s not cause for doubt or unbelief. [SLIDE] Rather it’s cause for faith. The fact that they waited says to me---[SLIDE] These holy people knew their place. [SLIDE] They knew whose power it was that raised them. [SLIDE] And they knew their Savior---and He was Jesus. So with great joy, I believe they waited for His resurrection---His return if you will to the land of the living. [BLANK SLIDE] I see in the things associated with these resurrected holy people a prophetic foreshadowing of the final resurrection ---to me God raised a few holy people at that time to remind us all that we can look forward to the end of time when all the dead will be raised and even more specifically to that wonderful moment when those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior will follow Him into the kingdom of heaven and into the new Jerusalem.
As fascinating as I find these little details –much, much more important than our catching them is our not missing the big picture of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. [SLIDE] Obviously the big picture reminds us that God’s serious about punishing sin. He always has been. If you have any doubts about God being serious about punishing sin, you need to read and reread what was done to Jesus. The suffering and pain, the darkness and forsakenness, even the death of Jesus took place because God’s serious about punishing sin.
[SLIDE] A second piece of the big picture is that Jesus’ suffering and death was enough to pay the full price for every sin that you or I have ever or will ever commit. I remember the first time I bought a car. About two weeks after signing the bank loan papers this little package arrived in the mail with a payment coupon book in it. Each month when it came time to make my payment on the loan, I’d tear out a coupon and send a check along with it back to the bank. I followed that routine for about four years until lo and behold that great day came when I tore out the last coupon and sent in the last payment. A few weeks later I received another package in the mail from the bank. In it was the original loan documents stamped paid in full. That was about twenty five years ago---but you know I’ve always been afraid that the bank may have messed up in their figuring---I’ve always kind of had my doubts that the papers they sent me weren’t quite right and that the stamp paid in full didn’t really mean paid in full so every now and then I send them another payment check for good measure to protect my credit rating. No, I don’t. That would be crazy! But some Christians seem to think that way. When they talk about getting into heaven they talk as if they’ll get in because they still have a good credit rating with God. “I’m a pretty good person” “I try to live a good life” they say. Friends none of us will get into heaven because we have maintained some kind of good people rating with God. If that was what was required of us to get into heaven---we’d all be in trouble because according to Romans 3:23 “We all fall short of the glory of God.” The only way anyone of us will ever get into heaven is by having our sin debt paid in full. We can’t pay the debt ourselves…but the good news of the Bible is that Jesus has already paid it in full. The payment Jesus made for us though isn’t automatically credited to our account. We have to humble ourselves before God and ask for Jesus payment to be applied to us. Once it has---we don’t need to try to pay it ourselves anymore, we can just enjoy the new relationship we now have with God. Jesus words “It is finished” from the cross mean “it’s done. The price is paid in full.” Likewise, the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus death signified that Jesus death was sufficient and that it opened the way for all men to enjoy a new relationship with God. Like the old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.”
[SLIDE] Personally folks, I think it’s impossible to see big picture of Jesus’ suffering and death without seeing the incredible love of God. This love keeps coming at us over and over again in the things we read Jesus endured for us. The spitting, hitting and insults---the thorns, the nails, the shame---the mocking, the embarrassment, and being forsaken---all of the things Jesus went through for us serve as evidence of the incredible love He has for us. Jesus wasn’t a victim---as far as the beatings and suffering and crucifixion went, Jesus didn’t get in over His head---the situation was never beyond His control. He could have stopped things at any moment. But He chose not to because of His love for us. I believe that just as the angry mob that came to the Garden of Gethsemane could not take Jesus by force, nails could not hold Jesus to the cross. It wasn’t nails, it was love that kept Jesus on the cross. And when Jesus died, it wasn’t because others took His life from Him, it was because He gave it up for us. I hope you noticed how the Bible describes Jesus dying breath---it says He gave up His spirit. Remember Jesus words---He described Himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for us. He said He had the power to lay it down and to take it up again. As Jesus died he proved His love for us and His power over sin and death.
Max Lucado writes:
[God’s love] “is the reason for the cross. He loves the world.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16 NLT)
As boldly as the center beam proclaims God’s holiness, the crossbeam declares his love. And, of, how wide his love reaches.
Aren’t you glad the verse does not read:
"For God so loved the rich..."?
Or, "For God so loved the famous..."?
Or, "for God so loved the thin..."?
It doesn’t. Nor does it state, "for God so loved the Europeans or Africans..." " the sober or successful..." "the young or the old..." No, when we read John 3:16, we simply (and happily) read, "For God so loved the world." How wide is God’s love? Wide enough for the whole world. Are you included in the world? Then you are included in God’s love.
[SLIDE] This then brings us to one last part of the big picture that we dare not miss---it’s the fact that we must make a personal choice about Jesus in light of all of these things that we now know about Him. The things that Jesus endured and the way He endured them---they changed the mind of one of the two thieves who was crucified next to Jesus. At first both thieves insulted Jesus and ridiculed Him. But somewhere along the line something must have clicked in the mind of one of the thieves because before Jesus died He ended up humbling asking Jesus to remember him when he enters his kingdom. The things Jesus endured and the way He endured them together with the miracles surrounding His death—the darkness, the earthquake, the resurrections of some holy people----all these things played together in changing the minds of many of the people who saw them---remember the words of Matthew 27:54---it read When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
But what about you? Having heard these things, has anything clicked in your mind? Has any of your thinking about Jesus changed? In your heart, who do you say Jesus is? I hope you can say like the centurian “truly Jesus is the Son of God” but more than that---I hope you can also say He is my Lord and Savior.
If you can’t say that yet but want to be able to---then I hope you’ll make the choice to seek God’s forgiveness, to invite Jesus into your heart and to be baptized in the next few moments. If you want to do those things and become a Christian or if you’re already an immersed believer and you’d like to a member of Central, please come and join me down front… as we stand and sing our invitation hymn “I surrender all” [SONG SLIDES]
NOTE TO THOSE WHO READ AND OR CHOOSE TO MAKE USE OF ANY OR ALL OF THIS SERMON: I am sharing this sermon with the hopes it will be an encouragement to others. I apologize for any blatant typing errors! If you find any I’d appreciate hearing from you so I can correct them. I try to give credit where credit is due, noting writers and or sources to the best of my ability. I have for years been drawing from a wealth of sources including this website. I recognize that my mind and writing processes are fallible. I may occasionally fail to properly identify a source. Please do not take offense if you see anything of this nature. I never intend to plagiarize. Having said that I want you to feel free to draw from my message. When appropriate I hope you will give credit as I do. But most of all I hope Christ will be lifted up and God will receive the glory in all things.
