Introduction: At Calvary we learn much about both: the evilness of man and the love of God. Let us look closely at Calvary this morning and see the horrors of Calvary. Our Lord hung between two thieves. It was a custom that the bodies must be removed before sun-down. In order to speed up the process, the soldiers were sent to break the legs of the victims. Scriptures declared concerning Jesus, that not a bone of his would be broken. So they broke the legs of the two thieves and they acknowledge that Jesus was already dead. It should be noted that the others died because of external forces. But Jesus died when he willed to die. He laid down his life with the authority to take it up again. Jesus was the only man ever to die with power over dying. No man took his life, he gave it up. One of the soldiers did what he wasn’t sent to do. After verifying the death of our LORD. He enigmatically stabbed him in the side. I chose the word stabbed because often we can become too familiar with words, that they lose their efficacy. We hear the word pierce so much, I think that its impact has become mitigated. So I say; this morning, that the soldier stabbed Jesus. Subsequent to which, the bible declared that "blood and water" came forth. Let us see this awful event with our eyes of faith. The text teaches us the following things:
I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR SIN. (Our sin sent our Lord to a cross)
II. THE SACRIFICE OF OUR SAVIOR. (He suffered on ouir behalf)
III. THE SICKNESS OF HUMANITY. (The soldier stabbed him when He was already dead)
IV. THE SURENESS OF THE SCRIPTURES. (The scriptures declared none of His bones would be broken)
V. THE SORROW OF MY SOUL. (We still stabbed him when we disobey HIs word)
VI. THE STRENGHT OF HIS LOVE. (Our sin put the cross on Jesus but His love kept Him on the cross)
VII. THE SUBSTANCE OF HIS BODY. (Blood and water) HIs humanity verified without a doubt..
Lord’s Supper and baptism
The church (His bride came forth)
Atonement came forth
Remissions of sins came forth
Resurrection life came forth
Conclusion: The soldier didn’t know the blessings he caused when he opened the side of our LORD.
May God Bless You
Pastor R.L. Johnson Sr.,
