Series: One Thing
Illustration:
Years ago the movie “City Slickers” came out and there is a scene in the movie where one old cowboy and a city slicker are discussing, what is the main focus of life. In other words “What is the meaning of life?” and the old cowboy holds his finger up and says, “Life is about one thing and one thing only and everything else means nothing when you discover the one thing!” (paraphrase) The city slicker impressed and awed by the old cowboy’s wisdom says “What is the One Thing?” the old cowboy looks at him and says, “That’s what you have to figure out!”
So tonight and on Easter I am going to challenge you to discover the true meaning of life – discovering that “One Thing” which puts everything else into perspective in your life.
Please, hold up your one finger and then look at it – that finger represents to everyone one of us here that “One Thing” your purpose for life, or your mission in life, or what matters most in life! Look to the person next to you and say “I am going to figure out what that One Thing is!”
Last Sunday’s message focused on One Man – One Mission! That One Man is Jesus! Now remember when you discover the “One Thing” then everything else in life comes into clear perspective.
Tonight I want to focus on the One Man and His One Mission and the most incredible moment of the completion of His Mission when we hear One cry!
“One Cry”
Thesis: Jesus cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” is a desperate cry of loneliness. I believe this was the worst and the most horrible moment of the crucifixion for Jesus. When sin invaded His life and the Father walked away! He felt totally alone! His one cry reveals to us the depth of His suffering for us!
Scripture Text: Mark 15:33-39
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at 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?”
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Introduction:
We are fast approaching Easter and I would like to remind you about what was the worst part of the crucifixion for Jesus. Today is Good Friday and one that day about 2,000 years ago we heard a one cry from Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” I hear a desperate cry of loneliness in this one cry from Jesus. I believe this was the worst, the most horrible moment of the crucifixion for Jesus. His one cry reveals to us the depth of His love and His suffering for us!
I. Jesus’ one cry on the cross reveals the loss of His personal relationship with “Abba’ Father
a. Peter’s records the account of that Friday through John Mark and shares this moment in time and reveals to us Jesus’ One Cry!
b. In the Gospel of Mark which we just read Jesus cried out and Peter who was not even at the cross heard His cry! Peter was forever impacted by this cry that he never heard with his natural ears.
i. Jesus one cry - It pierced to His heart and soul!
ii. Jesus one cry - It struck Him so deeply that he records it in his telling of Jesus story and gives no other details.
1. When we read Mark 15:33-39 we discover that it records only one cry by Jesus at the crucifixion.
2. Mark’s Gospel is written from Peter’s view point and it only emphasizes one agonizing lonely cry.
iii. Have you ever wondered why?
1. Why would Peter only include in his account the one cry of Jesus on the cross? Could it be that Peter could relate to this point of the crucifixion. It stands to reason from what the other Gospel writers recorded that Peter was deeply impacted by this moment in time. His re-telling of what he heard about the crucifixion centers in on Jesus’ One cry. We know that He was not there because he had denied Christ the night before. He had fled and maybe he had already started heading back to his home town and back to his old trade of fishing. Maybe he remembers this time on the cross because of what he was doing at that same time. Could it be that he was at this horrible moment for Jesus walking back home in utter defeat. He was upset crying, weeping and having to face the separation between Him and Jesus? He had denied Jesus the one he loved! How could he have done that? Could it be this moment in time sticks out to him because he would have known the pain of being alone with sin rushing through over his life. He was facing it at the same time! Could it be that Peter knew how special Jesus relationship with ‘Abba” Father was? Peter being close to Jesus would have known how deeply the Father’s separation from Jesus would have hurt His Lord. He knew how lonely and hurtful it would have been for Jesus at this point in time. Peter knew the feeling when you are separated from the one you love the most? Remember Peter experienced what happens when you reject the Lord and fall into sin. He was even warned by the Lord but he fell prey to temptation and denied the Lord 3x and then the rooster crowed. He knew the pain and agony of it all. So he chooses to put in one lonely cry at the crucifixion. Maybe when he heard about the “One cry” from the others his mind reflected back to his nightmare of denial and the lonely feeling of rejection?
a. Peter knew the feeling of being alone and feeling abandoned in His sin. For him it was a horrible moment in time and he knew it was the worst part of the crucifixion for Jesus.
c. Jesus one cry of loneliness reveals the loss of His intimate relationship with the Father. Remember Jesus had never been out of God’s presence before and now he has to face isolation from the Father.
i. We know from the Garden account that Jesus received His strength to follow God’s will because He was not totally alone. God “Abba” was with Him! His strength to say “yes” to the Father was associated with their close intimate relationship with “Abba” but now He is all alone.
ii. Cay you hear His cry tonight? Even though you were not at the cross?
T.S. - You might be thinking, “Why did God the Father leave His beloved Son?” The reason is: Because at this moment in history Jesus became sin for us! And God has no relationship with sin! He cannot because He is a holy God!
II. Jesus one cry of loneliness also reveals the consequences of sin- separation from the Father.
a. As I watched the Passion a while back I noticed that the darkness has settled in at this point, the physical agony is ripping at Jesus’ life. Then it happens it’s a flash flood of something foreign to His very nature. Sin enters into His sinless life. Yes, sin invades like a Cancer into His being and the horror of sin rushes over Him. The darkness of the day is reflective of the darkness that invaded the light of the world. Light has been invaded by the darkness and the loneliness of sin is setting in and Jesus cries out.
i. Can you hear His cry today? Peter gives us insight into this moment in time again in 1 Peter 2:21-25 and tells us at this point in time the sin of the world invades Jesus life and he becomes the sacrifice to atone for all of our sins.
1. 1 Peter 2:21-25: 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
a. The pain and the suffering of Jesus reached its peak right here at this moment in the crucifixion. His father “Abba” turned away from Him because of the sin factor.
ii. Remember God is holy and because He is holy He cannot embrace sin. God always turns from that which is sin and He will always distance Himself from sin.
1. God always will reject a life filled with unrepentant sin.
a. Let me ask again” “Can you hear His desperate cry?
iii. Whenever sin infects a life the Father has to walk away because he is holy and sin has no part of His nature.
T.S. – Jesus one cry echoes in our ears tonight and reminds us that at this moment of the cross Jesus is all alone and has lost the most important relationship to Him. Jesus’ personal relationship with “Abba’ father. But Jesus was driven to this point in time by the power of love and by God’s love for you and I.
III. Jesus’ one cry reveals His love for us.
a. I want you to think about this for a moment. Jesus the Son of God chose to take upon Himself the sin of the world so that you and I could be set free. He did this for you and for me!
i. The light is fading as sin takes over the life of Christ. He hangs there in agony of spirit and soul as sin eats at His holiness. Then the most horrible moment in the Life of Christ happens -- God walks away from Him.
1. God His “Abba Father” walks away from Him in His agony because sin has enveloped Jesus. Jesus sees God departing from sin – He experiences utter loneliness for the first time in His life and He cries out in desperation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
2. In essence He cries, “Where are you going God! Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me to face this horror all alone!”
b. Jesus’ most important personal relationship - the thing that He valued the most- was His relationship with His Father. But love drove Him to this point in time.
i. His relationship with “Abba” gave Him purpose, it gave Him hope, it gave Him strength, and it gave Him life. But when He became enveloped in sin He lost His most important reason for living. He lost his most valuable relationship. This is why He cried out to His Father. It hurt deeply and it pierced His heart and His mind more so than the spear or the nails. It wrenched deep into His soul and His spirit. But God had no choice He could not, nor would He ever embrace sin - even in His own beloved Son. Therefore Jesus experienced the worst ordeal He could have ever imagined the loneliness of rejection by His Father. We need to remember that rejection of the Father is the consequence of un-repented sin.
ii. But here is the most amazing part of the Gospel. He did it willingly so that you and I could have a relationship with the Father!
c. Love made the cross possible so that you and I could gain the privilege of a personal relationship with “Abba” Father.
i. Jesus right here in this agonizing moment of lonliness is fulfilling the One Mission from God the Father:
1. John 3:16-17 – The One Mission: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
a. He is the One person in all of History who meets the criteria and fulfills all the prophetic verses of the OT.
b. He is now alone to face the horrible darkness of sin –alone – abandoned and it’s overwhelming to Him.
i. Jesus cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!
ii. He did this for you and me and love drove Him to this point to lose the most valuable relationship Jesus had ever known – His Father’s
Conclusion:
Our passage of Scripture ends with an observation by the soldier at the cross. He stood there and heard His one agonizing cry of loneliness and then saw how He died. He witnessed the darkness roll in and experienced the earth quake. It shook him to his core.
Scripture tells us that he heard His cry! He saw how He died! And it changed this soldier’s life! How do I know listen to what he says, “Surely this man was the Son of God !”
Let me ask you this question with the Easter season upon us, “Can you say surely this man was the Son of God?” If you can then understand it should change your lifestyle and the way you live!
Altar call:
Jesus – The One Man revealed to us the One Thing through His One Cry and fulfilled the One Mission to bless us with the One Thing. The One Thing which he treasured the most was His personal relationship with “Abba” Father. His willingness to give that up for you and offer it to you as free gift from Him cost Him everything!
Can you hear His cry tonight?
This cry is for you and are you willing to hear it and embrace it?
Are you willing to accept His free gift to you tonight?
Do you want the One Thing? A personal relationship with “Abba” Father ?
