Jesus Is …
Sacrifice
Dr. Marty Baker / March 24, 2013
Hello! My name is Marty Baker and I want to welcome you to Stevens Creek Church. We are so glad that you are here today. Today we are joining with millions of Christians around the world and celebrating Palm Sunday. Today, we remember Jesus as the one who rode victoriously into Jerusalem with the crowds waving Palm branches crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Hosanna means “Lord, save us.” The multitudes that day recognized Jesus as the Messiah and cried out, “Lord, save us.”
In today’s world we use the word “save” so loosely that we often lose sight of how powerful that concept really is. For the most part, when we think about saving someone, we think about someone going under in a pool of water and we toss a life-preserver their way and they are saved from drowning. Or maybe we think about putting something away for safe keeping. We can think of a lot of different ways to save.
Ways to Save:
In this box, there are several items that demonstrate ways to save. Here’s the first one and probably the most familiar ….
1. Piggy Bank.
I had one of these when I was a kid. I was encouraged to put my lose change in it. To this day, my Dad has a glass jug that he puts his lose change in. It’s a simple way to save.
2. Coupons.
Coupons are a great way to save. For instance, you can get twice as much food if you use this coupon right here (show coupon). If you eat all of that food, you will gain weight. Then, you can use this coupon to get two free weeks at the gym. Did you know we have a small group that shares faith and coupons here at The Creek. They have taken the concept of saving one step further.
Speaking of saving, when I was in high school I worked at …the saving place. I did not work at a church; I worked at Kmart … the savings place.
I started working at Kmart loading fertilizer and garden supplies. Then, they found out I could talk and I became one of the blue light special folks. The blue light special was flashing blue light on a pole that shoppers ran to for savings.
If you were in my store in those days, you may heard this: Kmart Shoppers, the blue light is now flashing in our garden department where you will find 5-10-10 fertilizer for the low price of 2.99. Yes, that’s 2.99 for the next ten minutes so hurry on back to the garden shop and as always, “Thank You for shopping here at Kmart.”
We love to save and saving is important. Here’s the next item in our box. (Hold up a floppy disk)
3. Floppy Disk
I realize that there may be some folks here that do not know what this is. It’s a floppy disk. I learned about floppy disk the hard way.
I graduated college in 1983. In those days, we did not have computers at our college. We used type writers and white out. Shortly after graduation, I entered the master’s program at Samford University. Graduate school was different than college. People were serious about their studies and the library had computers.
At this point in my life, I had only heard about computers and had never really used one. One day, I went to the library and sat down at a computer and started typing like I knew what I was doing. After an hour or so, I hit a button and my work disappeared. I went to the librarian and asked her how to get my work off the computer. She said, “Do you have a floppy drive?” I said, “What’s a floppy drive?” I learned a practical lesson … the difference of work being saved and work being lost.
Speaking of college, here’s the last item in the box. This item is familiar to all of us. This one reminds us the pain of being lost. What is it?
4. Save the “A”.
We all know about this one. Needless to say, we lost our appeal and we did not save the “A”. It’s painful to be on the losing side.
Like I said earlier, we use the word “save” so loosely that we often forget how powerful that concept is … the concept that Jesus saves us.
On Palm Sunday in AD 29, the crowds lined the streets of Jerusalem and waved Palms Branches as Jesus rode into town. They cried out, “Lord, save us.”
Later that week, the tables turned and those same individuals cried out, “Crucify him.” It all started when on Thursday of Passover, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples. He was arrested, taken to the Caiaphas’ house and interrogated.
As the sun rose, he was taken to the Governor’s Mansion where Pilate heard the charges against him. He then was carried before Herod and then back to Pilate. This is when Pilate, trying to appease the crowd, sent Jesus to be flogged. We see this in John 19.
John 19:1-6
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe
3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."
5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
Pilate had an opportunity to take a stand for truth, but instead he gave into the pressure of the crowd and had him flogged. Flogging was a method of punishment designed to take a person to the point of death, and then release them to heal on their own.
They used a whip called the “cat of nine tails”. It was a stick with nine strips of leather that featured four pieces of bone or glass on the end of each strip.
The bone, metal or glass insured that a person’s skin would be ripped. With nine strips of leather with four fragments of bone, metal or glass, a person who received one lash actually suffered from thirty-six abrasions to the skin.
The Jewish law stated that a person could not be beaten more than forty times, but Pilate was operating under the Roman law which had no limit. Flogging was such a severe form of punishment that many people died from it. When the soldiers had finished flogging Jesus, they placed a crown of thorns on his head and a robe on his mutilated back and mocked him as they struck him in the face.
Jesus was then sent back to Pilate’s court and before the angry crowd, the words “Crucify Him, Crucify Him” rang from the mob.
Pilate was perplexed because a normal criminal would be flogged or crucified, but not both. Crucifixion was the cruelest method of capital punishment of their day.
John 19:16-17
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
At this point, a Roman soldier placed a wooden beam called the patibulum on the outstretched arms, neck and shoulders of Jesus. The patibulum was the cross bar that a common criminal would carry as he was led to the place of execution. It weighed approximately 120 pounds and would eventually be placed on the vertical post which was called the stipes crucis. For Jesus the place of execution was called Golgotha, a hill outside of Jerusalem.
The road from Pilate’s judgment seat to Golgotha was called the Via Dolorosa, or the way of suffering. As Jesus attempted to carry the cross, he stumbled and fell. The second time he stumbled, the Roman soldiers grabbed a stranger who is in the crowd and told him to carry the cross. This man’s name was Simon.
Luke 23:26
As 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.
When they arrived at the place of execution, the soldiers placed the patibulum onto the vertical post. This put intense pressure upon the victim's chest and made it impossible for him to breathe unless his feet were fastened to the stake.
The Bible teaches us that the hands and feet of Jesus were nailed to the cross. Jesus would then be able to press down on them and gain some temporary respite. In this way a fit person - despite the agony - would be able to stave off death for at least a day or two. Victims have been known to survive for up to a week before succumbing to exhaustion or thirst, or if nails were used, blood poisoning.
Crucifixion was a brutal way to die. Why did he die like this? All during this process Jesus remained relatively silent. He could have spoken and called ten thousand angels to set him free, but instead, he chose to bear the pain and embrace the cross.
Once he was on the cross, Jesus spoke. He made seven statements that we are going to talk about. The first statement that Jesus made would be an unusual statement for most people. He said, “Father, forgive them.”
Seven Statements From the Cross
1. Father Forgive Them.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Jesus was mistreated and yet in the midst of all of this injustice, He still prayed for their forgiveness. He set an example for us by extending forgiveness to those hurt him.
Several weeks ago, many of the students from our church attended Winter Jam Concert at the James Brown Arena. This was a Christian music concert featuring several bands.
Matthew West told how Renee’ Napier’s story inspired his current song called, “Forgiveness.” You see, Renee’ did something that many people would consider impossible.
Renne’ had four kids and one night her daughter Megan and a friend where coming home from the beach when they were hit by a 24 year old drunk driver named Eric Smallridge.
Megan lost her life. Eric killed both girls in that car wreck. In an instant, Renee’ lost her daughter. The next thing that she knows is that she finds herself in a court room watching a 24 year old man get sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Renee’s life changed. She said, “I now have a mission that I never would have chosen.” What she meant by that was that in the years that followed, Renee’ began to travel around to schools and churches and she would speak about the dangers of drunk driving. But as the years progressed she felt like something was missing from her presentation. That’s when God put it on her heart that she had not forgiven this man who took the life of her daughter.
So, she reached out and did the impossible. She reached out to Eric in prison and said, “I forgive you.” The ripple effect of that act of forgiveness is still being felt today. That young man’s life was absolutely changed because this woman forgave him. He said, “I can’t even forgive myself and she forgave me.” Eric said that he found his eternal salvation as a result of this act.
One by one all of Renee’s family members followed her lead and they reached out and expressed forgiveness to Eric. So much so, that now they described Eric as a part of their family like a son to Renee’.
The story does not stop there. Renee’ went to court along with her family and she was able to have Eric’s sentence cut in half from 22 years to 11 years. She wanted Eric to have a second chance at life. He was released from prison this past November and now he travels with her as they share not only about the dangers of drunk driving, but also about the power of forgiveness. Eric is free today because of the power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus modeled forgiveness for us on the cross when extended forgiveness to those who had hurt him. We need to do the same. Jesus made seven statements from the cross. The second statement that Jesus made was, “You will be with me in paradise.”
2. You will be with Me.
Luke 23:43
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
This statement is directed toward one of the thieves on the cross. This guy had broken the laws of the land and he was crucified for that reason. There’s no doubt that his sins must have been well known and heinous. But, the severity of his sin didn’t alter his chance of being saved. Don’t ever think that you are too bad to be saved. The vilest offender who truly believes can be pardoned.
There were two thieves crucified with Jesus that day, one cried out for help and one did not. On thief mocked Jesus while the other one recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. It is interesting that this thief called him by the name Jesus. Most people called him Rabbi, Master, or Lord. The thief was not being disrespectful, but was united with Jesus in his suffering and called him Jesus.
There will be times when we will be called to suffer along with Christ. I think about the American Pastor, Saeed Abedini who is currently being held in an Iranian prison. The news reported two weeks ago that he has been beaten and abused daily simply because of his Christian faith.
There will be times when you may suffer for your faith. Jesus will be with you when you go through these times. He will not turn away, but will walk with you through the difficult seasons.
Jesus looked at the thief on the cross and said, “You will be with me in paradise”. The next sentence that Jesus utters is “Dear Woman, here is your son.”
3. Dear Woman, here is your son.
John 19:26
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"
When Jesus uses the term “woman”, the cultural implication of this phrase was that of “deep respect.” Jesus was honoring his mother.
The concept of honor seems to be disappearing from our culture. Jesus used this time on the cross to honor his mother. How do we honor our parents?
As a child, we honor our parents by obeying them. As an adolescent, we honor our parents by respecting them. As an adult, we honor our parents by supporting them.
Since Jesus was the oldest son, it was His responsibility to always see that His mother was cared for. He gave the responsibility of caring for His mother to his close friend John.
John 19:27
and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
It didn’t require a long explanation for John to know what was meant. We read that from that hour John took Mary into his own home. John was ready and acted without hesitation.
Jesus made seven statements from the cross; the fourth one was recorded in Matthew 27:46.
Matthew 27:46
About 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?"
4. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
At this point, all of the sins of the world are placed on Jesus. God, who is holy, cannot bear to look on sin, so He turns away. It was a dark moment, but for every dark night, there is a brilliant day that follows. Even though God looked away, He did not desert Him.
In our darkest nights, God may seem so far away, but he is as close as the mention of His name. We call out in prayer.
5. I am thirsty
John 19:28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
The hours of torture on the Cross took a tremendous toll on the body of Jesus. Execution by crucifixion was not a sudden death like being shot by a firing squad. It was a long drawn out, lingering death carried out under the Eastern sun. His wounded hands and feet would be quickly inflamed, resulting in a fever of thirst and His body would soon be dehydrated.
The sufferings were real. Although Jesus was divine he was also uniquely man and felt all the emotions and pain as we feel them. Jesus had earlier refused to drink a drugged wine designed to alleviate to some extent the intensity of the coming suffering, but now his mission almost complete his cry of thirst could be met from a sponge dipped in vinegar. In fact it was necessary that his lips should be moistened because he had yet two momentous Words to utter which the world must hear clearly. The next statement is “It is finished.”
6. It is finished.
John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
At this point, Jesus said, “the plan of salvation is complete.” The final statement that Jesus made from the cross was to his heaven Father. We see this in Luke 23:46.
Luke 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
7. I commit my spirit.
There will come a day when all of us will breathe our last breath. The point here is that Jesus’ life was not taken, but he willingly gave it up. The devil did not kill Jesus; the Jews did not kill Jesus, but Jesus gave his life as a ransom for you and me.
As we begin Holy Week, I want you to remember his sacrifice. I want you to open your heart and allow Christ’s suffering and His death to be applied to your life.
This past week in preparation for this message, I watched the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” The movie started with a screen shot of these words:
SLIDE: By his wounds we are healed.
This words actually come from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament:
Isaiah 53:5-6
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
Jesus died so that you and I could be made whole. He died so that our sins could be forgiven. He died so that our souls could be healed.
Have you been saved? We started off talking about ways to save …. True salvation only comes one way and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
His presence is here today and if you will invite Him to be the leader and the Lord of your life, you will be saved.
Closing Prayer
Healing Prayer
