At the Cross is …Love
Luke 23:32-43
Introduction-
Today I start a series called “At the Cross.” We will look at the cross to see what Jesus has done for us and provided for us. It will conclude as we look at the empty tomb and His resurrection on Easter Morning.
The most common religious symbol in the western world is the cross.
Crosses on churches
Crosses on jewelry.
Athletes blessing themselves before an event while holding a cross.
I want you to understand that during the time of Jesus that a cross was a symbol of shame, embarrassment, and a symbol of terror.
No Roman would wear a cross around his/her neck.
Romans used it as a very painful way to execute someone, so bad that no Roman citizen could be executed that way. It was reserved for slaves, robbers, rebels, and assassins.
To Romans to die on the cross would represent the worse way to die.
Luke 23:32-43
What does the cross mean to you?
It was not always a sign of being a Christian. If fact, no Roman citizen ever pictured the cross as being religious.
It was not until Constantine in the 4th century adapted it as a religious sign. It was his good luck charm. He also had it put on his soldiers shield.
What does it mean to you personally?
Good luck charm?
Kissing it like a blessed symbol of God’s protection?
What it means to you will determine how you live your life. How you picture Jesus on or off the cross influences how you live your life.
On the cross- The man Jesus who suffered and died- story unfinished.
Off the cross- The God/Man Jesus who suffered and died and was resurrected.
Two thieves, both criminals, hung on a cross aside of each other and Jesus.
One hurled insults- “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us”!
The other rebuked him- “Don’t you fear God? (42) Then he said, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
The eternal words of Jesus that changed his life forever- “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
According to Roman culture it may be a shameful way of dying, but to a believer what Jesus did on that cross was a symbol of life, love and forgiveness.
The God of the universe, the maker of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the one that was before time died on that cross to find us and to rescue us. If that is not love, I don’t know what love is.
Even if the story ended there, you could not deny God’s love for each one of us. Thank God, it did not end there.
He loved us and rescued us before we even realized that we needed saving.
The criminal that hung there and blasphemed God reminds us of how our world is today.
Most people would drive Jesus to the cross again if they could.
There rebellious attitude, their lack of commitment, there looking only for the blessing of God without serving or knowing God.
Demanding God to show them something or proving He is God by miracles and blessings to people that have no regard for God.
Listen, there is no greater love God could have shown mankind than what He did on the cross of Calvary.
John 3:16-
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 5:8-
“But God demonstrated his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Galatians 2:20-
“I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me, and the live which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
John 4:10-
“This is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
See the cross for what it is- The love of God in action!
Jesus loves you! He went to the extreme of the cross to show you.
There was no other way He could of shown you His love that leaves us with an opportunity of eternity with Him.
We have more in common with the criminal than we want to admit.
God tells us we must do it His way- we tell God I’ll do it my way.
When things don’t go our way, we doubt His love.
We begin demanding God prove Himself again to us and show us that He loves us by our standards.
To truly experience God’s love, we have to grasp this truth- “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
The Romans did not put Jesus on the cross, our sins did. He freely chose to go to the cross because He loves each one of us.
To truly experience God’s love, we have to have a change of heart- just like the criminal condemned to die.
(40) “Don’t you fear God? He said, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
When we truly experience God’s love, it changes us.
We stop mocking God and begin serving Him.
We have a change of heart.
We confess our sinful life so that He can fully shed His love upon us.
Sorry is a start, but is not enough. It takes a 180 degree turn.
Repentance without change is not repentance.
Some are trying to experience God’s love without change.
He loves you the way you are, but His love will change you.
At the foot of the cross is God’s love. You cannot experience it in its fullness without going to the cross.
If we try to get His love any other way, we deceive ourselves.
If we think the simple message of the cross is not enough to describe the love of God, we have missed the mark.
Could we stand before our heavenly Father and say that sacrificing His only son was not enough?
Could we stand before Jesus and telling Him that giving His life was not enough?
Could we possible say to all the martyrs over the centuries who have died for their faith and say that it is not enough?
To promise an unbeliever anything more than the full mercy and compassion of Jesus on the cross would go beyond scripture.
Paul said “I determine not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
What is happening this morning is God wants to show you His love.
In fact, His word promises it if you will let Him, you can experience His love today.
Begins with repentance, just like the criminal on the cross. You and I must realize that without Christ, we would get what we deserve instead of mercy and God’s love of forgiveness.
Repentance brings the Spirit of God flooding our souls with God’s love.
I repent of my life as a criminal.
I repent of my mocking God by doing things my way instead of God’s way.
I believe that you died for me and that you love me.
(Isaac Watts)
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith, I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.
Ephesians 2:4-5
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgression- it is by grace you have been saved.”
Our response back to God for His love is to love Him back.
To be thankful.
To love Him and to love others.
Hebrews 12:28-
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
The three things we know about God;
(1) God is Spirit
(2) God is light
(3) God is love
Love is the very character of God.
It is not influenced by our response because he loved us first.
He purposed to love us before we respond.
God loves us even if we do not respond, we just won’t experience His love.
Just like the thief on the cross, there has to be a time of repentance and a time to respond to God’s love.
A time when we look at the face of Jesus and say “remember me when you enter the kingdom”
Cal Thomas wrote- “Love talked about is easily ignored, but love demonstrated is irresistible.”
Jesus has demonstrated His love to each one of us. He modeled it and lived it.
Will you respond this morning?
Maybe take a hard look at your life.
Stop running from God and run toward Him this morning.
Take down all the barriers that have been put up.
God’s love has a guarantee from Jesus-
“I will never leave you or forsake you”
“God’s love never fails”
Love is an action word- more than just an emotion.
What brings us to God or back to God is experiencing His life.
We love because He first loved us. We respond because He desires to draw close to us.
His love cast out all fears of eternity and cast out fears for everyday living.
His love causes us to open up our hearts to God and He will change our lives forever.
Amen.
