Why the Cross?
Maundy Thursday 2014
Luke 22:39-46
We have just completed one of the most precious spiritual exercises which we engage in as a church body.
The Seder Supper is a powerful tool for reminding us that the work of Jesus Christ is not limited to the New Testament alone.
Christ is seen throughout the Old Testament in types and prophecies which all point to His coming work.
All of the feasts of Israel have their fulfillment in the work of Jesus Christ; and in the Passover Feast He is seen so clearly as the Lamb.
For those of you who are new to this feast, you had the opportunity tonight to experience an order of service quite different from any normal meal.
All of the food on the table, every cup and every dish, had specific significance.
The bitter herbs represented the bitter conditions of the Hebrews in Egypt; the Charoset represented the mortar which was used to make bricks.
And every word of blessing pointed to a special spiritual significance within the supper.
Now, there was a very important part of the meal that I am sure everyone noticed.
At a certain point in the message, a young person stood and asked four traditional questions:
Why is this night different from all the other nights?
Why do we eat only unleavened bread?
Why do we eat bitter herbs?
Why do we hold this Passover service?
This portion of the supper is filled with significance.
First, it reminds us of the necessity to teach our children about our faith so that it lives on in the coming generation.
Second, it reminds us of the inquisitive nature of the human heart.
We all have questions about our faith, and these questions are not necessarily wrong.
They remind us that we do not have all of the answers, and we should be continually seeking after truth.
In keeping with the tradition of asking important questions on Maundy Thursday, tonight I want to preach on a very important question; in fact, it may be the most important question that we could ever ask about our faith...
The question is simple: Why the Cross?
This night in history represents to us the time Jesus spent with His apostles before going to the cross.
The next day, they would see him drug away, charged as a criminal, and executed in a humiliating fashion.
And you must know that they were saying to themselves, “WHY?”
For much of the world, that question still resonates today...
Why the cross?
READ: Luke 22:39-46
Tonight, during our meal, we had the opportunity to enjoy a series of “cups”.
The traditional Seder has four cups which are associated with it.
The first is for Kiddush (קידוש), the second is for 'Maggid' (מגיד), the third is for Birkat Hamazon (ברכת המזון) and the fourth is for Hallel (הלל).
The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6-7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."
These four cups would have been a part of the Last Supper which Jesus celebrated with His apostles.
In fact, it was likely the cup of blessing which Jesus consecrated with a new meaning - when He said take and drink, this is my blood given for you.
When we arrive at our text in Luke 22, this meal has concluded.
Jesus has instituted the new Holy Ordinance of Communion, and He has delivered His high priestly prayer.
Judas has departed to betray Christ, and He has led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, wherein He would pray to God in regard to the events which were about to take place.
He encourages His apostles to pray for strength, and He separates from them to pray for strength of His own.
It is during this prayer that a different “Cup” is mentioned.
v.41-42 “And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Up until this point in the evening, the “cups” had all represented a gracious aspect of God’s character: His deliverance, His redemption, His provision.
But this “cup” was different.
This cup is a dreadful cup!
This cup is a frightening cup!
This cup caused the Lord of Glory's sweat to mix with blood!
The “cup” Jesus is talking about here is the “cup” of God’s Wrath.
Throughout Scripture, we see references to the “cup” of God’s wrath.
Psalm 11:5-6 “The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.”
Psalm 75:8 “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.”
Isaiah 51:17 “Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.”
Revelation 14:9-10 “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
When Jesus is kneeling in prayer before God, asking that the “cup” be taken from Him, He is not talking about the wrath of men.
He is not saying, “Oh God, keep me from the hatred and injustice of the Jews!”
He is not saying, “Oh God, keep me from the Roman scourge and cross!”
These things certainly were horrid acts of injustice and violence.
But they were not the cause of Jesus’s trembling.
Jesus is sweating not drops of blood in the fear of men.
His pours are bleeding out of sheer dread that He is about to experience the wrath of God.
Illustration: “Passion of the Christ” A few years ago, a film was made which dramatically depicted the torture and crucifixion of Christ. It was so violent that the motion picture association gave the film an “R” rating, and many parents kept their children from viewing it because of how graphic it was.
At the time, it was apparent that the filmmaker and those associated with the movie were desiring to make a point in regard to the inhumanity of the cross.
They wanted the world to know how awful this type of death was, and how much Christ suffered.
And it certainly was a horrible way to be put to death.
Something that needs to be remembered, however, is that Christ’s death was not unique in its method.
Many thousands of people were executed on Roman crosses.
Criminals were hung on crosses on major roadways as a discouragement to those who might considered acting in defiance of the Roman government.
It was so common that Jesus wasn’t even the only person that day who was executed on a cross.
Please know I am not downplaying this form of execution; it is excruciating.
But it was not unique to Christ.
Many people suffered this same way.
This is why the words of Christ while in prayer are so important.
He tells us that what He is sweating over is not the wrath of men.
He is suffering in His soul knowing that in just a few short hours, He would be experiencing the wrath of almighty God.
All of the judgment which is deserved by the elect - all of the punishment which is due over the sins of His people - all of the hell we deserve....was at that moment placed upon Him.
Consider how the Apostle Paul describes what Christ did...
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
He said Christ was “made to be sin” and that our “trespasses” were “nailed to the cross”.
You see, Christ became our sin - He became our trespass - He became the OBJECT OF GOD’S JUDGMENT!!!!
In a preordained moment in time, God the Father enforced His eternal justice and wrath upon His Son.
Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This was the moment were that “cup” of wrath was being poured out upon the Son for the sins of His people.
There was an amazing TRANSACTION in heaven, wherein God the Father took all of the sins of His people, and laid them on the Son and PUNISHED HIM as their SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE.
Knowing this, when we go back to the garden and watch Jesus pray, it makes more sense when we see His fear and trepidation.
CONCLUSION: I want to return to the original question which began our study tonight.
We asked, “Why the cross?”
So far, we have addressed the purpose of the cross... that it was intended to SATISFY THE WRATH of God in behalf of His people.
In this sense, we have answered the question...
But, there is a deeper part of the question that this text also answers.
When we ask, “Why the cross?” we can be asking about purpose of the cross...
But we could also be asking, “Was it necessary?”
Was the cross necessary?
Beloved, this is the portion of Jesus’s words I want to stress to you tonight.
Jesus asked the Father, “If there is another way, take this cup from me.” and the response from heaven was silence.
It was silence because there was NO OTHER WAY.
There is great debate in our modern world about religion.
And one of the most hated claims within any religion is the claim of “exclusivity”.
People today want all things to be “inclusive”, and there not to be any claims of exclusion in our religions.
But the claim of Christ is a claim of exclusivity.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
And this scene in the Garden tells us WHY this is true.
Jesus asked if there was another way...
Is there another way to save them?
Is there another way to deal with their sin?
Is there another way to bring them into the fold?
And the answer is “NO”.
How do I know the answer is no?
Because Jesus went to the cross.
By going to the cross, He proves that the answer to His own question “Is there another way” was “no”.
Beloved, I want to challenge you tonight.
Have you ever wondered if Jesus is the only way?
Have you ever been challenged by the claims of exclusivity in the Christian faith?
Have you ever said in your heart, “Was the cross really necessary for salvation?”
I want to challenge you with this answer...
If the cross was not necessary, Jesus would not have had to go.
But the fact that He went proves it was necessary.
And this night, if you are outside of Christ, I challenge you to realize that there is no salvation outside of Christ... there is no redemption outside His work on the cross.
He sought another way, yet there WAS NO OTHER WAY!
If you are trusting anything else... your own goodness. An idol. A false God... these will all be useless on the day of judgment.
The only way to be saved from the wrath of God is to know it has already been satisfied by the work of Christ.
Close with Song: “In Christ Alone”
