SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). He did not have the strength to carry his cross (vs 32-33)
(2). He did not accept the cup (vs 34-37)
(3). He did not come down from the cross (vs 38-44)
(4). He did not know the Father (vs 45-49)
(5). He did not die in defeat (vs 50-54)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• In the book ‘Miracle On The River Kwai’.
• Ernest Gordon's Tells the true story of some Scottish soldiers,
• Who were forced by their Japanese captors to work on a jungle railroad.
• Under the strain of imprisonment they had degenerated to cruel behaviour,
• But one afternoon something happened.
• "A shovel was missing. The officer in charge became enraged.
• He demanded that the missing shovel be produced, or else.
• When nobody in the squadron budged,
• The officer got his gun and threatened to kill them all on the spot!
• It was obvious the officer meant what he had said.
• Then, finally, one man stepped forward.
• The officer put away his gun, picked up a shovel, and beat the man to death.
• When it was over, the survivors picked up the bloody corpse;
• And carried it with them to the second tool check.
• This time, no shovel was missing.
• Which meant that there had been a miscount at the first check point.
• The word spread like wildfire through the whole camp.
• An innocent man had been willing to die to save the others!”
• Ernest Gordon writes; “The incident had a profound effect on all the prisoners;
• From that moment on they began to treat each other like brothers”
• TRANSITION: An innocent man sacrificed his life on behalf of others;
• A group of men saved by one man’s courage and sacrifice.
• The Bible teaches that Jesus would give his life as a sacrifice:
• “The just for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous”;
• Than he might bring us, reconcile us to God!
• In today’s study (part of our series on ‘Jesus’ Last Week – The Passion Week’)
• We are looking at Matthew’s record of these events as found in his gospel.
• I want to divide the passage under five headings.
(1). He did not have the strength to carry his cross (vs 32-33).
“As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha
(which means ‘the place of the skull’).”
ill:
• A water bearer in India had two large pots,
• Each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.
• One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect;
• And always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk,
• From the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
• For a full two years this went on daily,
• With the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house.
• Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments,
• Perfect to the end for which it was made.
• But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,
• And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
• After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure,
• It spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
• And said: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”
• The bearer replied to the pot:
• “Why? What are you ashamed of?”
• The pot responded:
• “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load;
• Because this crack in my side
• Causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house.
• Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work,
• And you don’t get full value from your efforts.”
• The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and said,
• “As we return to the masters house,
• I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
• And as they went up the hill,
• The old cracked pot took noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path,
• But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load,
• And so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
• So the bearer said to the pot;
• “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path,
• But not on the other pots side?
• That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.
• I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,
• And every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.
• For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers;
• To decorate my masters table.
• Without you being just the way you are,
• He would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
• TRANSITION: What looked like failure and a flaw;
• Was actually a blessing and accomplished something even better than expected.
• These verses (vs 32-33) we see Jesus in weakness;
• Unable to carry his cross due to shear exhaustion.
Remember Jesus was utterly worn out, physically and emotionally shattered:
• He had spent hours of agonized praying in the garden of Gethsemane
• He had gone from one weary trial to another, six trials in all;
• Herded back and forth from place to place.
• And he had not had a bite of food or a drop of water;
• Since the Last Supper the night before.
• He had experienced the cruel flogging that Pilate ordered him to face.
• Where pieces of sharpened bone or metal was knotted into the whip;
• Historians say that many a victim died from this excruciating flogging,
• So it is no wonder Jesus did not have the strength to carry the cross beam;
• The crossbar (patibulum);
• He was physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted.
Note: Verse 32: the Romans force a man in the crowd to carry the cross.
• Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the four Gospels;
• Always as the man impelled by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross of Jesus.
• His place of origin ‘Cyrene’ suggests that he may have been of African descent;
• (and therefore black),
• Cyrene was situated in modern-day Libya, on the northern coast of the African continent
• Or he may simply have been born there;
• As were many other people of Greek, Roman, and Jewish descent.
• At the time of Jesus, Cyrene was the capital of the Roman district of Cyrenaica;
• And was home to a large number of Greek-speaking, or Hellenistic, Jews.
Application:
• What an honour to be chosen to carry the cross of Jesus.
• But how unexpected the honour was!
• When Simon left home that morning;
• He had no idea that he was going to play such an important part in history!
• And of course none of know what will happen from day to day;
• But if the Lord is asking us to shoulder a burden – will we?
• Often the opportunity comes when we least expect it;
• And when it is most inconvenient to us.
• But what a privilege to share the burden of Jesus!
Simon carried the cross of Jesus only a short distance to ‘Golgotha’:
• No-one can be certain why it was called ‘Golgotha’ (which means The Place of the Skull).
• Some people believe the hill actually looked like a skull.
• i.e. We have probably all seen photo of what’s called Gordon’s Calvary.
• The Gospel writers call the place where Jesus was crucified Golgotha;
• Which is an Aramaic word meaning “the skull.”.
• Many of our hymns use the term ‘Calvary’ this is the Latin form of the word.
• Scripture does not reveal the precise location of Golgotha.
• It simply states that Jesus’ crucifixion took place outside the city of Jerusalem,
• Though near it (John 19:20; Hebrews 13:12).
• Jewish law did not permit executions and burials inside the city.
• The Romans worked on an ‘in your face’ policy;
• Their victims were crucified on major public roadways low down to the ground.
• The idea is, as many people as possible would have to walk by the crucified victim;
• And this was their effective deterrent to others.
• Mess with us and you too will end up like this!
(2). He did not accept the cup (vs 34-37)
“There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”
Such was the horror of crucifixion in the ancient world:
• None of the gospel writers actually describe it in detail.
• Notice Matthew like the other gospel writers is very brief in his description:
• “When they had crucified him”.
There are some forms of crucifixion that are designed to:
• Take a person’s life but still allow that person to retain some dignity,
• Crucifixion took away not only a person’s life, but every vestige of dignity.
• It was deliberately designed to do that.
• It was the most hated and despised form of execution ever invented.
Quote: The Jewish historian klausener says:
"Crucifixion is a most terrible and cruel death,
Which man has ever devised for taking vengeance on his fellow country man".
Quote: The Roman philosopher Cicero called it:
"The most cruel and the most horrible torture".
Ill:
• In fact our English word ‘excruciating’ meaning: "exceedingly painful",
• Comes from the word ‘crucifixion’.
Crucifixion represented:
• The greatest heights of pain and the greatest depths of shame.
• That could be known by any man;
• It was a lingering death with intense agony.
• And although the Romans perfected it and practiced it throughout their empire;
• Such was the shame and humiliation of this punishment;
• That no Roman citizen was ever allowed to be crucified;
• Roman citizen were always beheaded by sword.
• If you want the gory details of what happened during a Roman Crucifixion;
• Then you can on the internet and read about it;
• I think that if any of us could go back in time to see the Crucifixion:
• We would be physically sick, it was so horrific.
Note: Amazingly Jesus refused the cup:
• Two of the four gospels, Matthew and Mark,
• Mention that Jesus was offered something to drink before being placed on the cross.
• Matthew (vs 33-34) refers to this drink as wine mixed with gall,
• While Mark calls it wine and myrrh (Mark chapter 15 verse 23).
• Both are actually referring to the same thing.
• This drink was commonly given to criminals before their execution;
• In order to ease some of their suffering.
Ill:
• I am told by those in the know that all poisons are BITTER;
• But acids are SOUR.
• Jesus refused this drink knowing that its bitter taste meant;
• It was more of a poison than a pain killer.
• He did not want to die from poisoning or have his senses numbed while on the cross.
• The pain and agony that Jesus endured would not be suppressed or dumbed down;
• He would experience all of the horrors and all of the torment.
Note:
• The offering of this concoction by the Romans,
• Was actually a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
• King David wrote in Psalm 69 verse 21:
“They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”
(3). He did not come down from the cross (vs 38-44)
“Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.”’ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”
There were at least 4 things that held Jesus to the cross:
FIRST: Roman Nails.
• These nails would have been made of heavy,
• Probably square, iron material, 7-9 inches long
• The nails were first driven through small wooden disks;
• To eliminate any chance of the heads pulling through the flesh.
• Then hammered through the wrists not the palms of the hands.
SECOND: The Love of Jesus.
Quote: Hymn: 'Give me a sight, O Savior,'
"Was it the nails, O Savior,
That bound Thee to the tree?
Nay, ’twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me."
• We believe it was not simply nails that held Jesus to the cross.
• After all Jesus had the power to raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons,
• Even still the raging sea with the command of his voice.
• Surely had power to step down from a cross, even though He was nailed to it.
• It was not human weakness which bound Him to the cross,
• For He said regarding His life (John chapter 10 verse 18)
“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down; I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.".
It was love that held him to the cross:
• Jesus said nothing and did nothing when the scoffers passed by reviling Him;
• And waving their fists and shaking their heads.
The irony of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders taunts:
"He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him."
• Sarcastic taunting statements that must have wounded the heart of Jesus;
• As much as the scourging he endured:
• It was by staying on the cross, not escaping it;
• That he would not save himself but he would save humanity!
THIRDLY: His submission to God’s will held him to the cross:
• Jesus had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane:
• (Luke chapter 22 verse 42:)
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
• He always lived on the principle "Your will be done."
• He always pleased not himself but the Father who sent him.
Question: What was the Father’s will?
Answer: Isaiah chapter 53 verse 10:
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,”
FOURTHLY: It was our sins that held him to the cross.
Quote: Isaiah chapter 53 verse 4-6:
“Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
Quote: 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 23-25:
“When 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. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
• Sin separates men and women from God,
• Sin brings shame. Sin brings sorrow. Sin brings suffering. Sin brings death.
• But Jesus bore our sins, he has now removed the barrier of sin;
• That you and I might be ransomed, healed restored and forgiven!
• Glory to his name!
(4). He did not know the Father (vs 45-49):
“ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ‘He’s calling Elijah.’
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’”
Think about that question of Jesus from the cross:
• ,‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’
• “Which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken/abandoned me?”
• This is the only time in the gospels;
• Where Jesus refers to God the Father as ‘My God’;
• All the other times Jesus mentions this relationship;
• He uses the expression ‘Father’ or ‘My Father’
• (i.e. John chapter 5 verses 17 & 19-23)
Question: Why now ‘My God”?
Answer:
• We believe that a supernatural transaction was taking place at this moment in time.
• The just one was being punished for the unjust.
• The perfect Son of God was giving his life on behalf of sinful people.
• Verse 45 says:
• “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.”
• Now symbolically that was true;
• This was the darkest moment in world history!
• But more than that.
• It’s as if God was saying this event was so terrible;
• That human beings were not allowed to peer into it.
• It was the moment when “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us”.
• (2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21)
Ill:
• The death of another person can affect us immensely.
• That is why politicians & world leaders are assassinated?
• Because there death affects the course of history, it affects their nations!
• Now if an ordinary human beings death can alter history;
• Then the life of the eternal Son of God will affect all eternity!
Quote: There is a green hill far away.
“We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.”
Ill:
• At the cross a transaction took place:
• He was rejected that we might be accepted
• He was condemned that we might be forgiven
• He was punished that we might be pardoned
• He was hated that we might be loved
• He was crucified that we might be justified
• He died that we might be live!
Pause and get personal:
• Question: Have you ever responded to what Jesus Christ has done for you?
• Question: If not why not?
• You might say; “Strange question, how can you respond to someone who is dead?”
• Well I don’t want to spoil next week’s sermon – but he didn’t stay dead!
• He conquered death just as he conquered sin!
• This morning you have the opportunity to invite the living Christ into your life:
• It’s as easy as ABC.
• Admit – your need (“All have sinned”)
• Believe – in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
• Confess – Jesus Christ as Lord of your life (“Turn from your sins & follow him”)
(5). He did not die in defeat (vs 50-54):
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’”
Ill:
15 years before his death, Gandhi wrote these words:
"My days are numbered. I am not likely to live very long - perhaps a year or a little more.
For the first time in fifty years I find myself in the Slough Of Despond.
All about me is darkness; I am praying for light."
• He must have been reading, or read ‘The Pilgrim's Progress.’
• To use that expression ‘the Slough Of Despond.’
• But sadly his own words tell us that he died in defeat, he died without hope!
• According to those who were near him,
• John Bunyan the author of ‘The Pilgrim's Progress.’
• His last words, while struggling with death, were there:
“Weep not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will, no doubt, through the mediation of his blessed Son, receive me, though a sinner;
where I hope we before long shall meet, to sing the new song,
and remain everlastingly happy, world without end. Amen.”
• Bunyan died in hope because his savior and Lord died in hope;
• Please notice Jesus did not die in defeat!
The death of Jesus was unique in at least two ways:
FIRST: He committed his spirit to God.
• In other words he chose the moment when he would die.
• His life was not taken - He gave it!
• Notice in verse 50 that: “he cried out again in a loud voice”
• Interestingly, none of the New Testament writers are content to simply say;
• That Jesus died;
• They all say that “He gave up his spirit”
• They want us to understand that His death was not the end, but rather an end;
Ill:
• For all people their life is taken from them:
• Suicide victims may determine their own life span;
• But all they do is rob them of the life-span God wants them to enjoy.
• For everyone else;
• Our life is taken from us.
• But not so with Jesus.
• He determined the very moment he would die – he dismissed his own spirit!
SECOND: His death was victorious, it was triumphant.
• Visible supernatural signs followed his death;
• To show and symbolize the supernatural events of his vicarious death.
“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
• The temple curtain was torn.
• There was a mini-earthquake.
• Tombs opened and some who were dead were raised back to life.
• Even the Pagan Roman soldier who had presided over many a crucifixion;
• Noted how this man dies in a unique way;
• And his testimony (vs 54): “Surely he was the Son of God!”
In Conclusion:
The cross is a curious paradox because it is:
• A picture of violence;
• Yet it is the key to peace.
• It was a picture of suffering;
• Yet the key to healing.
• It was a picture of utter weakness;
• Yet the key to power.
• It was a picture of capital punishment;
• Yet the key to mercy & forgiveness.
• It was a picture of death;
• Yet the key to life.
• It was a picture of hatred;
• Yet the key to love.
• It was a picture of supreme shame;
• Yet it is the Christian’s supreme boast!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=xFgBX9aH8L9UPZUxhJ6NezErzx6RK9Mk
