LESSONS FROM THE CROSS
LK 23:33
33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
1. THE VILENESS OF SIN- SIN IS THE MOST HORRIBLE THING THAT EVER WAS, IS OR EVER WILL BE. WE CANNOT SEE SIN, BUT WE CAN AND DO SEE THE RESULTS OF SIN EVERY DAY. SIN IS WHAT SEPERATES US, IT WILL SEPARATE FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND MOST OF ALL IT SEPERATES US FROM THE GOD THAT LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE NAMED US THE CROWN JEWEL OF HIS CREATION:
Isaiah 53:3-5 (NKJV)
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Matthew 26:66-67 (NKJV)
66 What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,
Matthew 27:26-31 (NKJV)
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
**EVERY CURSE WORD EVER SPOKEN, EVER LIE EVER TOLD. EVERY TIME SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME, GETS DRUNK, EVERY IMAGINABLE EVIL ACT, JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR** EVERY TIME WE WERE DISOBEDIENT TO OUR PARENTS, EVERY TIME THAT TRUSTED PARENT BREAKS THE TRUST OF THE CHILD BY DOING SOME DISPICABLE ACT TO THAT CHILD—JESUS PAID FOR** SIN IS SO VILE THAT JESUS HAD TO SUFFER SUCH PAIN AND TORMENT THAT HOLLYWOOD CANNOT DEPICT IT, EVEN IF IT COULD WE COULDN’T BEAR TO WATCH!
2. THE VALUE OF OUR SOULS—EVEN THROUGH THIS AGONY AND TORMENT WE CAN SEE THE VALUE THAT GOD PLACES ON EACH OF US THAT HE THOUGHT US WORTHY TO DIE FOR:
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Matthew 26:51-53 (NKJV)
51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
** WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A SOUL?**
Matthew 16:26 (NKJV)
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
3. SHOWS THE VICTORY OFFERED—FRIENDS, WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH LIFE DEFEATED!! JESUS CAME SO THAT WE CAN LIVE VICTORIOUSLY THROUGH HIM, AND WE CAN IF WE LIVE IN HIM:
Isaiah 53:11-12 (NKJV)
11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Romans 8:31-39 (NKJV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
DID YOU MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE CROSS TODAY?
ARE YOU LIVING IN SIN??
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE IN VICTORY NOT DEFEAT!!
