THREE NAILS
Lk. 23:32-34; Mt. 27:45-54
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. If you ever ask a preacher about his last sermon, he will give you the whole thing again! They usually think they did a good job. So sometimes you get more than you think!
2. D.C. Hightower was a missionary for the Methodist church and he hired interpreters to translate for him when he went to remote areas of the world.
3. When he was in Swaziland, south Africa, he noticed his translator going on and on, despite the short statements he was making.
4. Finally he stopped and said, “It seems to be taking you a lot longer to say what only takes me seconds to say. Are you sure you’re translating exactly?” “Oh, no sir!” he said proudly. “I am greatly improving upon what you are saying!”
B. TEXT
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots” Lk. 23:32-34.
45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 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?” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 54 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!” Mt. 27:45-46, 50-51, 54.
C. WHAT HELD JESUS TO THE CROSS?
1. USHERS PASS OUT 5” NAILS WITH RED RIBBON TO ALL.
2. According to Scripture (John 20:25) and Roman practices of the time, Christ was held to the Cross by three nails.
3. But this morning, I want to bring this belief into question, for I believe that although it appeared to be three nails, that it was actually forces far greater than a few nails holding Christ to the cross.
4. Now the nail you hold in your hand symbolizes the responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion. We know the Jews were responsible, the Romans were certainly responsible, and Judas Iscariot was responsible because he betrayed Jesus. But we will find out that YOU AND I are more responsible than all of them!
5. The title of this morning's message is, "Three Nails." Notice first:
I. JESUS HAD THE POWER TO COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS ANY MOMENT HE CHOSE
A. HEAVENLY AID
1. 52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:52-54.
2. "Pray to My Father" -- The Lord Jesus had a Grand Resource. The Father would answer His prayer!
3. "12 Legions!"
a. 12 x 6000 = 72,000 Angels!
b. Power of = one killed 185,000 of Sennacherib’s Army
= one struck down all the firstborn of Egypt.
4. If one could kill 185,000, then 72,000 could kill 13.3 billion, or almost twice the Earth's present population.
5. All Jesus had to do was issue the command and mighty beings would step from behind every rock and tree and would descend from heaven, in explosive power -- and take Him down from the Cross.
B. DID JESUS REALLY NEED ANGELIC HELP TO GET FREE?
1. One glance of those eyes of fire could vaporize nails, Romans and all.
2. One word from His lips would, like the word of His power which created the Universe, destroy them utterly. He could've spoken the nails out of existence at any moment.
3. One glimpse/revelation of His Eternal Deity would have consumed them as quickly as hair burns up in a fire!
C. JESUS WAS IN CONTROL!
1. AT ANY MOMENT, DURING THE ENTIRE TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION, HE COULD HAVE STOPPED IT!
2. It was only by a sheer effort of His will that He decided, every moment, to refuse to take revenge and to face the grisly cross. Don’t let it escape your mind that every second of His ordeal, He restrained Himself from stopping it!
3. So those nails didn't hold Jesus to the Cross any more than cobwebs could hold you down.
4. Q -- Then what held Jesus to the cross? TWO THINGS:
II. YOUR SINS HELD HIM TO THE CROSS
A. THE PENALTY OF SIN
1. THE GUILTY AMONG THE INNOCENT
a. The story is told of an Italian Duke who went on board a galley ship. As he passed the crew of slaves, he asked several of them what their offenses were.
b. Every one laid the blame to someone else, saying his brother was to blame or the judge was bribed. But one big burly young man said; "My Lord, I don’t have any excuses; I belong here. I wanted money and I stole it. No one is to blame but myself."
c. The Duke on hearing this seized him by the shoulder, saying, "You rogue! What are you doing here among so many honest men? Guard! Get this man out of here!" The young man was then set free while the rest were left to pull at the oars.
2. We don’t like to admit responsibility for Christ's suffering -- but we are the guilty party.
3. The Wages of our sins = Death (Romans 6:23).
4. Jesus didn't suffer because He had sin, for he was innocent. He Had No Sin! Five times the N.T. says Christ was without sin.
5. He was there in YOUR place.
6. It was YOUR sins which held Him to the Cross.
B. THE REAL IMPLEMENTS OF HIS SUFFERING?
1. Read “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” Isaiah 53:5.
2. Our sins were the nails which wounded him,
Our iniquities were the clubs that bruised him,
Our lack of peace disturbed his Mind,
Our sin-derived sicknesses were the whips that put the
stripes on His back,
He endured it all because of you and for you.
3. "Pastor, I wish I lived in Jesus' day. I would've followed him." No you wouldn’t; you would’ve been in the crowd crying, "Crucified Him!"
4. That's why intentionally sinning is so serious. We dare not play with sin. To do so is to "crucify the son of God all over again" Hebrews 6:6. We're getting the nails and hammers out again.
5. One song says, “Does He still feel the nails? Every time I fail? Does he hear the crowd cry crucify again?” Rembrandt, when he painted the crucifixion scene, painted in his own face on a figure around the cross -- showing his own responsibility (Knights Treasury, p. 96).
6. So our sins alone couldn't make Him stay on the cross; He was motivated to stay there -- by infinite Love for you! Sins sent Him to the cross, but LOVE kept Him there!
III. HIS LOVE FOR YOU KEPT HIM ON THE CROSS
A. THE SCRIPTURES
1. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” John 10:17-18.
2. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Gal. 2:20.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:8.
B. ILLUS. OF JESUS’ LOVE
1. DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE
a. A ship was wrecked on Lake Pontchartrain during a terrible storm. A father, mother and their six children were on board. The father was a stalwart man and a good swimmer, and he resolved to get them all safely to land or to die in the attempt.
b. He told his children not to be afraid, that he would come for them. He then jumped overboard and his wife after him. Taking her by the hair, he drew her through the waves and broiling sea and brought her safely to shore.
c. Then he plunged into the wild waves and went back to the ship for his children. One by one he brought them to shore. Only one remained upon the ship.
d. The devoted father didn't have the strength to stand up. His friends begged him not to make any more trips out to the wreck.
e. He replied, "Jimmy's onboard and I promise to come for him." So he floated back to the ship just as it was about to sink. He called to Jimmy to jump into the water.
f. He had strength only to seize his boy, to fold his arms about him, press him to his chest, and, thus enfolded, they sank together, to rise no more.
2. Such is the love of a father. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, even so have I loved you." Jesus has done something far greater than this: He died, but was able to rescue and spare you!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: The Bird Cage
PART ONE
1. George Thomas was a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.
2. "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me, swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the young man and asked, 'What’ve you got there son?"
3. "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time. I got some cats. They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
4. The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?" "Huh??!!! Why, you don't want
them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing-they ain't even pretty!"
5. "How much?" The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?" The pastor took out a ten-dollar bill and placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
6. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars, persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
7. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
PART TWO
1. One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
2. "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
3. "And what will you do when you get done with them?' Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em."
4. "How much do you want for them?" "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, if you take them, they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!"
5. "HOW MUCH?" Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus paid the price. He picked up the cage....He opened the door.
B. SALVATION CALL
John 3:16. God's command is to surrender your life to Christ. To repent, believe, and receive.
C. THE NAIL YOU HOLD REPRESENTS YOUR SINS
1. The NAIL you hold represents your sins.
2. As CONFESSION/Recognition/Gratitude for what Jesus did for you (as we praise) move forward and put your nail into the Cross.
3. Then go to the outside sanctuary walls to receive the Lord’s Supper and go back to your seat. Please wait until all have been served and we will eat the Supper together.
