John 19:23-24 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,
“They divided my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
DOES HIS CROSS HAVE ENEMIES?
Text: John 19:23 - 24
Billy Graham once said, When Jesus said, “If you are going to follow me, you have to take up a cross,” it was the same as saying, “Come and bring your electric chair with you. Take up the gas chamber and follow me.” He did not have a beautiful gold cross in mind—the cross on a church steeple or on the front of your Bible. Jesus had in mind a place of execution. Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press. [Billy Graham in “The Offense of the Cross” (from Great Sermons on Christ, Wilbur M. Smith, ed.)[]]. How many people today think about the cross that way?
As we talk about the cross, we are in no way talking about worship the cross! When we talk about the cross, we are talking about the place meant for the vilest of offenders. Crosses were instruments of execution. Crosses were the for the people who had become enemies of the state! The cross was not only used as a place of execution, it was also meant to be a deterrent to let Rome’s enemies know that they meant business.
As Christians, when we talk about the cross we are talking about the place where the “lamb of God”, was slain to take away the sins of the world! (John 1:29). The Cross is where the sin of man, the wages of death and the fear of death were destroyed by God’s love once and for all. The Cross with a capital “c” stand for the Cross of Jesus Christ! The Cross is therefore a symbol of God’s unconditional and undying love! That is why I’ll stand for the flag, but kneel for the Cross!
ONCE AND FOR ALL!
Hebrews 7:27 says He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Hebrews 9:12 says he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10:10 says And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
DOES THE CROSS HAVE ENEMIES?
Does the cross have enemies? This question might sound like a weird question to ask but it is a question worthy of being asked. One author (Calvin Miller) attempts to answer this question in ways that others might not even consider. One of the ways that he seeks to answer this question is by looking at what the meaning of the cross has become in our culture. He has labeled three enemies.
1) A symbol of a self-indulgent religious fraternity?: “The cross seems to be an overwrought, under-lived, representation of Christianity. It has degenerated into a vacuous [blank and empty] symbol of a self-indulgent religious fraternity.
2) Our world has literally gone “cross crazy”.: Crosses are manufactured in celluloid to be used as bookmarks. They are painted on automobile bumpers and displayed in plastic on dashboards. Luminous crosses are suspended on light pulls. They are worn on neck chains, embroidered on pulpit garments, welded to steeples, and built of polished wood for church altars.
3) Overexposed [and depreciated]: Cross factories manufacture crosses for a mass-production market. We have literally “crucified” the cross with overexposure!” (Calvin Miller. (quoted and paraphrased on numbers 1 - 3) Once Upon A Tree. West Monroe: Howard Publishing, 2002, p. 147). Are there other enemies to consider? Yes! There are other enemies.
We feel comfortable as long as we do not show up on a list of the Savior’s enemies of the cross. But, before we breathe a sigh of relief, let us ask ourselves if we are really exempt? To go back to Billy Graham’s point we can ask ourselves this question, “Do we think of picking up our crosses being likened to a symbol versus a lifestyle?”
TWO KINDS OF ENEMIES
There are two kinds of enemies of the Savior’s cross. First, there are those who are clearly enemies because of their contempt and disregard. Secondly, there are others who are enemies because of their spiritual blindness and ignorance.
THE GUILTY AS CHARGED NEAR THE CROSS
1) The gambling soldiers: One of the most obvious enemies of the Savior’s cross is the gambling soldiers at the foot of the cross. To them it is just another day. To them, the Savior is just another common criminal. To us, their gambling at the foot of the cross is shameful and disgraceful. After all, they were the executioners who are now mocking the Savior whom they have crucified.
If we could travel backward to that time, at that moment and interview these soldiers, what questions would we ask them? What do we think their answers would be? Would we tell them that they are blindly gambling with the fires of eternal hell?
2) The guilty conspirators: We certainly have choice words for them wouldn’ t we? ! If we could travel back in time to confront them, we would tell them “You crucified an innocent man!” We would certainly condemn them without any hesitation wouldn’t we?
What would we say to Judas? Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Luke 22:48). As someone (R. Alan Culpepper) points out, “A kiss was a way of greeting in that culture”’ (Luke 7:45, 2 Samuel 15:5). (Leander E. Keck. Ed. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Volume. IX. R. Allan Culpepper. “The Gospel of Luke.” Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995, pp. 168, 435). Only Luke points out this kiss as a signal of betrayal (Luke 22:48). This kiss would therefore of been a contradiction.
To his credit, Judas did later feel a great deal of remorse and tried to give the blood money---the thirty pieces of silver back. The chief priests rejected the offer and Judas threw the money back in anger before hanging himself (Luke 27:4 - 5). Yes, he was in on the conspiracy. But, at least he was sincerely remorseful.
3) The guilty as charged: Barabbas was a guilty man. He was guilty as charged. Depending on what we read and where we learn a lot about Barabbas. Barrabas was a notorious prisoner according to Matthew (Matthew 27:16 NIV). The gospel of John tells us that He was a robber (John 18:40). Mark and Luke tell us that he had been arrested for insurrection and murder (Luke 23:19, Mark 15:7). Yes, Barabbas deserved the death sentence, but do to a custom and the crowd’s choice in that custom Barabbas went free. Barabbas was guilty as charged and Jesus, the Savior who took his place had never committed a sin. We are the epitome of Barabbas in this story.
4) Crucified criminals: What about the robbers who were crucified on Jesus’s left and right? Both Matthew and Mark say that they heaped insults at Jesus (Mark 15:27,32b & Matthew 27:44). Luke’s Gospel points out how one of those two robbers seemed to have a change of heart as he admitted his guilt and how his and his follow robber’s own punishment was just because they were getting what their deeds deserved. The repenting robber also acknowledges Jesus innocence and undeserved punishment as he asks for Jesus’s mercy as he enters His kingdom (Luke 23:41 - 43). Barrabas would have been there also if he had not been pardoned by the mob who demanded Jesus’ crucifixion.
5) The reluctant guilty: Who are the reluctantly guilty? They are the people in every age. As someone (Calvin Miller) has pointed out. “There are those in every age who will throw rocks at lions as long as the beasts are caged. These people were at the Cross also. They captured for themselves a heretic, and they were making the most of it. They circled the Cross in scorn” . (p. 153). To them the cross is foolish because they are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18).
6) His own disciples who fled: Matthew 26:31 says, “Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’ “ (ESV). That was a fulfillment of the prophecy from Zechariah 13:7!
7) Are we ourselves guilty? There are times when we do not like to admit how we are guilty. Do we prefer denial as opposed to confessing our sin and our guilt because denial gives us a comfort zone that we do not want to leave? As Max Lucado points out, we are not unlike those guilty gambling soldiers. How? Listen to Max’s answer.
“The symbolism is striking. Do you see it?
…..The religious. Those who claim the heritage at the cross. ….all of us. Every believer in the land. The stuffy. The loose. The strict. The simple. Upper church. Lower church. “Spirit filled.” Millenialists. Evangelical. Mystical. Literal. Cynical. Robes. Collars. Three-piece suits. Born-againers. Ameners.
We, too, play games at the foot of the cross. We compete for members. We scramble for status. We deal out judgments and condemnations. Competition. Selfishness. Personal gain. Its’ all there. We don’t like what the other did so we take the sandal we won and walk away in a huff.”
So close to the timber yet so far away from the blood.
…. We act like common crapshooters huddled in bickering groups and fighting over silly opinions.
…. So close to the cross but so far from the Christ.” (Max Lucado. No Wonder They Call Him Savior. Multnomah Books, 1986, pp. 125 -126).
Who can argue with Max’s case on this subject and win? I agree “nobody”. Though reluctant we may be, there are those times when we are enemies of the Savior’s cross ourselves. Consider an observation that someone (Miller) has made: “As we lay our self-surrender aside, we become dicers [gamblers], too absorbed in the game of life to stop and ponder the issues of repentance and faith.” (Miller, p. 157). Therefore, let us be reminded: “….God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (II Corinthians 5:21 NIV). “For God so loves the world that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That’s why we show reverence to the Cross as a symbol of God’s love and worship the Lord who intervened on our behalf for redemption, salvation and reconciliation once and for all!
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
