What Are We Going To Do With All This Love?
“So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” John 19:17, 25-27
Intro: The parents of a ten year old son was failing math in public school.
After exhausting all efforts they decided to enroll their son into a private Catholic school.
The first day of school the youngster stormed home
walked right past them,
charged straight to his room, and locked the door.
Two hours later, he emerged for a quick meal,
announced that he was studying,
and went straight back to his studies until bedtime.
This pattern continued until the end of the first quarter.
After school, the boy walked home with his report card,
He dropped the envelope on the family dinner table, and went straight to his room.
His parents cautiously opened the letter, and saw he had made straight A’s in the subject of MATH.
They rushed to his room.
"Was it the nuns?" the father asked. The boy only shook his head and said, "No."
"Was it the one-on-one tutoring? asked the mother.
Again, the boy shrugged, "No."
Was it the textbooks?
Was it the teacher?
"No, no, no." the son finally spoke.
"From the very first day of school, I knew that these folks were serious about math.
When I walked into the lobby, and I saw a guy nailed to giant PLUS sign, I knew they meant business!"
Today I want to talk about the theology of the cross.
The meaning of the cross is pure love.
This love is offered by Christ to a world that is desperately in need of a divine embrace:
The world needs a touch of hope, a touch of faith, the touch of love.
Imagine you are present in Jerusalem on the day Jesus was crucified.
You have heard of Jesus because he is well known.
You hear that Jesus is close by.
Would you have stood at the foot of the cross?
We sing the great old hymn – “Jesus, keep me near the cross…there a precious fountain.”
We sing about the nails and the suffering and the blood.
How near the cross would we have been if we were there to witness Gogotha?
At the cross the bible specifically mentions the soldiers who were in charge of the crucifixion of Jesus
There are also four women at the cross
and then there is the disciple John.
I. The soldiers were there out of duty, they had no heart for Jesus.
They were there because they were ordered to be there.
I recently talked to a mother
who said she had made her son go to church every Sunday up until he was 14 years old.
When he turned 14
he asked if he was old enough to make his own decision about whether to go to church or not.
His mother told him yes.
She said it was the last time he was ever in church.
Her son is now in his 30’s and is an alcoholic.
He suffers from bouts of depression.
This mother’s heart is breaking.
I have to wonder… did the church somehow fail this boy and this mother?
Many today go to church out of duty and call themselves good people and Christians
and have no real heart for it all.
Out of duty they hang the cross around their neck without true heart for the Son of God hanging on that cross.
Today's message is about these who were there out of love.
Most of His followers forsook Him and fled,
If they watched the crucifixion at all they watched it at a distance.
We know that many went into hiding.
Would you have hidden, unable to see what was going on?
Would you have watched from far away, gazing straight at that cross on the hill on the horizon?
Would you have look up at the cross and saw the face of Jesus?
If we were there at the foot of the cross, we would have heard things no one else did.
Hammer on nails.
The Centurion's whip.
A dense thud as the cross was dropped into a deep hole.
Intense, anguished moaning and screams of unfathomable pain.
Mocking and taunting.
Cursing and reviling.
We would hear 7 statements from the Christ so profound we could ponder each for a lifetime.
The word of Forgiveness. Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
Of the word of Salvation. Today you shall be with me in paradise.
I mean do we really get what happened on the cross.
Beyond the crown of thorns that marked his brow
Beyond the sign the Pilate put above him in three different languages that said King of the Jews.
The title that was used to mock him as actually the title used to announce him.
Sometimes the insults that people will say about you are the greatest compliments people can give you.
Beyond that what really happened on the cross?
What happened down in my soul?
When my shackles fell off
When my shame was nailed to the cross
When my iniquity and sin was put on him.
On the cross that is where my sin is
On the cross that is where my mistakes are
On the cross that is where my second guessing
That is where all my regrets are redeemed.
On the cross is where I hung all my worries and all my fears and all my doubts are hung on the cross.
Turn to the person sitting next to you and say “On the Cross.”
I wonder now that we can look back at the cross do we see the cross differently than we would have if we had been right there right then.
To know that what caused them to hang their heads and walk away was actually the greatest proof of his love.
When I need to know that God loves me I don’t look at what is happening in my life.
I look back to what happened on the cross.
That’s where it was settled.
That’s where it was nailed down forever.
He has always loved me.
And he showed it to me on the cross.
Let's take a look at the four women who stood near the cross,
1. Mary Magdalene - A Person Redeemed.
Luke [8:2] tells us that Mary Magdalene was a woman… out of whom…, Jesus had cast seven demons.
She had been in bondage to Satan for a long time.
Those demons made her do horrific things.
The devil was at work in her life
The devil was trying his worst to destroy her,
To wreak havoc,
To wreck her physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Mary was in a hopeless and helpless situation.
Then Jesus came along and cast out the demons.
He delivered Mary from her bondage and set her free.
Mary Magdalene was miraculously saved from her terrible life situation.
She was redeemed and bought back from bondage.
She was delivered through a powerful experience with Jesus.
When we talk about the deliverance that Jesus provided for Mary Magdalene I think of what Jesus said in
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
When a person trusts in Christ for deliverance from the bondage of sin,
these same marvelous changes take place in their life.
They go from darkness to light (mentally, morally, spiritually).
They go from the power of Satan to the power of God (God takes control).
They go from being guilty to experiencing forgiveness.
They go from being spiritually impoverished to becoming spiritually wealthy (heirs of the Kingdom).
This is what Jesus did for Mary Magdalene.
He redeemed her and bought her out of her miserable condition.
But, redemption is a costly thing.
When Jesus delivered Mary Magdalene it cost Him something.
Standing there at the cross she saw the price being paid.
Jesus had to die that she might be spiritually redeemed and bought back from sin's bondage.
Yes, redemption is a costly thing:
Yes, redemption is a costly thing. [free but certainly not cheap!]
It is no wonder Mary Magdalene was standing there near the cross.
It is no wonder that she was there at His burial.
It is no wonder that Mary Magdalene was there at His resurrection.
She had experienced redemption and she stood near the cross because it was the place of redemption!
2. Salome - A person rebuked. [see Mark 15:40]
Who was Salome?
She is the sister of Mary,
the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John (Matt. 20:20-23).
As the mother of James and John she was the one who once asked Jesus a very selfish request,
“Can my two sons have places of honour in glory?”
She wanted one of them to sit at the right hand of Jesus’ throne and the other to sit on the left.
She wanted the best for her two sons.
But what she asked of Jesus was very selfish and ill-advised. [expecting preferential treatment?]
Jesus responded by saying that she didn’t know what she was asking.
“Can they drink the cup that I'm going to drink?” (referring to his death).
Did her two sons deserve thrones?
Thrones are not just simply given away.
Salome had forgotten the true cost of reward.
She did not realize that suffering comes before reward.
There is no crown without a cross.
There is no feasting at the Lord's table without the drinking of His cup of suffering.
Even Jesus Himself did not return to the throne of heaven except by way of the cross.
The two sons of thunder were ambitious like their mother.
She did not realize the price that her two sons would have to pay.
Remember James was martyred
and John was exiled before they went home to glory.
Salome had been greatly rebuked by Jesus
But now standing at the cross she feels the love of Jesus
Jesus gave up His glory above
and became a servant for us by giving his life for us below.
As we contemplate the cross, I wonder if we sometimes need to be rebuked because of our selfish desires.
“Are you willing to drink this cup?”
We say, “Oh no, Lord, we just want blessings and answers to our prayers!”
“Are you willing to suffer for me?”
We respond, “Oh no, Lord, I just want things to work out for me, not the suffering!”
Salome says to each one of us this morning, “Jesus taught her by rebuking her world words.
But Jesus also gave up his life for her and for us,
and what He endured and suffered in our place,
the foot of the cross becomes a place of correction from our own selfish desires and ambitions.
Remember, He purchased us, our life is not our own ... we are His.
He is the Lord and Master and we are the servants!
3. Mary, the Mother of Jesus - A person of Reward.
Mary was Jesus’ earthly mother
and He did not ignore her while He was on the cross.
The Lord rewarded her by sharing His beloved disciple with her, “Woman, here is your son.”
And this disciple will not be martyred or taken from you.
Why did Jesus reward His mother?
We have just concluded that rewards come at a high cost.
What was the cost for Mary?
What suffering did she endure?
Luke 2:35 reveals a prophecy concerning Mary,
(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,)
How did she suffer?
• She suffered physically when she brought the Savior into the world.
• She suffered shame and reproach and gossip
when found to be with child before the marriage was consummated with Joseph.
• She fled to Egypt to save her child from Herod, but countless innocent children died because of her child.
How do you think she felt about that? She would have suffered emotionally.
• There was a growing separation between her and Jesus when He declared to her one day, “Don’t you know that I must be about my Fathers business?”
Yes, a sword shall pierce your side, Mary!
She felt the greatest suffering at the cross, when her son died,
she suffered because of 1) The way He died (on a cross, numbered with the transgressors)
2) Where He died (openly, publicly, shamefully).
And Mary stood there feeling the pain of the sword go through her soul.
Countless times over the years she had held the hands that now were held in place with nails.
She had bathed and caressed the skin that now hangs in bloody shreds.
She would remove every splinter He got in the carpenter's shop,
and now large thorns have been driven into His skull.
But Jesus saw her and had compassion on her and assured her of His love for her.
Jesus was going back to heaven.
What would Mary do?
Jesus He gave John to Mary.
And from that very hour John took her into his own house (v.27).
It may not have seemed like it at the time,
but for Mary, to stand near the cross was to stand at a place of reward and love beyond measure.
4. Mary of Cleophas - A Person of Relationship.
Yes, a third Mary! And she's family.
It's not clear who she was.
But she is the 'other Mary' also present at the empty tomb three days later. [Mark 16:1]
We know she is the mother of 'James the Less', who was younger than the prominent James, son of Zebedee.
One secular historian records she may have been related on Joseph side of the family.
On the road to Emmaus the resurrected Jesus appeared to Cleopas which was likely this Mary’s relative.
Whoever she was.
She was still part of the spiritual family of God.
And so are we.
The church is bride of Christ! Are we a faithful bride?
Do we serve our love?
There is no greater expression of love than the life, cross, and resurrection of Jesus.
It is the greatest love the world has ever known.
As disciples of Christ we have the calling and capability to offer that same love to everyone we meet.
But first we have to be willing to pucker up and be kissed by Jesus.
So what do you say, church?
How good a kisser are we?
How good are we at Loving our neighborhood,
How good are we at Loving our community,
How good are we at Loving one another
How good are we at Loving our enemies?
What keeps the cross from being divine child abuse?
The answer is clear: It was love, not force, but love that held Jesus there on the cross.
Any time that I have doubts or uncertainties
When I find myself in the middle of a heartache or struggle and despair
I am reminded that as difficult and painful as things seem in the moment.
That my situation parallels what God went through when his Son took on human flesh.
Now I can know without a doubt that God understands everything I go through.
That is why religion, faith, and church matters.
On the cross that is where that thing the devil has been tormenting you with should be hanging.
That habit—should be hanging on the cross.---gossiping, stinking thinking,
That addiction--- pornography (you will never overcome those bad habits until you nail them to the cross.
And discover the love that Jesus
Loves you and sees your potential ---
It doesn’t matter who likes you or who doesn’t like you, all that matters is God likes you.
God loves you.
God doesn’t like our sin.
But God is not finished with you yet.
God see the potential in every single person.
God is a God of mercy.
You’ve got to live an obedient life,
but for every mistake you’ve made, there’s mercy there, and I believe we can do better.
When you have a relationship with Christ
— that’s the reason why He came, to have a relationship with him that is the guarantee from Heaven.
I believe God’s mercy is very big.
He's not a small God,
He is an incredible God.
And Jesus is not finished working on you yet.
These hurts, these bad habits should not be hanging around your neck keeping you down.
They should be hanging on the cross
Where Jesus took our sins and restores us to the image of God we are created in.
I feel like preaching that old time religion today.
I don’t feel very modern today.
I feel like preaching about a savior
who could have called ten thousand angels to deliver him down from the cross
But instead it was love that kept him there.
I have heard a lot of sermons about what happened on the cross.
But today I want to ask you what happened after the cross?
There is one last person at the cross that we need to mention.
III. John, the Disciple - A Person of Responsibility.
For John, to be at the cross was to stand at a place of responsibility.
John stood at the cross restored.
He, along with the other disciples,
had forsaken Jesus
and fled for his life at the garden of Gethsemane.
But, John came back to the cross.
He was restored and forgiven there.
Sometimes we may be tempted to run and turn our backs on Jesus.
Christians may stray and deny our Lord, but we can still come back to the cross.
It doesn’t matter what we’ve done.
The cross is the place to go for forgiveness, deliverance and restoration.
The cross is the place of unending love.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus not only restored John but He gave him some responsibility.
“John, I will no longer be on earth to watch over my mother, so you are going to take my place.
You are going to take care of my mother, and you are going to be a son to her.”
For John, the cross was a place of responsibility.
All believers today are taking His place here on earth.
John 20:21 tells us that, “As my Father hath sent me, even so, send I you.”
You and I represent Jesus to others.
It is by grace through faith that we are saved.
There is nothing we can do to earn it.
All we must do is accept it and believe.
When we do, there is a great turning which occurs in our lives.
A divine love which enters our heart.
Something brand new enters that we never experienced before.
And life is more than worth the living.
In John Chapter 15 Jesus tells us this: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Guess what. If you want to get to heaven…, We have to love each other.
It is in loving God that we learn to love others
and it is in loving others as Christ has loved us that we learn to love God.
And that’s what it’s all about—Love!!!
Without love—I am nothing, we are nothing.
With love we have all we need.
And God is love.
Jesus’ death on the Cross is not the defeat of life and love—instead, it is their triumph!!!
It is finished.
God has done all this for you—for me.
Now, what are we going to do with all this love?
What Are We Going To Do With All This Love?
Closing: You may feel like you are on the cross right now. Everything has come against you.
You don’t see in the natural how you can make it.
God is saying, hold on to your faith, keep believing.
Keep hoping. Keep praying. You are close to your victory.
This is the time for us join together and share the love of the cross with people around you.
It is the time to put the love of the cross into the hands of your family members.
Now is the time to give the love of the cross to fellow workers and friends
to people in need of hope, salvation and blessings.
