Text: I Peter 2:21 thru 25
We are here this morning because of the Man Whom the world has never forgotten. His name is Jesus Christ.
You may have had a busy week but perhaps there were moments when you stopped what you were doing, or wherever you were going, or whatever you were thinking, just long enough to remember what Jesus has done for you. My friend, Jesus gave Himself for you and every other person, and it is for that reason that He will never be forgotten.
Think about it. No other man that has ever lived has been remembered as well as Jesus is remembered. Two thousand years later, and the world still remembers and studies more about this man than any other person who has ever lived.
The impact the life of Christ has had still overwhelms modern day philosophers, learned men, and folks like you and me. Some have tried, but no one can explain away His greatness, His power or His deity.
I love Him for not just Who He was, but for Who is. I have known Him for nearly all of my life, and I am still in awe of His presence and power. I am convinced!
Well, why is this? How is it that one Man could have so much influence and fame?
There are many reasons for this, and I want to talk to you about one of these reasons that has been on my heart most of this week.
What I am referring to is the suffering He endured for each of us.
Instantly many of you will picture our Savior being nailed to the Cross of Calvary. Matt 27:45 tells us that Jesus hung on the cross and,
“…from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.”
This period of time may not mean anything to you as you look at the watch on your wrist. Let me translate what that verse means to us. Simply put–
Jesus suffered on the cross of Calvary FROM NOON UNTIL THREE –
The entire world was covered by darkness. Scientist claim that there was an eclipse that took place during that time.
Was this a coincidence? Or was this the dark cloud of sin that plagues this world?
Regardless, (I would suggest) this “darkness (that was) over all the land” prevented anyone from clearly seeing everything that was taking place on Golgotha’s Hill.
No doubt this sudden darkness (in the middle of day) came as a surprise to the Roman Centurions, the Jewish leaders and the common man who were gathered there that day.
The obvious thought I have is that there were no streetlights, no parking lot lights, and no flood lamps or spotlights to illuminate Golgotha’s Hill. Perhaps the guards began lighting torches to see what was going on. The dark images of death could only reveal the curse of sin that Jesus dieing for.
Obviously, it was difficult for anyone to see exactly what was taking place.
If you were there you would have –
Ø Only heard the moans and groans of pain coming from Jesus and the two thieves on either side of Him.
Ø Heard the crowd shouting and mocking our Lord.
Ø Barely seen and understood all that was taking place.
This morning we can only imagine the beaten and battered figure of a man dieing on the cross for your sins.
FROM NOON UNTIL THREE – there was a physical pain Christ endured.
As well, we must know of the pain taking place on the inside of the soul of our Savior. I believe this was the greater pain.
FROM NOON UNTIL THREE:
Our Savior was denied any comfort from the world here below, and no sunlight from heaven.
Jesus finished drinking the cup of God’s wrath in the final three hours of His earthly life. His body was racked with the pain and torment of the cross. But the greatest pain was taking place within His soul as He drank the last of His bitter cup.
FROM NOON UNTIL THREE:
All of the Jesus’ life the long-sufferings increased before coming to a brutal end on Golgotha’s Hill. Even as a child, Jesus very likely could have endured rejection and humiliation.
I say that because the scriptures tell us (in Matthew 13) that Jesus had 4 brothers and several sisters. As an only perfect and sinless child, Jesus endured the inconvenience and isolation of sibling rivalry like you and I can only imagine.
Even as a child, His sinless life had to have caused Him to be an oddity to His own brothers and sisters.
FROM NOON UNTIL THREE:
There was a period of time mankind will never forget.
As verse 21 of our text puts it,
"For to this you were called..."
As well, we should know that the suffering of Christ actually occurred throughout His earthly life. From the cradle in Bethlehem, to the grave in Jerusalem.
And this, my friend, is why so many of us can never get enough of the presence of Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit.
Perhaps for some there are times when we are not quite sure why we keep coming back to God’s house. Is it a habit? Is it only a discipline we have learned to live with? Or, is it because of how much He loves us and gave Himself for us?
Allow me the opportunity to speak to you specifically about the meaning of the final few hours as Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins.
FROM NOON UNTIL THREE:
The Bible reveals to us a very graphic picture of His suffering in the last few hours and days before His death. Some people become upset and uncomfortable to hear the story of the sufferings of Christ.
I cannot help that, but what troubles my soul is how (on one hand) the world has become so entertained by the horrors of violence on prime time television. On the other hand, the world becomes uneasy and uncomfortable when they are reminded of the violence of the death of the Man named Jesus.
What I have found to be painful about this is how a Man named Jesus could care so much for mankind, and yet mankind can be so indifferent about His death on the cross. How can this be?
The Bible tells me that on the night Jesus was arrested Jesus asked His Father this,
“…if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.”
Just a few moments later, the Temple Guards came to arrest Jesus. Simon Peter tried to defend Jesus with his sword. But Jesus stoped Peter and said this,
“Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”
What was this “cup” Jesus spoke of?
Listen to how Psalm 75 describes this for us,
In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.
Jeremiah is even more specific,
For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand,
Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury;
What does all of this mean to us?
The Lord has a cup of wrath and fury and judgment that is for the lawless and disobedient who oppose Him.
My friend, God is a loving and merciful God. But He has not changed His mind about the sin of disbelief and disobedience. God has a great disdain and hatred to sin and evil. He has not and He will not tolerate it.
There is coming a day when God will say no more, and He will pour out His judgment on those who refuse Him.
Revelations 14:9-10
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
These are strong words of judgment. Jesus knew about this bitter cup of wrath when He walked with the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was arrested. This cup of wrath, this cup of indignation, this cup of fury is the cup Jesus had to drink.
Furthermore, I believe He drank it (as it is written in the Psalms, Jeremiah, and Isaiah) right “down to the dregs.”
Meaning, down to the very last drop.
Jesus had no choice. He had to drink it all so that we did not ever have to drink it at all. In other words, Jesus drank all of it so that you and I did not have to drink any of it.
Listen church. No one knows better than Jesus how much his Heavenly Father hates sin and how He severely will judge it.
This cup of wrath was a bitter cup for Jesus to drink for you and I. But He did!
