What the Cross Is pt. 2
“Our Teacher”
Intro: Farley wrote this in his book Outrageous Mercy “The Cross is our teacher. The cross is a window through which we learn everything we need to know about God, humanity, wisdom, worship, the purpose of suffering, the purpose of life, and a host of other issues. If you knew nothing else but the cross, but you knew it thoroughly, you would know everything essential for this life and the next.
The cross of Christ truly is the ultimate teaching tool for the Christian. Again, this is why we are going to be looking at the cross this spring, to keep our eyes, hearts and minds focused on Jesus.
But keep in mind, in order to be taught, you must be willing to learn. A few weeks back we talked about our need to be a learning church. I pray that you will be willing to learn, over the next few months, as we learn the lessons that have been taught to us from the cross of Christ.
One of the things that I find so amazing about the cross is that it teaches us by example. This morning I want to point out 3 things that the cross teaches us by example. Jesus did not come to preach to us, he did not come to condemn us, He did not come to make us feel guilty, He came and set an example. The cross teaches us by showing us these things.
First:
I) It displays our condition
A) We don’t like to think about this, but we must if we are going to ever understand the cross.
1) We don’t really like to think that we had much to do with the cross.
2) We don’t want to take responsibility, for the cross
(a) After all it was God who put His Son on the Cross
(b) After all I did not ask Him to do that for me
(c) After all I did not make Him do it for me
(d) So it really has very little to do with me right? WRONG!!!
(i) The CONDITION of the world was so bad
(ii) The CONDITION of the human race was so bad
(iii) The CONDITION of the relationship between God and us was so bad.
¨ That the only thing that could restore it was Jesus, and not just Jesus, but Jesus crucified on a cross.
Þ That was the condition. Those are the facts! The CONDITION was out of hand!! For us, at least.
· God had a plan. But, before you can understand the plan you must understand the CONDITION!
B) Have you ever heard of Romans 3:23?
1) Of course you have, it shows us the condition right?
2) Preachers use it all the time to show us the condition we were in. For all have sinned… Right?
(a) But the Preachers, most times, stop before you get the full scope of the CONDITION we were in.
(b) The Preacher stops before the heavy stuff sets in.
(i) I want you to understand the cross. I want you to understand the CONDITION I am talking about.
(ii) So I am not going to stop this morning, I am going to give you the whole story.
¨ Romans 3:22-26 (NIV) 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Þ Did you catch it? Do you see it? Can you see how bad our CONDITION was?
· We weren’t just sinners
· The world was not just a bad place
· We weren’t just separated from God
· We were not just falling short and letting God down.
(iii) It was so bad that JUSTICE had to be SERVED
¨ It was so bad, the condition was so OUTRAGEOUSLY MESSED up that somebody:
· Had to take a beating
· Somebody had to be wounded
· Somebody had to do the time for the crime
· Somebody had to pay the price
· Somebody had to be punished for the sins of the world
· Somebody had to DIE!!!
Þ And His name was Jesus!
· Somebody had to step up and do something
· Somebody had to fix the problem
· Somebody had to bring us a Victory
· Somebody had to give us hope
· Somebody had to restore humanity
· Somebody had to take that cross, and carry it
· Somebody had to lay their life down, so we could live
Þ And His name was Jesus!
C) If we want to understand the cross, we better wake up and realize:
1) That it was our CONDITION that needed fixing
2) It was our CONDITION that cried out for help
3) It was the CONDITION of our lives, and our world, that made a FATHER sacrifice a SON, and a SON give His life.
(a) The cross teaches us and shows us very clearly the CONDITION we were in.
II) It displays the love of our creator
A) We talked about love a few weeks back, and do you remember what we said?
1) Love is not about US!!
2) Love is about sacrifice, love is about others.
(a) If you don’t believe that just look at our teacher, the cross.
(i) You can see the love of our creator in many places.
¨ His Creation
¨ His blessings
¨ The Eyes of your children
¨ A gentle breeze
¨ A nice slow soaking rain
¨ The rainbow in the sky
Þ But the cross is the ultimate example of what love is.
Þ The cross is our teacher about love.
· Listen to how the Bible defines love
B) 1 John 3:16 (NIV) 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
1) How can I know what love is in:
(a) An unloving world?
(b) An unloving family?
(c) An unloving marriage?
(d) An unloving church?
(e) An unloving job?
(i) How can you know what love is? LOOK at the TEACHER, look at the CROSS!!!!
¨ The cross does not
Þ Preach about love
Þ Talk about love
Þ Write about love
Þ Think about love
Þ Read about love
Þ Look at love
Þ Or Wonder about Love
· The cross shows you, and teaches you about love!
Þ What greater love could we ever know then God giving us his Son to die, because He loved us so much that He wanted us to live.
Þ And get out of the horrible condition we were in.
Þ That is love.
C) This brings a whole new reality to John 3:16 doesn’t it?
1) The most well known verse in the Bible. Listen to it in the context of the cross.
(a) John 3:16 (NIV)16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(i) Another translation puts it this way: 16 God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. John 3:16 (GW)
¨ The cross display’s the love of our creator better than anything else I know of.
Þ And because of that, the cross is our greatest teacher about love.
III) It displays our cure
A) The cross teaches us first hand about what God’s loving cure for our Bad Condition was.
1) The only cure was one that no father would ever want to provide,
2) One that no Father would do without reason,
3) One that would carry a great purpose, but would not come without great pain,
4) One that would blow the minds of all who truly understand it.
(a) The cure was one of a kind, and one that would be good for all time.
(b) God sacrificed his son, so we could be cured.
(i) God gave up His own for you and I
¨ Jesus went to the cross, laid down, and was risen up so we could live.
Þ The cross does not:
· Talk about a cure
· Look for a cure
· Sing about a cure
· Pray for a cure
· Wish for a cure
· Think about a cure
· Hope for a cure
· Or Preach about a cure
Þ The Cross was the cure!!
Þ Jesus was the cure for our deadly desies.
B) 1 Peter 2:24-25 (GW) 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God’s approval. His wounds have healed you. 25 You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop of your lives.
1) Right there hanging on the cross is the cure, for your sin, and your eternal destiny.
(a) The only problem is that, like a small child, some of you don’t want to take your medicine.
(i) The Medicine:
¨ Does not cost anything
¨ Taste Bad
¨ Bring on side effects
Þ All it does is heal you, cure you, and bring a 100% cleansing to your life.
· Take the cure this morning.
Þ It is right here this morning. All you need is to learn from the loving teacher, the cross.
Closing: You know your condition, you know how much your creator loves you, and you know what the cure is. Make today the day you put all 3 together.
