-If I asked you to describe the cross to me, you would likely be able to do so fairly easily
-The cross has become so ingrained in our culture
-Everyone knows what it looks like
-Everyone knows what happened there
-Everyone knows it is the centerpiece of Christianity
-Or do they?
-The cross is perhaps the most maligned religious symbol in the world
-It is highly misunderstood or at least ignored
-It is shrugged of by many as a mere fable or exaggeration
-Oswald Chambers - “All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning. “
-So, tonight, I want us to look at what the cross really is
-Luke 23:13-56
I. The Cross Is Historic
A. A known fact
1. Crosses in general
a. Commonality of use
-Used by many nationalities
-Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans
-Romans used it only for slaves and criminals
-No roman citizen could be crucified
b. Shapes
-Stake, “X”, “+”, “T”, “t”
c. Fashion of crucifixions
-Nailed or tied to the cross
2. Josephus’ writings about Jesus
-Other historians have referred to Him as well
3. Archaeological findings
C. A history changer
1. The calendar was changed
-Even in the “BCE” and “CE” era
2. The tide was turned against satan
-No longer could he run rampant
-His doom was sealed
II. The Cross Is Horrific
A. Betrayal
-Judas was not, as some are now saying, an accomplice in a plot by Jesus
1. He was driven by greed
2. He was driven by false assumptions
-Of who the Messiah would be
B. False accusations
-Jeering
C. Beating / Flogging
-Cat Of Nine Tails
-Across the back
-Extreme pain from the severed muscles
-Blood loss
-Although less severe on the back than in other places
-Fists, rocks, spit, beard yanked, dirt
D. Crown of thorns
E. Nails
F. Difficulty breathing
-Push up with legs to get air
G. Lack of blood flow
-To vital organs
H. Length of time
-Hours, if not days
-Cruel and unusual punishment
I. Spear Piercing
-Note: We wince at this, but He never felt it
-He was already dead by this point
III. The Cross Is Holy
-It is more than a piece of jewelry
-It is more than an architectural highlight
-It is more than just a symbol or decoration
-It is more than just a picture or a painting
-George F. MacLeod - “Jesus was crucified, not in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves.”
A. The holiest person was there
-God incarnate
-100% God while 100% man
-Do not dare depreciate His divinity
-That is what is happening with many of those in more “educated” circles these days
-Do not dare depreciate His humanity either
-It would make the crucifixion much less than what it is
B. The holiest act was done there
-In the midst of the jeering and chaos, the most holy thing was happening
-The payment of the penalty of sin for all mankind
-Your sin and my sin
-Even if you were the only one, He would have still gone to the cross
-It was that important
IV. The Cross Is Powerful
A. To forgive your sins
1. All of them
-None are beyond the reach of God
a. None are too bad
-Save blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
b. None are too many
-70 X 7
2. All the way
-They are not partially forgiven
-They are not merely covered up
-They are forgiven completely
-No longer even showing up on your record
B. To alter your life
1. To give you a new purpose
-To live for God and not for self
2. To give you a new power
C. To change Your destiny
-A future with a great hope
CONCLUSION
-Tonight, we must all realize that we killed Jesus
-You killed Him
-I killed Him
-With each sin you committed, you took your fist and punched Jesus
-With each sin you committed you swung the hammer onto the nails piercing His hands and feet
-With each sin you committed you pushed another thorn deeper into Christ’s brow
-Yet, Christ is more powerful than the cross
-His power flows as His blood from the cross to our lives
-To forgive our sins
-To alter our lives
-To change our destinies
-Has His blood changed you?
