The Outstretched Arms

James A. Harnish (Tampa, Florida), in his 1993 Easter sermon, tells the story of a little boy who was not exactly happy about going to church on Easter Sunday morning. His new shoes were too tight, his tie pinched his neck and the weather was just too beautiful to be cooped up inside ... As he sulked in the back seat, his parents heard him mutter: ’I don’t know why we have to go to church on Easter, anyway; they keep telling the same old story and it always comes out the same in the end.’

EASTER — Is it baby bunnies, yellow ducks, easter eggs,

& lots of chocolate?

Hebrews 12:2KJV

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

- What did He endure, and what shame did He suffer?

- How are we to understand the cross?

- EXCRUCIATE: to cause great agony, torment

- Latin : ex : out of, from cruciate : cross "from the cross"

- "from, or out of, the cross"

Jesus started the evening in the Upper Room, with the Last Supper

- His body and His blood were to be given for them.

(Matt 26: 26-29)

- Gethesemane. - (Oil Press)

- "Oil" symbol of the Holy Spirit, here "the Spirit of God was

crushed". - Mt 26:37-38

- No-wonder His sweat was blood - Lk 22:44

- Betrayed by a kiss - Judas - Mt 26:50

- His disciples deserted Him, even at the expense of running away

naked (Mk 14:51-52)

- Trial by the council with false witnesses - Mt 26:59-62

- Tried - trials could not occur on the eve of the Sabbath or Feast Days or at night

- A sentence of ’guilty’ could only be pronounced on the day following the trial

- Found to be guilty of blasphemy - proclaiming Himself the Son

of God. - Mt. 26:65

- The Religious spit & hit & mock - Mt 26:67-68

- Blindfolded him & struck him - Lk - 22:63

- Peter denies Him three times - Mt 26:69-75

- The charge before Pilate was that Jesus was a King & would not

pay taxes to the Romans - Lk 23:1-3

- Romans were the ones who executed criminals

- Pilate did not find anything wrong - Lk 23:22

- Sent to Herod , Mocked by his men - Lk 23:7, 11.

- Pilate, pressured by the crowd, ordered Jesus flogged untl you

could not recognize him - Mt. 27:26 (Is 53)

- He was sentenced to the death penalty. Mt 27:26

- Mocked spit upon beaten, beard ripped out (Is. 50:6) and crown

of thorns - Mt 27:27-31

- Carried his cross (crossbar) 80-110 lbs. - Jn 19:17, Lk 23:26

- Then crucified at Calvary with 7" spikes - Mt 27:35

- Humiliated - Taking His clothes from Him - Mt 27:35

- Being raised upward his weight could cause dislocation

of the shoulder and elbow joints

- His position on the cross made it extremely difficult to

exhale, and impossible to take a full breath

- Crucified with criminals - Mt 27:38

- Continued mocking - Mt 27:39-44

- Now thirsty because of dehydration - Jn 19:28

- Alone & abandoned by God - Mt 27:46

- Now he said — “It is finished” - Jn 19:30 - Mt 27:50

- His death confirmed by a spear into his side to the heart Jn 19:34

The Arms Outstretched

- Do they a demonstrate justice done, victory won, and life begun? - Are they a symbol of pain, anguish, and sin?

- Or are they a expression of welcoming love?

- How could they possibly be any of these things, anyway?

Traditional Answers

Gustaf Aulen Swedish Hymn writer & Theologian

- What was Christ’s Death

- Called Atonement - At-one-ment

- The work Christ what he did in his life & death to pay for our

salvation

1 A Ransom

- "Jesus Paid it All - All to Him I Owe"

SATAN enticed two of God’s innocent, trusting children with the temptation in the Garden, thereupon kidnaping them, imprisoning them and their descendants in sin, and perpetually holding humanity as hostage until God paid the ransom.

- Satan demands God to make the final, releasing payment: a dead Son.

- Voluntarily, Jesus Christ agrees to pay that price.

- Christ’s virtual suicide was the price for our freedom

- Satan can’t demand anything

- He was the one thrown out of heaven

2. The Substitutionary Sacrifice

- "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, There a Precious Fountain"

- Jesus doesn’t offer his life to the Devil for our freedom.