The Revelation Of The Cross

THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS

LUKE 23:35-43

If you were to look at Rembrandt’s painting of The Three Crosses, your attention would be drawn first to the center cross on which Jesus died. Then as you would look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross, you’d be impressed by the various facial expressions and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. Finally, your eyes would drift to the edge of the painting and catch sight of another figure, almost hidden in the shadows. Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus to the cross.

As you look at the cross where Jesus died, many things will be revealed to you. The longer you and I study and meditate upon what the Bible says about the cross, the more God will reveal to us about the cross. I believe that a person could study about the cross all of their lives and still not even begin to uncover a small fraction of what the cross reveals about life, death and eternity.

This morning, I want us to look at cross where Jesus died. As we look at the cross, I want you to examine your own life as it relates to the things that are revealed in this passage of scripture.

TITLE: THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS

READ LUKE 23:35-43

Oswald Chambers once said: “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.”

This morning I pray that you will not ignore what God wants to reveal about the cross. 6 THINGS THAT THE CROSS REVEALED

I. IT REVEALED A CROWD OF DOUBTERS (VS 35-37)

 As Jesus hung upon the cross there were many people on the ground looking up at Jesus that doubted who He was.

 In these verses we see that the rulers doubted (vs 35), and we also see that the soldiers doubted who Jesus was (vs 36-37). They were saying, if You are who You say You are, come down from that cross.

 The same thing happens today. People walk around the cross, read about the cross, hear preachers proclaim the cross, look at Jesus on the cross, but doubt that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

 Many people today are just like those who walked around the cross while Jesus hung there. People want “PROOF” that Jesus is who He says He is.

 They thought that Jesus would prove Himself if He came down off of the cross. I want to tell you this morning that Jesus proved who He was because He stayed on that cross! If Jesus would have removed Himself from that cross He would not have been the savior of the world!

 If you are here this morning and you are in the doubting crowd, I want you to know that Jesus could have got down off the cross but He didn’t in order to shed His blood and die for your sin’s.

 The reason they did not know who Jesus was is because of their unbelief. If you want to know who Jesus is, you must come to Him and believe that He is who He say’s He is! Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

 If you come to Jesus, you must place ALL of your trust in Him alone to save you!

I. IT REVEALED A CROWD OF DOUBTERS

II. IT REVEALED A CORRECT DESCRIPTION (VS 38)

STORY

Em Griffin, in his book, The Mindchangers, tells a story: A group of white, middle-class New York City residents were presented with a picture of people on a subway. Two men were in the foreground. One was white, one was black. One wore a business suit, one was clothed in workman’s overalls. One was giving his money to the other who was threatening him with a knife. Now as a matter of fact it was the black man who wore the suit, and it was he who was being robbed by the white laborer. But such a picture didn’t square with the prejudices of the viewers. To them, white men were executives, black men were blue collar workers. Blacks were the robbers, whites the victims. And so they reported what their mind told them they saw--that a black laborer was assaulting a white businessman. As human beings who desperately desire our lives to be consistent and untroubled, we’ll go to great lengths to reject a message that implies we’re wrong.