What God Wants Us To See The In Cross Of Christ Series

What God Wants Us to See the in Cross of Christ

John 19:25-37

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - June 27, 2018

(Revised June 22, 2020)

BACKGROUND:

*Tonight in John 19 we will take another close look at the Lord's death on the cross. God wants us to have 20/20 spiritual vision about the cross because it is the only possible way for people to be saved. And there is so much to see in the cross of Christ. Let's get started by reading John 19:25-37.

MESSAGE:

*I am one of many people who were born with bad eyes. But I didn’t know it until the first grade. It must have been discovered in a test at school. And I remember riding home with my dad after I got my first pair of glasses. I was astounded. I had no idea what I had been missing. I could read the signs! I could see the leaves on the trees. I could see!

*It’s a wonderful thing to see, but it is infinitely more important to spiritually see with the eyes of faith. God wants us to have 20/20 spiritual vision about the cross of Christ. And there is so much to see in the cross.

1. FIRST: GOD WANTS US TO SEE THE DEVOTION IN JESUS' DEATH.

*And we can see the Lord's devotion in vs. 28. Here the Bible says, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst!''' This verse shows us that Jesus didn't have a bit of concern for His own comfort until His mission was fully accomplished.

[1] THAT'S BECAUSE JESUS WAS TOTALLY DEVOTED TO HIS HEAVENLY FATHER.

*John's Gospel makes this truth very clear. For example, in John 5:30 Jesus said, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHO SENT ME.

*Then in John 6:35-40 Jesus said:

35. . . "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

36. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.

37. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

38. FOR I HAVE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, NOT TO DO MY OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME.

39. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

40. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.''

*Also in John 8:26-29, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and said:

26. "I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.''

27. They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28. Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

29. And He who sent Me is with Me. THE FATHER HAS NOT LEFT ME ALONE, FOR I ALWAYS DO THOSE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM.''

[2] THE LORD WAS TOTALLY DEVOTED TO HIS HEAVENLY FATHER, AND HE IS TOTALLY DEVOTED TO HIS FOLLOWERS.

*That's why a few hours before the cross, in John 15:13, Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

*Nobody could possibly love you more than Jesus Christ, and He wants you to know it. That is why Paul wrote a glorious prayer for Christians in Ephesians 3:14-21. And there Paul said:

14. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15. from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16. that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18. may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height

19. to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.