March 23, 2008

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Matthew
27:24    When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
27:25    Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
27:26    Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27:27    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
27:28    And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
27:29    And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
27:30    And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
27:31    And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
27:32    And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
27:33    And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
27:34    They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
27:35    And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
27:36    And sitting down they watched him there;
27:37    And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27:38    Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
27:39    And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
27:40    And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
27:41    Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
27:42    He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
27:43    He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
27:44    The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
27:45    Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
27:46    And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
27:47    Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
27:48    And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
27:49    The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
27:50    Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
27:51    And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
27:52    And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
27:53    And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
27:54    Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

 
28:1    In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
28:2    And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
28:3    His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
28:4    And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
28:5    And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
28:6    He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
28:7    And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
28:8    And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

 

Once Upon A Cross

Matthew 27:24-54; 28:1-8

 

We have all heard this story time and time again.

·         In fact, we are so familiar with it that we might catch ourselves thinking: “Yes, yes, I’ve heard this all before.”

 

The Easter story – The greatest story ever told is close to becoming no more than a nursery rhyme or bed time story that begins: “Once upon a time…”

DEAR FRINDS – In reality the Easter story must begin – “Once upon a cross…”

·         For it was upon a tree, fashioned into a cross, that we find God having His Son be made sin for us

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

·         It was upon a cross the shedding of Jesus’ blood made possible the remission of sins - and man’s salvation

So the Easter story must be for each of us more than a bed time story that begins “Once upon a time…”

 

TODAY – Let us experience and feel once again the SIGNIFICANCE, the REALITY, and the NECESSITY of the cross that Jesus died on.

 

IN THE CROSS WE FIND THE WOOD OF THE NEW AGREEMENT

We’ve become people who are accustomed to hearing about death.

·         The news media has in some sense desensitized us to death in the world

·         It is not uncommon for us to hear or read about hundreds of lives being lost in a single accident

With that in mind it is easy to see how and why we give such little thought to one death some 2,000 years ago.

 Calvin Miller - “Blinded by the glaucoma of ego, men no longer see its relevance or its significance.”

 

DEAR FRIEND – It’s like we look at the cross - as we do that new car we just bought.

·         Now that the “newness” has worn off, all we can think about are the payments we owe.

We must see again that in the cross was the new agreement that God was making with man.

·         The paperwork has been done in the O.T

·         And now it was being signed, sealed, and delivered through Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 – “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

·         The old agreement was the law – filled with commandments that men then – nor today – could keep

·         The new agreement, the transaction between God and man was made complete on the cross

John 19:30 – “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

·         Tetelastai – a marketing term that means “PAID IN FULL”

·         What is finished?

·         He had finished the work His Father had given Him to do

What was the Father’s work that Jesus was sent to do?

·         Pay the price for your sins and mine

·         Final payment had been made and the account was paid in full

·         Jesus had redeemed us by His precious blood

·         The work of Christ was complete

DEAR FRIENDS – I believe that as Jesus spoke these last words, the halls of heaven sounded with TETELASTAI!!!

·         It is finished!

·         Paid in full

The cross was no accident.

·         Rather – it was the purposeful and necessary plan of God that the Lamb of God, who was slain before the foundations of the world would become our new agreement on the cross.

Rev. 13:8 – “All who dwell on the earth will worship him (antichrist), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

IN THE CROSS WE MUST: REACT TO THE CROSS
 Perhaps as the news media has desensitized our understanding the significance of one man’s death,

·         The world economics has hindered our reaction to the cross

·         Cross’ are big business!

Calvin Miller – It is a human fault men have no reaction in depth to the very sight of the cross.

·         Our world has gone “CROSS” crazy

·         Celluloid crosses are manufactured for bookmarks

·         Luminous crosses are suspended on light pulls

·         They are worn on chains around one’s neck

·         Welded to steeples, and built of polished wood for church altars.

·         There are even “cross factories” that manufacture crosses on a production line basis.

·         We have “crucified” the cross with “over-exposure.”

Ancient man looking at the cross saw death.

·         For a person to be carrying a cross could only mean one thing – death

·         They would not be returning home, they were going to die

Luke 9:23 – Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

·         Jesus utters a criteria for continuing discipleship

·         This is the first time in Luke’s account that the cross is mentioned

·         The path of discipleship is not easy

In light of what was going to happen –( Calvary and later persecution), Three things would be required for discipleship:

  1. To deny one’s self
  2. Jesus specified: “take up His cross daily”

DEAR FRIEND – The cross was a symbol of shame, death, reproach, and persecution.

    • Under Roman occupation, crucifixion was not uncommon
    • Jews clearly understood the figure of speech to take up one’s cross
    • It was tantamount to death
Discipleship requires one to daily be willing to face the reproach of Christ and the offence of the Gospel
  1. Follow Him – The final step of Discipleship

DEAR FRIEND - The path has never been easy and never will be until He returns!

·         Jesus wants us also to see death of self when we look at the cross

·         The denying of self and the picking up of the cross daily – speaks of death

When we look at the cross and see the new wood of agreement – we must react – make a decision.

·         A decision to follow Christ

·         A decision of obedience

Unfortunately, the cross today is becoming a mere symbol.

·         Like the nativity scenes at Christmas, we drag the cross out at Easter.

·         And when Easter is over – the cross is stored away for another season – along with the baskets and eggs.

FRIENDS – The cross calls for a decision – a reaction today, tomorrow, next month, even at Christmas.

·         The cross calls for us to react.

Matthew10:38 - "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

·         The cross warrants a reaction of obedience

THE OUTCOME OF THE CROSS

With what outcome does the cross leave us?

·         Is the story of Christ and His love a tale of a well meaning martyr?

·         Does Jesus’ splendid life end as a powerless piece of human fiction?

If it does – then there is no hope for us today!

WHERE DOES THE CROSS LEAD US?

1. First, it leads us to the dark appointed day on Calvary

·         That Good Friday that seemed to steal the hope of those who followed Jesus

2. Second, it leads us through the day in the grave, the tomb, that was so gray

·         All who followed were in a state of shock and disbelief

3. Ultimately – It leads us to the outcome

·         That glorious Sunday morning of resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:17 - And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

DEAR FRIEND – If the cross does not lead us to this final outcome – the resurrection – then there is no need to be here today!

·         But praise be to God, the cross has the outcome of resurrection – of life!

 

We can speak of the cross in the past tense, but we dare not speak of the resurrection in the past tense.

·         For it is still happening today!

·         Right this very moment – Jesus is alive – still resurrected!

·         The grave is still empty!

 

And all who confess and believe have life – life abundantly – life everlasting.

 

CLOSE

Some will declare the message of the cross as nothing more than myth mixed with the unbelievable.

 

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

 

DEAR FRIENDS – It is not a fairy tale that begins “Once upon a time… – it is truth that begins “Once upon a cross…”

 

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