The Three Crosses

The Three Crosses

Text: Luke 23:39-43.                         

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

I want us to notice these three crosses that were represented at the crucifixion of Christ. In John 19:18, we are told: “They crucified him and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”

I. We need to notice the Cross of Rejection.

In Luke 23:39, the Bible says, “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”  I want us to notice some things about this thief. 

A. No admission of his guilt. 

He is not interested in admitting he is wrong. He is just mad that he has gotten caught. In other words, he is not sorry that he has offended God, sinned against God. No! He is sorry that he got caught. The Bible tells us about the result of worldly sorrow.  “For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23.

Here is a man who is reaping what he has sown, and he does not like it. 
You see all his life this man sowed to his flesh. The Bible tells us the result of this in “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” Galatians 6:8.

B. We need to notice this thief’s unbelief. 

He says to the Lord “IF You are the Christ.” This is devil talk! In Matthew 4:3, the devil said to Jesus, “IF You are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” It was in the Garden of Eden, that the devil started with his “IF.”

“IF you sin you shall be like gods, and not die like God said.” Whenever you find doubt about what God has said, you will find the devil is behind it. In this case what is subject to unbelief is salvation. The devil is the author of confusion. 

The Devil wants people to doubt what the Word of God says especially about salvation. So, they will end up in the lake of fire. The Bible tells us who the father of lies is, Satan, “there is no truth in him ... he is a liar, and the father of it” John 8:44. 

C. On the cross of rejection, we need to notice lastly, The lack of humility. 

Instead of being humble and looking for mercy, we are told this thief in Luke 23:39 “Mocked” Jesus, meaning to utter reproaches; to scoff; to use rude and reproachful language. This man so desperately needed the saving grace of God. Yet, in his last breathes cursed the Son of God, the only one who could save him. 

Pride still sends a person to hell; the proud of heart still say “I do not need God. I can save myself.” This thief needed to turn to the Lord for mercy because the Bible tells us in Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”

Instead on this Cross of Rejection hung the unrepentant thief.  He had no guilt or shame for what he did.  He had no belief in the Son of God. He had no humility because of his mess. Ever since he breathed his last breath, he has been hoping he could have changed his mind and accepted the Saviour that he rejected on the Cross of Rejection.

2. We need to notice the Cross of Reaction, Luke 23:40-42. 

I want us to notice something about this thief that hung on the Cross of Reaction.

A.   First, he feared God. 

In Luke 23:40, we read this thief said to the thief that hung on the Cross of Rejection, “Do you not even fear God.” The Bible says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”  He knew that God controlled his destiny. 
He knew that God was the judge of all things. 

B.   Second, he realized that he was a condemned man with no earthly way out. 

Notice his words in verse 40, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

C.   Third, he acknowledges his sin, verse 41, “And we indeed justly”

The Bible tells us that “all have sin and come short of the glory of God.” “As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.” Acknowledgment of one’s sin is the first step of getting saved. A person must first acknowledge they are a sinner, before that they know they need a Saviour. 

If a person does not see themselves as sinner, then there is no need to be saved. 

Today, most people are trusting in something else other than the shed blood of Jesus Christ to save them. 

D.   Fourth, the thief on the cross of reaction acknowledged he deserved his sentence - verse 41, “For we receive the due reward of our deeds.”

He knew clearly that he reaped what he had sown. In other words, he said “I am guilty for what I have done and deserve to be in the fix that I am in.” He acknowledged that he deserved his death sentence. He was sorry for his sin, not because he was caught, but, because he sinned against God. 

This man was on the road to salvation, for he knew he was a sinner in need of a Saviour.

E. Lastly, this thief acknowledged that Jesus did not deserve the death sentence verse 41 “But this Man has done nothing wrong.”

He realized and acknowledged the sinlessness of the man next to him.  Concerning himself he knew and admitted that he was a sinner and deserved his sentence of death. What we see here is the steps of someone getting saved.  There was only one last thing for this man to do and praise God! And he did it.
He turned to the centre cross, the third cross, The Cross of Redemption and uttered these words verse 42 “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

We want to notice the thief called Jesus, Lord. This is very important because “Lord” is a title of deity. The thief realized that only the Lord Jesus Christ could save him from the situation. 

The Bible tells us “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Unlike the other thief on The Cross of Rejection, the thief on The Cross of Reaction had no doubt who Jesus was. He came to Jesus humbly, admitting his sin, accepting his sentence of death, and crying out to God for his mercy. This thief believed on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save him. 

“But as many as received Him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” John 1:12.

3. Finally, we need to notice the THIRD cross, the Cross of Redemption. 

Redeem means to “buy back.” Jesus buys back from the slave market of sin, from eternal damnation in a lake of fire all those who call upon Him to save them. 

Let us take notice how Jesus responded to thief on the Cross of Reaction verse 43 “And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” You talk about “Good News”! Where could you find any religion in the world that could tell you, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Show me one religion in this big wide world that will tell you for sure, “You are going to paradise (heaven) the bottom line is there is not any. Only Bible Christianity can make that promise, because it is based on the man on that third cross, The Cross of Redemption.

Conclusion:

Which side of that cross of redemption are you on? Your eternity is counting on it! Rejection or Reaction? Rejection will turn you away from God and heaven. Acceptance of Christ will give you a place in heaven.

Jesus was buried

Jesus was buried

Text: John 19:30-42.                         

“So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.
And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby” John 19:30-42.

Deep down, we all have this of fear death and more so saying goodbye to those that we love. But, the good news is that for believers, Christ has removed the sting of death through the Cross of Calvary (The Gospel).

Death is permanent! That was, until Jesus Christ overturned it! In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul defines the Gospel of the grace of God in three points:

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Here is a three point sermon:

1.    Jesus died on a Cross. The Victor over sin.

2.    Jesus was buried in a tomb. The Victor over hell and the devil!

3.    Jesus arose from the grave. The Victor over death!

1.    There is a lot of teaching about how and why Christ died.

2.    There is a good amount of teaching about the Resurrection of Jesus.

3.    But the burial of Christ occupies a lesser space. Even so, keep in mind that it is one third of the Gospel!

That is why today I want to speak about Jesus burial. There is not much said about the burial of Jesus, but there is more to it than we might think. His burial in the ground confirmed His death, and fits the picture of the Passover sacrifice.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” John 12:24.

Time was of the essence at the time of Jesus death, for there was pressure to remove the bodies from the crosses by nightfall. “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day).

It was Passover, and Jesus died at 3 PM. So His body had to be removed before 6 PM (the end of a Jewish day). And anyone who touched a dead body after that point was considered unclean and unable to partake of Passover.

Passover also began the week long feast of Unleavened Bread, in the Midst of which was the Feast of First Fruits (Our Easter). Jewish tradition said that a body became corrupt after the third day! (Remember Lazarus!). Leaven is a picture of that corruption, thus the feast!

Note these words “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” So many have preached about the sword and the broken heart of Christ. But here is another thought we all miss.

Remember in the Garden of Eden that God said it was not good for man to be alone, so it was from Adam's side (Adam’s rib) that God gave him his bride. And so it was from the side of the last Adam, Jesus that the Bride of Christ was born from the fountain of His life's blood!

Now, consider what an honourable burial Jesus received, even though He was executed as a criminal. “And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth” Isaiah 53:9.

Most people today are buried in the ground, but Jesus was buried in a tomb (a cave like grave). Jesus could have risen from the ground, but you can see why the tomb was a more fitting picture for the resurrection.

Notice those at the Cross and the burial of Jesus. Yes we have Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene and the others watching. But, it is Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (both members of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin), that take the body of Jesus to bury Him.

Joseph, who had been a secret believer, went public while the apostles, who were public believers, became secret, hiding away! Nicodemus a highly respected leader, also opposed his fellow council members when he found they were condemning Jesus in a way disagreeing to the Laws of Moses.

“Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” John 7:50-51.

Never underestimate the faith of the quiet! We should not be secret disciples, but in many places today, as always, it is very dangerous to go public, you must be underground! Many of God's best followers do not preach, teach or sing, nor announce their spiritual activities publicly, but God knows all about them!

Some people are slow to confess Jesus publicly, and it is true that we should make it our goal to make ourselves known, unashamedly. But at the same time, God puts no premium on being loud and obnoxious, or publicly puffed up, either! Ultimately, our faith needs to SURFACE, in a way which gives God the glory!  

Joseph went to Pilate to get the body of Jesus; Pilate may have thought he represented the Sanhedrin in this request. Also, during this same time-frame, the other members of the Sanhedrin remembered that Jesus prophesied that He would rise again in three days and so they appealed for the guard at the tomb (Mathew 27:62). This motivated them to make their own visit to Pilate to request that the tomb be sealed.  

Again, consider the scene: Jesus body is taken down. And it must be hurriedly yet carefully wrapped. 

And here is what I think is the greatest drama: That while these secret disciples were lovingly preparing Jesus' body for burial, Peter was weeping in shame for denying the Lord, and the others hiding behind locked doors.

Conclusion:

But the burial of Jesus is forever remembered now as the run-up to the Resurrection:

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” Matthew 12:40.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple (His body), and in three days I will raise it up” John 2:19.

1. Christ died for OUR sins.

2. He was buried.

3. He rose again on the third day.

Hymn: 136

Living He loved me, dying He saved me,

BURIED, He carried my sins far away!

Rising He justified, freely forever,

And one day He's coming, O glorious day!

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday

Text: Matthew 27:55-65.                    Reading: Matthew 27:55-65; 28:1-10.

Easter is the focal point of history (HIS-STORY). Picture a timeline with a cross in the centre.

A.   The Bible tells us that every moment from Creation on has been leading up to the cross (as part of God’s eternal plan).

B.   And that every moment since is lived considering Jesus’ death and resurrection.

It has been said something like this, “The cross rests on the time line of history (HIS-STORY) like a compelling view. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its meaninglessness attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. History has idolized it and despised it, gold-plated it and burned it, worn it and trashed it. History has done everything to it but ignore it. That is the one option that the cross does not offer. No one can disregard it!”

1.    THE WOMEN AT THE CROSS.

“And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons” Matthew 27:55-56.

Jesus had many “behind the scene” followers. All four Gospels describe a group of women who were dedicated to special ministries to Jesus. These women served, supported, and even travelled in order to prepare the way for Jesus and the twelve disciples.

The fearless devotion of these women shines out. They remained with Jesus when most of the male disciples ran for their lives! In fact, these women are of the few followers (mostly women) who did not desert Jesus even at the cross. They remained for the entire tragic ordeal. Imagine the wrenching of their hearts as they helplessly watched the shocking torture, humiliation, and Crucifixion of the One they had found so understanding and gentle.

Yet do not forget there were men also, like John, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus verses 57-60.  “Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.”

These women stayed behind when the crowds left the death scene, this loyal group followed Jesus’ body to the tomb. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed.

Though these women saw Him die, they could not let Him go—not yet. They needed to know where His body would rest.

2.    THE WOMEN AT THE TOMB.

“And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb” Matthew 27:61.

Special mention is made of the women who had followed Jesus all the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. The same women witnessed Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (chapter 28:1); there is therefore no room for mistake over either the reality of Jesus’ death or the identification of His tomb.

After the Sabbath, these women again spent hours gathering the spices used for burial—they still served Him, every act of service done for the Lord counts. With heavy hearts they got up early in the morning, packed the spices, and with heaviness of heart walked towards the tomb.

When they arrived, there was a strange silence, not the silence of death but rather of wonder the tomb was open and empty! The grave was opened not to let Jesus OUT but to let His followers see IN, and that the tomb was empty. Jesus had left the tomb before the stone had been rolled away. Later He would enter a room with a locked door. The glorified body of Jesus was completely different from the body with which He was born with.

God had honoured these faithful women in a special way. At the lowest point of Christianity, Mary and her companions were the first to receive the news that changed the world; later it would be said of Jesus’ followers “They are turning the world upside down.” More likely they were turning the world the right way up.

The angelic announcement ceased at this point. From here on the message would be told by human lips. “Come; see the place where the Lord lay.” And that same Christ the Lord rose again. “He is not here: for he is risen.”

Hymn writers through the centuries have celebrated the message they, alone, heard that morning, “He is risen.”

CONCLUSION:

If Easter is truly the focal point of HIS-STORY... then we have a choice to make:
Believe in Jesus, or dismiss Him?
Accept His claims, or reject Him?

You must make a choice TODAY!

Either we:

Submit to Jesus, living under His daily direction.   

Or we:

Deny Him and live only for self.    

Why we preach the CROSS!

Why we preach the CROSS!

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:23.

“We preach Christ crucified.”

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
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.
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Where is the wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the disputer of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” 1 Corinthians 1:17-23.

Why do we preach Christ crucified?

There are those who say, “Just preach about Jesus.” But that is not enough. The Devil is content with the preacher who proclaims Jesus:

As a good man.

Or even as a miracle worker.

But if the preacher leaves out the CROSS the BLOOD, his message is incomplete and powerless.

So that is why we preach Christ Jesus crucified!

1.    WE PREACH THE CROSS OF CHRIST BECAUSE OF THANKFULNESS.

          If you were told that you had a cancer growth, but there is a willing and gifted surgeon that could remove it in our local hospital. Would we not seek out that surgeon and seek to have this cancer growth removed. I believe after the treatment we would be ever so grateful to that surgeon.

Now, if we knew another person with a similar cancer growth; would we not point them out to the same surgeon? So they also could be saved from certain death!

Well, Christ Jesus, through His death on the CROSS, has provided a remedy for a disease far worse than cancer! No surgeon can remove this disease! For it is called sin! The outcome of this disease is not a cure, but death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

Not only of the body, but also of the soul of mankind. So out of gratitude to the Great Physician, we want everyone to know about Jesus. We must not rest until they have all been warned of the penalties of sin and of its cure, by the death and the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

2.    WE PREACH THE CROSS BECAUSE IT NEVER GROWS OLD.

          We need to preach a fresh message for this age and this generation today, and guess what? The story of the CROSS is always fresh! Every time you read the Gospels account of the CROSS, your heart is open to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and new truth is revealed. This new truth is not only revealed to you, but new applications will be revealed for your life.

If we want to preach a Gospel that is ever new, then preach the Gospel of the good news of Christ crucified.

3.    WE PREACH THE CROSS TO BRING COMFORT TO THE HEART.

          During times of great need and loss, during times of grief and sadness, what other message than the CROSS can you bring?

For through the CROSS of Christ Jesus you can bring comfort to those in loss, by telling them that God loves and feels for them, for He also experienced the loss of His Son on the CROSS.

4.    WE PREACH THE CROSS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY MEANS OF SALVATION FROM OUR SINS.

          The night before the Lord Jesus died on the CROSS, He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” Luke 22:42. In other words, He said, “If there be any other possible means by which people may be saved from their sins, then let this bitter cup of crucifixion pass from Me.”

          God the Father answered that prayer the next day when He allowed His Son to die on the CROSS. For evermore it was declared, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12.

The only way is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is why we preach the CROSS of Christ Jesus. What other message can we tell to a dying world?

CONCLUSION:

          There is the story about a small boy lost in the London fog many years ago, when a policeman came to help him, he asked the policeman to point him to Charing CROSS, the policeman then added that from the CROSS he would find his way home.  This is the message of the CROSS!

For the preaching of the CROSS has guided multitudes through the ages into the safety of the Father's house. “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.”