THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST

Introduction:

(Give a two-minute review of the first study, “Jesus - the Son of God”, to refresh people’s memories).

Last week we began our study of explaining Christianity by talking about Jesus. We learned that both he and his followers demonstrated that there has never been anyone else like him: he claimed to be both God and man. We saw his authority as a teacher, over evil spirits, sickness, nature, to forgive sins, over life and death, and over people.

No one can be neutral toward Jesus - If he is not Lord, then he is a liar or lunatic.

We have learned the basics of who Jesus is, now in this sermon and the next, we will talk about the greatest things Jesus has done.

What is Barack Obama famous for?

What is Neil Armstrong most famous for?

What is Steve Jobs most famous for?

What is Kobe Bryant most famous for?

What is the one thing that Jesus is most famous for?

The crucifixion. That is what we are going to talk about this evening.

Transition: The first things we are going to discuss are the facts of the cross.

I. The facts of the cross

Mark 15:33–39 KJV 1900

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

The cross is recognized as the central fact of Christianity. The cross has become the symbol of the faith.

Transition: But what actually happened during the six hours in which Jesus was on the cross? What does his death mean? Mark’s account gives us the answer to this question.

II. The meaning of the cross

A. The darkness

Mark 15:33 KJV 1900

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

This supernatural darkness indicated a supernatural act was taking place. It could not have been an eclipse, as it was full moon during passover.

B. The cry

Mark 15:34–37 KJV 1900

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

Some people feel that this cry, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Expressed some loss of faith by Jesus in his heavenly Father. But we must face the reality of this cry, that at least to some extent God had forsaken Jesus on the cross.

The Book Illustration.

In this book is written every time we have broken any of God’s laws - every wrong deed, every wrong word, every evil thought. For example, Jesus says to hate another person is as bad as murder, according to God’s outlook. To lust after another person is to commit adultery in the heart.

Tell the group that there are many dark pages in your own book which you would not like them to read, and, if they are honest, the same will be true for all present.

Hold out your left hand, palm facing up, and say:

Now suppose this hand represents you, and the ceiling represents God. Now the Bible says that between us and God is what the Bible calls “ordinances written against us” (Colossians 2:14) or, the unfavorable record of our debts.

Place the book on the upturned palm of your left hand and keep it there throughout the following explanation.

So our sins separate us from God. In fact, the Scriptures say that God is so pure that even if only one line was written in this book - that would be enough to separate you from God. But sin is more than doing, saying or thinking wrong things. It is an attitude of rebellion against God, whereby we ignore Him and run our lives our own way. This is what the Bible means by SIN. This attitude of rebellion is the motive or reason for our many SINS.

Let me make the picture even clearer. The Bible says that, although God is love, he is also a just judge. God hates all evil and must punish our sin. One prophet in the Bible describes God in this way: that his eyes are too pure to look on evil, and that He cannot tolerate wrongdoing

Habakkuk 1:13 KJV 1900

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, And canst not look on iniquity: Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

So we have two problems. First, we all have much evil written in our books. Second, God must punish all evil.

Now let me try to illustrate what happened during that time Jesus was hanging on the cross.

Suppose now that this hand represents Jesus.

Had out your right hand, palm facing up. The left hand with the book on it should still be held out.

Again, the ceiling represents God. Now there was no “book” between Jesus and God. He always perfectly obeyed the will of God. He always pleased his Father.

Now while Jesus was on the cross, God took the sins of all people in every age and placed them on Jesus.

Now transfer the book from the left hand on to the upturned palm of the right hand.

Peter put it this way: He bore “our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Christ has been “made…to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

You could say that on the cross, Jesus willingly became the most guilty person the world has ever seen, as the sins of billions of people were poured into his body. Then an amazing thing happened. Remember, God must punish all evil. Well, at this moment, God poured upon his own Son on the cross all the wrath and anger and punishment that should fall on you and me. You could say God executed his own Son! Jesus died of the punishment of God. To show that he had completely dealt with our sins and punishment, three days later God brought him back to life!

Now refer people back to the left hand, now empty, still with the palm facing up.

Well now we must ask - how much sin remains between the person who believes in Jesus, and God?

Press the point until someone answers “none.”

So then, when a person believes in Jesus Christ, God counts him or her as absolutely sinless and perfect in his eyes - in fact, as perfect as Jesus Christ Himself.

This forgiveness is not automatically conferred on everyone, but only on those who accept God’s grace by receiving the giver, Jesus Christ.

Jesus took both our guilt and our punishment (that is, God’s wrath) totally in his body on the cross. Add the comment that the resurrection demonstrated God’s satisfaction with the work Jesus had completed on the cross.

C. The curtain

Mark 15:38–39 KJV 1900

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Describe briefly the layout of the Temple, a smaller and larger room. The smaller symbolized the dwelling place of God; the larger was for the priests as representatives of the people. Explain the concept of reconciliation in the tearing of the curtain. The good news is that God and people are restored to friendship.

D. The Ransom

Mark 10:45 KJV 1900

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

A ransom is the payment of a costly price to buy back a lost person or thing. We can think of examples of ransom payments in the release of soldiers captured in battle, the release of slaves and the and the redeeming of possessions in a pawn broker’s shop.

Conclusion

Jesus’ death is sufficient for the sins of any person. However, God’s forgiveness is not automatically conferred on everyone. If a person does not accept what Jesus has done, he or she is, in effect, saying to God: “I don’t want anyone to bear my sins - I’ll bear them myself.” And so they will, on the last day. We must individually receive by faith the Jesus on the cross.

Stool illustration

Point out that we have now seen two fundamental concepts which are at the heart of Christianity.

Have you trusted in the death of Jesus for the atonement of your sins yet?