His Look of Love: A Journey to the Cross

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(S1)
There is no greater expression of the love of God; then the cross. For Christians, theses crosses, we wear around our necks, keep in our pockets, and place in our churches, have become a symbol of the great sacrificial love of God and a reminder of our sin that took him there.
Two pieces of wood; one stretched horizontally carrying on it the weight of the worlds affliction, the other vertical pointing upward opening the way to the heavens and everlasting glory with our Lord. Yet for those who were condemned; it was only a sign of humiliation, suffering agony, and a slow death.
(S2)
Today we reflect on the “full extent of God’s love for us, revealed to us in the view from the cross, as Jesus looked upon those he encountered, in his last days, his final hours.
In this chaotic moment on Friday afternoon, we learn two important things about Jesus.

1. He knew his father was in complete command of the situation.

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. John 13:1 (NLT)
As difficult as we can only imagine it must have been, the sovereignty of God was never in jeopardy. It was the fathers will and the willing spirit of the son, by which these things would be done.
(S3)

2. LOVE was his end goal

He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. John 13:1
His mission was to show the full extent of his love, and it would come to its finality in his last human breath...It is finished
His look of love, not only upon those who followed him...but on those who were willing participants in his final hours.
The look of love; we have given our children after they have done something wrong. (Daughters smile)
That look of love we may have received by a friend, while going through a difficult time. That look of love when pastor says something in the sermon you don’t agree with. That look of love we can visualize Jesus gave Peter from across the courtyard after his denial of him. The same look of love when we fall short, of God’s best for us.
Sure there are times where we might expect and deserve judgement, but Jesus by the way of the cross says, look at me…gaze upon this cross...and see how much I love you anyway.
Wouldn’t be understandable for Jesus to look to the guards for mercy, the crowds for intervention, his disciples for compassion, his family for sympathy. Seeing Jesus’ worn, battered, scarred and blood soaked body, we could expect he would want some relief to it all.
But instead the only look on his face….is one of love for all those who played a part in this parade of injustice. His love extended not for a select few, or for a certain length of time or under certain conditions; he loved the world and would show the full extent of his love…The cross.
What was Jesus’ view from the cross and how does he LOOK on us in LOVE?

I. Jesus is condemned (MT. 27:20, 22-24)

(S4)

His LOOK is a PATIENT love

Pilate, by his position held the power to pass on final judgement. The custom was to release a prisoner. His choice; one who was known for the awful things he had done, and one who had done nothing but love. So, he tries to skip out on the task of judgment, to shift the burden of responsibility, by washing his hands of it.
How did Jesus look upon Pilate, who held great political power? In John’s gospel, we hear Jesus’ response to the accusations and the inquisition:
“You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” John 19:11
His look was that of patient love, not defensive or responsive, only that the father is in control of the outcome; and it would be as he said.
Jesus look of love releases Pilate from the burden of the task at hand, but it is only Jesus’ death that will be able to release him from guilt of his choice.
In Jesus’ on the cross, we see his patient love

II. Jesus cross is laid on him (MT. 27:27-31)

(S4)

His LOOK is to love in HUMILITY

By subjecting himself to the authority and cruelty of others. The soldiers who came upon him mocked and spat on him and near the foot of his cross, they cast lots for his clothes while casting hurtful words. Yet to them he gives no response to their cruelty; saying no words of retribution in the midst of his torture.
It is only in his weakened physical state, and in broken voice, we hear him cry out…
Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34
He shows only mercy, compassion, and love in response; even when they were so much deserving of more. His love carries a great price; one that takes humility
In Jesus in the cross we see his humility

III. Jesus falls (Luke 22:26-27)

(S5)

His LOOK is the BURDEN of his love

and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. John 19:17
He taught his disciples that to get along in the world, his love puts the other first. Yet this kind of love carries with is great burden; to love when we don’t feel love, to love those hard to love, to make known his great love to the world. This kind of love involves sacrifice; as in husband to wife, friend to friend and neighbor to neighbor.
But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Luke 22:26
In Jesus on the cross we see the burden of his love

IV. Jesus his mother John 19:26-27

(S6)

His LOOK is the PROMISE of love

Seeing her watching, while on his journey had to have been difficult. By his look of love, he would latter console his hurting mother at the foot of the cross.
“When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.”” John 19:26
The love is the promise of family. His plan for love doesn’t leave her to grief alone, “here is your mother,” from this time on, the disciple took her into his home. He cares for her needs by showing her, her new family
In Jesus on the cross we see the promise of his love

V. Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross (MT 27:32 Luke 9:23)

(S7)

His LOOK shows the DEMANDS of love

Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. Matthew 27:32
Jesus’ looks to one in the crowd who was chosen to not just follow; but to carry the saviors cross as well. Jesus’ look of love carries with it responsibility; denying ourselves and a willingness to carry the cross for others who can’t or won’t do it alone.
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23
In Jesus on the cross, we see the demands of love

VI. Jesus falls again John 15:12-13, Matthew 5:43-44,46,48

(S8)

His LOOK teaches us the COMMAND to love

If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Matthew 5
Yes, this means loving even those who hurt us, and especially those who are unable or unwilling to love is back. By our love of others we bring the complete love of God to an incomplete world.
“ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.” John 13:34
In Jesus on the cross, we see the COMMAND to love

VIII.Jesus is nailed to the cross Mark 15:25-30

(S9)

His LOOK shows us the EXAMPLE of love

They crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.
By his willingness to face such cruelty, by his obedience to his father, and by a love that forgave the repentant sinner who hung next to him on the cross; and still reserving his place in heaven. Only by this grace, can we love like this; and Jesus is our example of how to love.
Jesus whose example of obedience, and of forgiving love; showing us, so we will do the same.
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 1 John 4:17
In Jesus on the cross we see the EXAMPLE of love
(S10)
By his look of love, Jesus shows patience for those who judge him—Humility for those who reject him—and the burden to love in the weight of carrying our sins—His promise of love that we are not left alone—His look shows the price he paid and that with it carries the demand to love.
He gives us the command to love others; even those who are hard to love—He is our example of how to forgive, when others have hurt us…
We see it in the cross as Jesus LOOKS on US in love
Our narrow experiences of human suffering can only pale in comparison to that of Christ Journey to the cross. How are we to love on our journey? How does this look of love, appear today in our hurting world? How can it be expressed and lived out for others to see?
I turn to a story of human experience; (Ravi Zachariah)
Edith Taylor: married, family: husband goes off to japan. Letters would come regularly, loved getting then. Then one day they stopped; The last letter; I have falling in love; I’m not coming home. Her heart was broken; she couldn’t break the news to her children for days.
Boy: “momma somethings wrong, why isn’t daddy writing anymore?” Is daddy not coming back? Mom: “no he is not coming back. Then this mind of Christ in a little boy: “filled with the wonder of capacity to love” Boy: “Just because daddy doesn’t love us anymore doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to love him still.” Mom: “no..I guess we can continue to love him” Boy: “tell daddy to continue writing to us, we want to love him and we want to keep hearing from him.”
The man got married; 15-year-old servant girl. Had children, sent letters and pictures of his new family. With every letter, she said, was like having a steam roller across her heart as she was being crushed more and more. If that wasn’t bad enough, she gets a letter that says, Husband: “I have found out I have cancer and am not going to live long. Would you consider it in your heart on a monthly basis to help my family and send them money?\
She reacted as you and I would also and think that this incredible that a human mind could even go to this extreme; as if driving a knife into her wounds again and again…But as her heart began to heal; and only by the grace of God she writes back and says Edith: “I don’t have money…sustain our own family…but if this acceptable to you; after you are gone send them over to America and I will raise them as my own, teach them the language, help them to stand on their own two feet so that they can sustain themselves.
Which is precisely what happened; the family arrived, the children of a betrayed love, for a time unable to contain her emotion and hurt, but she decided to love them as Christ would have loved them and raised them up so they could stand on their own. She culminates her testimony by saying, “In this dark dreary and hellish situation, I thank god for the ray of hope to share some of the love of Christ even in this very dismal setting.
From the mind of a child that says, but even though he doesn’t love us that doesn’t mean we have to stop loving him; That is the love of a father; the picture of a sons suffering and the look of love on people who don’t deserve it…..
Only a love Christ could give and still does today. Jesus in his last moments…could have…… but instead he just looked in love at them all and said…Father, forgive them….
(S11)
Jesus knew the price of sin was death. He knew the source of sin was you and I. Yet he looks on us in love because he can’t bear the thought of eternity without us.
From the cross, he chooses to look upon us with patience, and humility, so we would known the BURDEN, PROMISE and DEMAND of love so we would live out his COMMAND to love shown by his example of how to love.
When you see the cross, do you see the suffering, shame...or do you see Jesus looking upon you in love?
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