When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Colossians 2.

Isaac Watts- “When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died...”

Mirriam Webster- Survey- “To examine as to condition, situation, or value : to appraise.”

We need reminders. Constantly.

Daily quiet time.

Worshiping with the church- preaching, singing, praying, communion and baptism.

We are called to survey. To appraise. To consider. To remember.

Our goal this morning- consider the cross- consider why it is there, and what it has done.

Cross= the death of Jesus.

Read Colossians 2:13-15- “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Pray.

Colossians- 2 commands. Don’t be led astray. Put on Christ.

Walk the path and continue walking the path.

I need to know- How do we find the path?

OSF.

Added level of difficulty here- roadblocks.

1. The death of Jesus clears us of sin.

Roadblock- Failure.

Colossians 2:14- “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Jesus, in His death, cancelled the record of debt that condemned us before God’s justice.

Record of debt.

This is the law.

Romans 3:19-20- “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Paul’s way of saying that one of the purposes of the law is to show us our lack, our need.

Commands much of humanity without ever giving mankind the power to accomplish such

Stood against us.

We are condemned by the law.

James 2:10- “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

Oscar Joseph- Antagonistic law.

We are meant to be pestered by it. Why? Because it is the mirror that shows our lack of spiritual life, health and ability.

Aches and pains in the body. The scale, the blood pressure cuff, the mirror. Reminders of who we truly are.

Somersault in a pool.

Rather than put everything away, we ought to see the sickness and ask what must be done.

Cancelled.

Forgiven. Have you considered the beauty of such a statement?

2:13- …having forgiven all of our trespasses- importance of the word, “all.”

Lord’s prayer- forgive us our trespasses. Not help me be more acceptable.

It was nailed to the cross.

The nailing of Jesus to the cross WAS the nailing of our record of debt to the cross.

Just like the charges against Jesus were nailed to His cross, our charges have been as well.

Because we are forgiven of sin, other realities are made possible.

2. The death of Jesus brings us near to God.

Roadblock- Alienation.

Colossians 2:13- “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”

Repeats the language that we read in Ephesians 2- dead in trespasses.

Also brings in circumcision. Why?

What was the purpose of circumcision in the old testament?

Genesis 17:9-11- “And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.”

Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant relationship with His people. He is their God, they are His people.

But why circumcision? Jason Helopoulos- “It served as a sign of our need to be cut off from the first Adam, of the corruption of our nature, and of God’s provision for our fallenness.”

The way that we are naturally is not good, and we require something to be done TO us in order to be fit as a part of God’s people.

Again, circumcision identifies us

Genesis 17:14- “Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Any who were uncircumcised were not in covenant relationship with God.

John Calvin- Uncircumcision referred to as the badge of alienation from God.

Jesus ushers in a new covenant- now physical circumcision matters little, but what matters instead is the circumcision of the heart.

OT concept- Jeremiah 9:25-26- “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

Colossians 2:11- “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”

The old life cut away, cast away. Belonging to the covenant people- the Church.

Why is the presence of God so necessary?

Everything that we need comes from God.

Isaac Watts- “My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.”

Kids getting filthy when we are out in public.

Abide- Remain, stay, dwell.

3. The death of Jesus gives new life.

Roadblock- Spiritual death.

Colossians 2:13- “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”

From death to life.

Paul has highlighted circumcision, now he draws our mind to baptism.

Colossians 2:12- “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

If circumcision was a sign of being included in God’s covenant people, and being cut off from identifying with the sinful human race, then we have something similar in baptism.

Baptism is the sign of God’s covenant of grace with His Church.

Eternal life- possessed now.

Not some distant future, but you have already been made alive. Live accordingly.

4. What stands before you?

Have you surveyed the cross of Jesus? Have you considered what the cross means?

Isaac Watts- “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”