Amazing Love

Introduction

John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Story of Pvt. Nicholas Palermo fought in WWI. According to his citation for the Silver Star, he fought in the battle to take the city of Furth, Germany in 1918. He and his fellow soldiers were trapped in by heavy enemy fire behind a road block into the city. There were three sets of machine gun nests pinning them down. Palermo knowing that they needed to advance and more of his brothers in arms would be killed if something wasn’t done lept over the barricade and single handedly engaged 7 enemy combatants. He killed 2 wounded 2 and captured 3. After turning over the 3 men to his fellow soldiers, he and another soldier took out the second nest. When they made it to the third, they suffered so much enemy fire that they died. We all look at stories like this and are inspired by the sacrifice of these men. In the words of Jesus No Greater sacrifice can be made than to lay down your life for your friends.

This morning’s message is going to feel like an Easter message. To be honest, thats exactly what it is. Every Sunday for the Christian is a memorial of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What greater message could we ever proclaim? We need to be reminded of what Jesus did for us. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves so that we can remember to stay humble, to love others, to forgive others and to extend mercy. But not all men know our Jesus. Jesus says John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” As we lift up Christ today, I pray that your heart will be drawn to love and adore Him.

The Cosmic Betrayal

1. Betrayed by one of his disciples for money- Matt 26:14-16 “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

Could you imagine being betrayed by one of your friends for money? Maybe you have and so you can sympathize with Jesus here. The money wasn’t the important thing though. Judas betrayed Jesus because He loved something else more. I have challenged my children not to value things over people, but Judas is the climactic example of where valuing things over people can lead: he betrayed the prince of life, the son of God.

We can all look at Judas and think, “How could he have done this?” but you and I make a similar decision every day of our lives. Every time we choose to sin, we are choosing what we want over loving God. When I choose to lie, I am choosing to speak untruth instead of what the God of truth would have me speak. When I lose my temper, I am choosing to hurt others and take judgment into my own hands when God wants me to love others and leave Vengeance to Him. When I commit adultery, I am telling God I don’t like His plan for my life and want to do my own thing. Sin separate us from God so any time I choose sin, I am choosing that thing over my relationship with Him.

This isn’t so hard to understand. If a husband chooses to look at porn, he is sending a message to his wife that she doesn’t matter to him as much as the porn addiction. When a wife ignores her husband to play on the phone, she is sending a message that the phone is more important than him. When we choose to do things morally repugnant to God and hurtful to God, we are saying we love that thing more than Him.

2. Betrayed by his friends- Matt 26:30-35 “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”

Jesus wasn’t just betrayed by Judas though he gets the load of the blame. Jesus’ friends all forsook Him when things got hard. He was left alone to die, carried away by the Romans. They all believed they would stand with Him when He told them they would leave Him, but in the end they all forsook Him.

3. Betrayed with a kiss- Matt 26:47-50 “And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.”

I think the most ironic part of this story is not the betrayal as much as it is the way Jesus was betrayed. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. How many times do people say they love God on Sunday, but then they go out and live like the Devil Monday through Saturday.

When I think of the betrayal of Judas, I can’t help but think about another betrayal. This betrayal occurred in a Garden years ago. God had created a perfect world and a beautiful Garden. Then on the sixth day, he created Adam and Eve. He brought them too that Garden. Why did God put man in that Garden? Was it just to take care of some trees? No God put Adam and Eve in that garden so He could spend time with them enjoying the garden. God created the first man and woman to have a relationship with Him, but along comes Satan in the form of a snake. He tempts Eve to disobey God’s one and only rule. Both Adam and Eve do the one thing they were never to do: they ate of the tree. These the friends of God who said they loved God betrayed God by desiring the fruit of that tree more than their relationship with God. And thus, they plunged the human race into sin Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

The Cruel Cross

How could it get any worse. The everlasting God betrayed by his friends was taken and crusified.

1. Jesus was taken, beaten, tortured and mocked- Matt 27:22 “Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.” Matt 27:27-35 “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 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! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 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. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garmen…”

2. Jesus was crucified- Matt 27:45-50 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 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? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 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. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”

Every stroke of that hammer that rang out that day was nailing one of my sins to the cross. one beat rings out and my lying is nailed to that cross. Another rings and my anger is nailed to the cross. My impure thoughts, my hate, my bitterness, my stealing, my selfishness and my pride. They are all nailed to that tree.

Years earlier, John had looked up seeing Jesus walking towards him and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God.” As Jesus walked this road now beaten and smitten, bleeding He didn’t look much like a King. Every year, Jews would offer sacrifices of a lamb on the Day of Atonement. The lambs blood would be poured on the mercy seat hoping to cover their sins for yet another year. No more would a sacrifice be need for here the lamb of God was being shed once for all. Heb 10:10-14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Christ’s blood was offered once and forever to pay for your sins and my sins.

The Glorious Victory

For you and me this would be the end of the story and Jesus death would have meant nothing if this was were his story ended. Let’s look at Matt 28:1-6 “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. 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. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

As the women went weeping to the tomb to pay their respects to Jesus, there is a big earthquake. All the guards are knocked out or fled and an Angels stands by the tomb. He invites them to come take a closer look. Jesus is not there. He is risen from the dead. Later in Revelation 1:17-18 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” It is only because of Jesus Christ that we have any hope of escaping eternal death in Hell.

Conclusion

Why would Jesus do all of this? Why would he leave all the riches and glories of heaven, just to die on a cross. He died for me. I deserved that death. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But Jesus dies so I could have hope of forgiveness. So I could be restored to a relationship with God.

Why did Jesus die? The simple answer is love.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

And such an Amazing love it is. I want you to know this love. Jesus invites you to come and experience this love.

I would like every head bowed and every eye closed this morning. This message has been about the amazing love of Jesus Christ that would motivate Him to die on a cross for your sins. Jesus didn’t have to die. He could have said one word and every one of those soldiers would have fallen over dead. He could have called lightning from heaven and struck them all, but he died alone for you and me. Jesus’ love stands as the pinnacle event of all of history: the greatest love of all time. God came down and became a man to take the punishment for our sins. But death could not conquer Jesus, Hell had no hold on Him. He rose and He offers you and me eternal life: forgiveness of sins. Col 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Romans 5:6–8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Today, If you have been saved, your sins have been forgiven; I would like you to raise your hand and give a triumphant Amen. For you today, we should celebrate that love. Marvel in its beauty. Revel in our relationship with God. How lightly we take our own salvation some times! Today, preach the gospel to yourself and bask in His love. Hands down, if you don’t know Jesus and haven’t had your sins forgiven would you raise your hand today so I can pray for you. If you want to know more about Jesus and how your sins can be forgiven, please come see me. I’ll be standing up front during the invitation and no one will be looking. There is no greater decision you can make than the one to receive Jesus Christ as your savior.