LeRoy March 24/24

The Cross...

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain.

When you think of the cross what comes to mind?

Many times when we think of a cross, it might be a piece of jewelry that we wear. It could be a symbol that we see in a church or on church steeple,

but when you see the cross, what do you think?

The cross was the cruelest form of punishment for criminals. It was brutal, the pain must have been excruciating as the nails were driven in the hands and feet. It was humiliating as people could come and mock those being crucified.

Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross for crimes He didn’t commit.

When I think of the cross, I think of Jesus. Let’s read about Jesus’ crucifixion. As we pick up the story, Jesus had already been arrested, convicted, beaten, and sentenced to death. Let’s read:

Matthew 27:32–54 NIV

32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. 38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Isaiah prophesied about this suffering servant

Isaiah 52:13–14 NLT

13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.

Isaiah 53:3–5 NIV

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus’ death on the cross is what makes the difference in our lives. Jesus’ sacrifice satisfies God’s demands for our sins. An innocent man took our punishment so that we can live.

Ephesians 2:4–5 NLT

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Jesus didn’t come to make us better people. He came to make spiritually dead people live. It is because of God’s grace that we can be made right with God. We can’t earn it. We can’t pay for it. We don’t even deserve it, but because of His great love for us we can be saved.

All of this makes a difference because He lives. This next weekend, we are going to celebrate Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. This is the only way that we have access to God. It’s through Christ. He is the way, He is the truth, and He is the life.

When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was what kept us from accessing God. Now we can come into God’s presence because of His blood.

It’s not enough to like the thought of Jesus. It’s not enough to believe that Jesus died for sin. We need to acknowledge that Jesus died for my sin. I am a sinner, and I need to be washed clean from my sins. With sin came death, and with spiritual death came God’s judgment, but thanks be to God who became the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He took our place at the whipping post. He took our place at the cross.

He is not still in the grave, but Jesus is alive. He has been given the name that is above every name. There is power in the name of Jesus. When you call on His name, He will save you. He has the power to heal you. When we give Him access, He can work in our lives. What do you need from the Lord this evening.

Ephesians 3:20 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

What do you need the Lord to do in your life? Do you need salvation? Do you need freedom? Do you need healing? Do you need provision? He is able.

Gloria Gaither wrote this about Jesus

“Jesus, the mere mention of His name can calm the storm, heal the broken hearted, and raise the dead. At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin-hardened men melted, derelicts transformed, the lights of hope put back into the eyes of a hopeless child...

At the name of Jesus, hatred and bitterness has turned to love, forgiveness and arguments cease.

I've heard a mother softly breathe His name at the bedside of a child delirious with fever, and I've watched that little body grow quiet and the fevered brow cool.

I've sat beside a dying saint, her body racked with pain, who in those final fleeting seconds summoned her last ounce of ebbing strength to whisper earth's sweetest name--Jesus, Jesus...

Emperors have tried to destroy it; philosophies have tried to stamp it out. Tyrants have tried to wash it from the face of the earth with the very blood of those who claimed it. Yet still it stands.

And there shall be that final day when every voice that has ever uttered a sound--every voice of Adam's race shall raise in one great mighty chorus to proclaim the name of Jesus--for in that day "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!!!"

Ah--so you see--it was not mere chance that caused the angel one night long ago to say to a virgin maiden, "His name shall be called Jesus." Jesus--Jesus--Jesus. You know, there is something about that name...

- GLORIA GAITHER (SC)

As we close tonight, I want you to know that what He has done has changed the whole course of history. That might sound ambiguous, but let’s put it in terms that each of us can understand. He has the power to change your life and mine. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. There is no other name. Nobody else has or can die for us so that we can have life and that is exactly what Jesus has done.

Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV

3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Isaiah 55:6 NIV

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

He is near tonight. If you call He will answer.

Let’s pray!

Close with the song, “At Your Name!”