The Joy of the Cross; Good Friday, Hebrews 12:1-2

Introduction

Pray to start…

Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB)

1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Go through the crucifixion

Jesus tells his disciples that somebody will betray him

Judas leaves the meal and goes to get the

Jesus gives the bread and the cup of the new covenant

The promise of the disciples

the prayer in the garden

do not lose the fact that, yes Jesus prayed for the cup to pass and the answer was no,

he also prayed for his disciples, those at that time and those to come (that means us)

The arresting party comes

an ear is chopped off

Peter aroused from sleep, promising to go to the death starts swinging a sword

Jesus is taken to Annas, former high priest and father in law of current high priest, Ciaphas

listened to some of the charges

most likely taken here in attempt to get Jesus to fall in line with the religious leaders

Unwilling to bow to the pressure, Jesus is sent to the High Priest and most of the Sanhedrin for a trial in the early parts of the morning

more false testimony is given, none of it matches up

Jesus stays quiet until he is asked point blank, “Are you the Messiah?”

“I AM and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of God and coming in the clouds!”

blasphemy is claimed, and Jesus is condemned

Taken before Pilate, Jesus is condemned by the crowd and not saved by the weak leader Pilate

more conversation happens but he is ultimately condemned to death on a cross

crucifixion was not simply nailing to a cross, but also beaten before hand

the beating was so bad that it was not uncommon for people to die prior to getting to the cross

but Jesus lives through it, and goes to the cross

The cause of death from the cross is affixation

you suffocate to death because you no longer have the strength to lift yourself up so that you can breath

This was brutal, torture that we cannot imagine

an act that would have people marching in the streets today as extreme punishment if we saw this in our country

yet, we call the day good

when we read of Jesus going to the cross we read of joy.

The Joy Comes From Sorrow

I have claimed myself and heard others as well claim that the closer they get to the Lord, the more sinful they see themselves

understandable… when comparing yourself to perfection, you see how imperfect that you are

at the same time, because of seeing how imperfect I am, I realize that there must be a price paid for my sin

Matthew 5:3–4 (CSB)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The word poor means bankrupt

we think poor as we can still do somethings, but we cannot do everything

this word means bankrupt, you have nothing

but he is not talking of money, but spiritually

you realize that spiritually you are bankrupt, you have nothing to offer God

not even yourself, because you are sinful as you stand before him

but it is those people, who realize their spiritual brokenness that have the kingdom of heaven

only when you come to the end of yourself and turn to Jesus do we receive the grace we desperately need

but in the irony of all ironies, this does not lead us to a place of dancing just yet

Our realization of our spiritual poverty, and the life that comes with that leads us to mourning

we realize that for a spiritual broken person to inherit the kingdom of Heaven somebody had to pay that price

leading us to the cross

the understanding of what Jesus went through just to pay the price of our sins… it is my sins that put him on that cross that we look at today

The Joy Comes From a Price Paid

We are comforted by the cross, the grief we have with our understanding of what our sin has done

The comfort is understanding that it is not just help getting over our sin, but our sin is completely atoned for

unlike the OT sacrifices, that would require more sacrifices year after year,

our Lord said, “It is finished.”

John 19:30 (CSB)

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

This is why we can rejoice today, a dark day in history of when the creator of the world would willingly allow himself to be tortured and killed for our sin

he was perfect in all of his ways. never sinning in his life

his righteousness was imputed to us to that we could become the righteousness

our sin imputed to him as he took on the full wrath of God

This is the joy we can have through the cross

our sin is completely paid for, atoned for

all those who submit to the Lord Jesus have been made righteous

The Joy Comes as a Redeemed People

The joy is not ours alone…

Jesus does not look back and say, “do you know what I had to do for those fools.”

that is how we are with our kids sometimes…

I had to go here, do this… they forgot that again

but Jesus calls it joy!

the writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to lay aside every sin that easily entangles us by looking to Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 (CSB)

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The cross was not the joy

the cross was torture and brutal

It was the joy that was before him… as he was approaching and going through the cross he was looking forward to the veil being torn

there is a joy in the reconciliation of Gods people to the Father

that through the cross we have access to the Father that our sin prohibited

This does not bring a simple smile, or a moment of happiness, but joy!

Jesus has joy because we have been united with God

We do not have Joy simply because Sunday is coming

as if we know something nobody else knows…

We have joy today as Jesus does…

that is why this Friday is good! That is why there is joy in the cross!

Our debt has been paid!