At the Cross
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
AG: In the cross, sin is cursed and cancelled. In the cross, grace is victorious and available.
George Campbell Morgan (British Preacher)
TS: Today, we continue our look at the cross. At the cross we find a group or women, the soldiers, and the disciple Jesus loved. The events from John 19:25 through 37 completes the narrative of Jesus’ death.
RS: The cross still stands central to the gospel. Without the cross, there would be no redemption. Jesus atoned for our sins and made us fit for serving the Father.
The Women at the Cross
The Women at the Cross
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
The Outline Bible (Section Outline Nineteen (John 19))
Various women are there, including Jesus’ mother, her sister, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,
The women at the cross were significant for several reasons:
Devotion
The women at the cross were present to mourn and witness Jesus' suffering.
They had known Jesus for a long time, supported him during his ministry, and believed he had delivered them from their sins. Their presence shows their devotion to Jesus, even when he was suffering the most.
Bravery
The women's presence at the cross may have been dangerous, as they were associated with someone Rome had executed.
Resurrection
The women were also the first witnesses of Jesus' resurrection. Mary Magdalene, in particular, is considered an apostle because she was the first to announce the resurrection.
AP: We too should show devotion, bravery and proclaim the resurrection.
Devotion & Bravery
1281 Fearless devotion to Jesus Christ ought to mark the saint today, but more often it is devotion to our sect that marks us. We are more concerned about being in agreement with Christians than about being in agreement with God.
Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)
The Words from the Cross
The Words from the Cross
John 19:26-30
Mary and John
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
Jesus addresses Mary and John
As Mary’s firstborn son and breadwinner for the family before beginning His ministry, Jesus was responsible for Mary
Since He was dying and leaving soon after resurrection, He put her in John’s care as He charged John to care for her as His on mother.
The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Twisted Scripture: John 18:20)
Why would Jesus entrust His mother to “the disciple He loved”—the Apostle John—rather than to her husband, Joseph, or to one of Jesus’ half brothers?
Presumably because Joseph had died by this time and Jesus’ brothers had not yet become His followers.
John accepted her and took her into his home.
Jesus speaks to the guards
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
Jesus told the guards He was thirsty
This also fulfills Scripture
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.
This was not the same which had “gal” in it offered in other gospels which was used to deaden the pain.
This offer from the guards was to sustain life to prolong torture
It also points back to Ps 69
They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Jesus speaks to the Father
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
totelisti - A task fulfilled
Jesus had taken on flesh for this purpose-
He came to be the sacrifice
It was always the plan and He fulfilled it
The penalty of sin has been paid. The debt is paid off and we can now be redeemed!
The same Greek word has been found in the papyri being placed on tax receipts to mean “paid in full”
Jesus gave up His Spirit
He voluntarily gave His life
Final choice- die and fulfil His purpose or come off the cross and end the pain and possibly seek justice
AP: He died on our behalf so our sins are now atoned for and eternal life is available to us.
Today, we all are in 1 of 2 states:
1. We are carrying a sin debt
We all sin and that sin must be atoned for
The world system many follow makes them try to pay for their own sins
They reason that if they do enough good they can offset the bad they do to balance the books and leave them on the “good side”
main problem with that thought
They don’t define sin correctly
Commission and omission
We sin by thinking or committing acts which are forbidden
We sin by omitting the actions we are commanded to do
They don’t keep accurate books!
They often don’t even define sins based on God’s word.
In the end..... their sin will far outweigh any “good” they have done and leave them condemned
2. Our debt has been paid
For those who have repented of their sins believing in Jesus, our debt has been paid.
Jesus sacrifice on the cross has been applied to us!
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Our remaining mission is to serve Him out of gratitude and loyalty
The Wrap up of the Cross
The Wrap up of the Cross
The request by the Jews
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
The day of preparation-
They didn’t want the 3 on the cross over Sabath
Normal Roman practice was to let the victims remain on the cross as long as they could. They wanted to prolong the pain and suffering and thus the lesson.
Due to proximity of Passover and subsequent Sabbath, they didn’t want people on the cross
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
The Mosaic law insisted that anyone being impaled (usually after execution) should not remain there overnight (Dt 21:22, 23).
Such a person was under God’s curse, and to leave him exposed would be to desecrate the land in their minds. their legs might be broken. In order to hasten death for certain reasons, soldiers would smash the legs of the victim with an iron mallet. Not only did this action induce shock and additional loss of blood, but it prevented the victim from pushing with his legs to keep breathing and thus the victim died due to asphyxiation.
The Response by the Soldiers
Robbers John 19:31
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
They were still alive, so the guards broke their legs to hasten their death
Being unable to push up with their legs, they would suffocate quickly.
Redeemer John 19:33-37
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
They found He was already dead
They left His legs alone
Fulfilling Scripture of not having broken bones
He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
This is especially important because both Numbers and Deuteronomy indicate that the Passover Lamb was to have no broken bones
Jesus is called our Passover Lamb who takes away our sin
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
The pierced His side with a spear to confirm death.
This sets up the fulfillment of Zec 12:10 which will occur when Jesus returns and they mourn the rejection and killing of their King Jesus.
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
The spear from angle to the ground would have gone through side and up into thoracic cavity, possible piercing His heart.
blood and water- indicates His heart had been still long enough that coagulation had begun.
Conclusion
Conclusion
John in v. 35 indicates He was an eyewitness
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
John testified to what he saw and experienced
This is an eyewitness account of the life and death of Jesus.
Like John, we are to be witnesses
No, we weren’t at the cross, but
We can share the Gospel of the cross
We can share our encounter with the Savior!
Our testimony, eyewitness account, of when we first met Him
Our story, like John’s he recorded, can help make the sinner understand the relevance of the gospel