The Cross Testifies to the Truth pt. 2
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The Cross Testifies to the Truth pt 2
Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had a sign lettered and put on the cross. The inscription was: JESUS THE NAZARENE
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ”
Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.
So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” They did this to fulfill the Scripture that says: They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing. And this is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!”
A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him.
When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead.
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth.
For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of His bones will be broken.
Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the One they pierced.
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took His body away.
Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes.
Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
There was a garden in the place where He was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it.
They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation and since the tomb was nearby.
Prayer
If you where not connected to the story, but say a Roman or a traveler just passing by, how would you view Jesus and the situation you are witnessing?
By all human understanding, this feels like a loss for Jesus and his followers.
Look back over the text, tell me how many times you see the phrase or a similar phrase “Scriptures would be fulfilled?”
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
“For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
God works on a different level. Often we see things happen in the world or even happen to us like someone who was just passing by making an assessment and it seems pretty black and white. However those who are looking to see God at work in their lives are given wisdom to see it for all that it is.
Here, in the first part, it is clear that God sent a King to be the Savior of His people. Without seeing Christ as King in your life, you can not receive His salvation.
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Application: If salvation requires we see Jesus as Lord or King, give me some examples of what it mean to let Jesus be Lord of your life?
Look at verse 30. Jesus gave up His spirit
Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.
And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” Saying this, He breathed His last.
John uses a different verb, than the other two. Paradidomi meaning to “hand something over to a successor”
What is Jesus handing over to His successors?
His Spirit
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit —the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Jesus was given the Spirit at His baptism-His commissioning to ministry.
He submitted His life to the Spirit’s leading and at His death John makes a double meaning as a writer.
His life is given not taken but also, the Spirit of God is now available in the lives of His followers to do what Jesus calls them to do.
Application
When we see that God is moving all the parts and we understand Jesus is King of Kings and we bring our lives under submission to His will, His Spirit is given to those who believe and we are then able to be led by God Himself.
How many of you have heard the story of the paralytic man lowered down from the roof to Jesus?
Someone share the jist of the story
Jesus healed him after he pardoned His sin.
The healing of sin is the greater work
The physical work was to give confidence to Jesus’ ability to care for sin.
In a similar way, the can do’s and cant do’s surrounding the crucifixion are to point us to God’s greater control over the situation.
Jesus controls the interrogations leading to his crucifixion, some of the events during the crucifixion (I thirst), but some our outside of his control.
Look back at the Fulfilled parts again. What was beyond Jesus’s control from the cross?
Yet these things were told they would happen more than 700 years before this event.
600 years before the crucifixion was created as a means of execution.
They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.
Instead, they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn.
Read pg 531 NIV
However the breaking of the bones has more to do with the passover.
Who can explain the main reason God established The Passover in the OT?
It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.
they may not leave any of it until morning or break any of its bones. They must observe the Passover according to all its statutes.
God was preparing Jesus to be the ultimate Passover.
Behold the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.
Application
When the blood of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is between you and the righteous judgment of God you will be spared becasue of His sacrifice to you.
Jesus came to testify to the truth. He is the way the truth the life no one gets to Heaven except through him. His Spirit is placed in the believer and he directs our lives as we surrender control to Him.
This does not mean that at times we may be tempted to doubt but when we go to the Word of God, His spirit testifies to the truth in our own hearts and minds.
Below is what is known as the Messianic Psalm. Meaning it is a look at Christ’s response before he was born.
For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Davidic psalm.
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?
My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest.
But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You rescued them.
They cried to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disgraced.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people.
Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads:
“He relies on the Lord; let Him rescue him; let the Lord deliver him, since He takes pleasure in him.”
You took me from the womb, making me secure while at my mother’s breast.
I was given over to You at birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.
Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me.
My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me.
They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.
But You, Lord, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs.
Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the congregation.
You who fear Yahweh, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!
For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He did not hide His face from him but listened when he cried to Him for help.
I will give praise in the great congregation because of You; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.
The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before You,
for kingship belongs to the Lord; He rules over the nations.
All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even the one who cannot preserve his life.
Their descendants will serve Him; the next generation will be told about the Lord.
They will come and tell a people yet to be born about His righteousness— what He has done.
