The Cross of Christ (Matthew 16:21-23, 17:22-23, 20:17-19, 26:2)

logos—easily recognizable for a brand/company

Nike

Apple

Amazon

McDonalds

Masters

logos don’t always have meaning like symbols

symbols

hammer and sickle = Marxism (secular view of industry and agriculture)

Swastika = Nazi (originally meant for prosperity but highjacked into racial bigotry)

lotus flower = Buddhism (wheel shape—cycle of birth/death and harmony)

crescent (with star) = Islam (depicts a phase of the moon which depicts sovereignty)

Star of David = Judaism (2 equilateral triangles—God’s covenant with David and Messiah after hin)

Christianity???

cross was initially avoided

think electric chair, hangman’s noose

cross had shameful associations with execution of a heinous criminal

early depictions

peacock (immortality)

dove

fish = ichthys (ἰχθύς)

Iesus CHristos THeou Huios Soter

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior

acronym = fortunate arrangement of letters

but didn’t have the gravity to stick

search

manger

carpenter’s bench

boat

apron

stone from tomb

throne

dove

none obviously pointed to Jesus

nothing would do except a cross

The Cross of Christ

lots of inspiration from John Stott’s book with same title

why the cross?

what a surprising symbol!

utter horror of the cross

crucifixion may have been invented by barbarians

taken over by both Greeks and Romans

possibly most cruel method of execution ever

victims could suffer for days before dying

Romans

reserved for criminals convicted of murder, rebellion, or armed robbery

if they were slaves, foreigners, or other nonpersons

citizens were exempt except in extreme cases of treason

Jews (descendants of Abraham) cold not bring themselves to believe that God’s Messiah would die under His curse

especially one hung up on a cross

no wonder it was unacceptable to uphold the cross in the early days

but why did Jesus have to go to the cross?

Jesus—to the cross

of all the ways for God the Son to die

noose (Judas Iscariot), beheaded (John the Baptist)

wait for lethal injection, gun, or electric chair

Jesus chose the cross

mission from the beginning

even at 12 year old

Jesus knew He was about His Father’s business

Jesus had a mission to fulfill

brings us to our text today

4 different times (in Matthew) Jesus will tell of His imminent journey to the cross

First Prediction of the Passion

passion (we think strong emotion) comes from Latin—“to suffer”

typically refers to the final hours of Jesus’ life before His death

don’t read Matthew 16:21-23 pew Bible # 977

context

Caesarea Philippi

Israel pics of competition with worship of foreign gods

Jesus asks who people think He is, using “Son of Man” language (16:13)

then presses disciples of their opinion (16:15)

Peter boasts (16:16)

Jesus acknowledges (16:17-18)

prior slide

then gets strange

don’t tell anyone yet (16:20)

followed by prediction (16:21)

Mark 8:32—And he said this plainly.

“plainly” = “with freedom of speech” or “openly”

plain vs. secret

plain—journey to the cross

go to Jerusalem

suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes

religious leaders that should have recognized Jesus as Messiah

be killed

be raised (on third day)

secret—Messiah/Christ

popular expectation was revolutionary political leader (all Jews would vote for)

after fed 5,000, crowd ready to crown Jesus as king (John 6:15)

while disciples recognized Jesus as the Messiah/Christ

they misunderstood the Messiah’s mission

a dead Messiah did not jive with the disciples’ view

how good is a dead Messiah???

yeah, yeah, yeah, He will rise from the dead

but a dead Messiah???

evidenced by Peter (16:22-23)

same apostle that confessed Jesus as Messiah

had been deceived by Satan to deny the necessity of the cross

this encounter makes clear why Jesus told them to keep quiet

they don’t understand His mission

even though He “plainly” told them

then Jesus shows His Messiahship in Matthew 17—Mount of Transfiguration

heals a boy the disciples cannot

and then we encounter…

Second Prediction of the Passion

Matthew 17:22-23

Mark 9:32 adds

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Matthew 17:23 concludes

And they were greatly distressed.

likely this is the time that Jesus

set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)

Jesus, can’t we just ride this joy of seeing you transfigured

before You start talking about Uour death???

the very thing the disciples did not understand and were greatly distressed about

is the very thing Jesus set His face to (was determined to) do

Third Prediction of the Passion

Matthew 20:17-19

Mark 10:32 Mark adds

And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.

Luke 18:31 Jesus adds

and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished

Luke 18:34 adds

But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

after 3 times of prediction

the disciples are NOT getting a clearer understanding of Jesus’ mission

but they are more and more confused

Fourth Prediction of the Passion

Matthew 26:2

now death is not in the distant future

but before this week is over

Jesus’ prediction was shocking but something is more shocking

shocking enough

betrayed (by Judas—1 He chose)

rejected (by Jews—His own people)

condemned (by religious leaders—should have recognized Him)

religious leaders hated Jesus’ teaching on the law—especially the Sabbath

Mark 3:6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Jesus knew they would reject His teachings

just like earlier generations rejected the prophets’ teachings

Jesus was a threat

delivered to Gentiles (Romans)

mocked

flogged

crucified (most gruesome death)

most shocking was determination of Jesus

Jesus was determined to go to the cross

He must suffer

He must be rejected

He must die

He must be raised from the dead

everything must be fulfilled as written in Scripture

over and over Jesus said He was fulfilling Scripture

even in the events surrounding His death

Jesus knew this was His mission

why Peter’s rejection of Jesus’ mission was a temptation from Satan to be rejected

the disciples did not have the same perspective Jesus did

Jesus knew He came to die

not in the sense you and I know we will die one day

but in the sense that he would meet a violent, premature, yet purposive death

Jesus came to die because His mission was to pay for sin

consider why Jesus died

only way for sinners to be saved

our biggest issue is not loneliness or purposelessness

SIN

nothing else will do but a sacrifice

Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins

but not just any sacrifice

human and divine (expand)

Jesus didn’t have to die for us

yet He deliberately chose to

He was resolved to finish the Father’s work

He knew His suffering and death would not be purposeless

He came ‘to seek and to save what was lost’ (Luke 19:10)

He gave His life as a ransom to set us free

although He knew He must die

He was not the helpless victim

evil forces did not overcome Him

He willingly laid down His life

and freely embraced the purpose of His Father for the salvation of sinners

the giving of His life is why He came to earth

romantic story at best with a terribly sad ending at worst

that is not the end of the story

But Jesus didn’t stay dead

death and resurrection

we come to celebrate the cross this Sunday and the resurrection next Sunday

both are celebrations

the cross is not defeat, while the resurrection is victory

the cross is the victory won, the resurrection endorsed the victory at the cross

cannot ascribe saving power equally to both the death and resurrection

the cross is the core of the gospel

only by the blood of Jesus that God’s wrath toward sin was satisfied

not by His resurrection that our sins were dealt with

Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15) not Christ rose for our sins

YET resurrection is essential

victory over sin and death at the cross would all be in question if Jesus stayed dead

Jesus’ resurrection shows His death accomplished exactly what He set out to do

free us from our sin

if Jesus had remained in the tomb,

it would have meant that He didn’t die for our sins

but the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead proves

that Jesus’ gift was acceptable in the presence of God

the disciples had a hard time embracing a dead Messiah

but Jesus is not dead

His death was necessary to free us from the bondage of sin

and bring us into relationship with God—only through Jesus

His resurrection was necessary to prove He actually accomplished His mission

it is after Jesus’ resurrection that the disciples completely understood

and were willing to go to their death to proclaim the whole account of Jesus as the Christ

The Cross of Christ

today has been meant to be a reflective day

believer—remembering the high cost that it took to forgive your sin

your life is meant to be worship in response

does that show forth in your life decisions? Sundays? money? calendar? self-denial? proclamation?

unbeliever—consider the hope Jesus offers for you to be freed from bondage of sin into relationship with God

do you know you can be free from the power of sin by surrendering to Jesus? why not today?