The Crucifixion
Notes
Transcript
Good morning & welcome
Today is our Good Friday service as part of our Easter celebrations. As you may have sensed, this service is different thanm ost- not just in structure, but.. sombre. Good Friday, despite the name, is a day of grieving, saddness and perhaps despair. This is the day that we remember, our wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ, was crucified.
Pastor Brad read earlier from Matthew chapter 27, it’ll serve us as a key text today. Matthew 27 isn’t just an account of Jesus death and the manner in which he died, but is a case for why Jesus truly is the promised Messiah. Matthew 27, alongside the other Gospel account show that well over 20 OT prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus crucifixion. These prophecies are about the manner in which Jesus would be betrayed, that he’d be betrayed by a friend, betrayed for 30 silver pieces and the manner in which the silver pieces would be spent, his abandonment by friends, his mock trial and his silence during it, his torture. That he would be crucified, his hands and feet pierced, his clothes divided by casting lots, his thirst and the offer of sour wine. That his bones wouldn’t be broken, that his side would be pierced, that he’d be mocked, that he would be killed alongside criminals. That in His dying breath, he would be an intercessor for his own transgressors. And of course, his death and burial, all foretold, all fulfilled by Jesus.
Even if Jesus had only but died, the evidence is still so compelling He is the promised Saviour told of for generations. It’s likely most of you already know this, that Jesus died on the cross, but I wonder if you’ve ever wondered why? Why died Jesus die?
I wasn’t sure where to go with this message this week. Should I teach the text with a deep dive? Should I preach into the crucifixton? We’re going to do the latter, so come with me into a no-holds barred look at why Jesus had to die. Here’s the line:
Jesus died for you, Jesus died because of you.
Jesus died for you
Jesus died for you
Jesus died for you
One prophecy of Jesus death on the cross not directly referenced in any Gospel crucifixion account is the very first one, found in Genesis 3.
Genesis 3 if you’re unaware is the account of the Fall, humanities very first act of rebellion. It’s not just a narrative, it’s a tragedy. It is the separation of family. The erosion of trust. The death of love and relationships and is the act that plunged humankind into the seemingly never-ending barrage of despair, loss, hopelessness, suffering and abuse that headlines our evening news. It’s the introduction of sin.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
The key to note here is the serpant, this is Satan, the Devil, he questions God’s Law and rule with Eve. Eve holds for a little while but is eventually decieved by Satan. How? With a little promise, you will be like God. This is the crux of sin as a definition. Mankind seeking to surplant God as the Sovereign ruler of the earth. Simply, it is rebellion against God.
This rebellion disrupts the created order, those made for good now know evil and we now no longer find satisfaction in our maker. This is shown in man feeling shame for the first time, covering up their nakedness. God made us to naked and many of us are disgusted by it! Sin knocked us out of a state of perfection, it introduced disorder and disunity to our hearts, to our view of self and to our view of God.
To avoid this reality becoming an eternal issue, God demonstrates His severe mercy. He condemns us to die.
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Humans were barred from eternal life, lest we spend eternity in self-hatred and rebellion, but we are also barred from God’s presence shown in our expulsion from the garden. God is holy and His very presence is non-compatible with the presence of sinners. Even His own chosen servants, such as Moses, was warned to hide in the cleft of a cliff lest He see God’s face and be destroyed. How can this be fixed?
In His love, God instituted the practice of what is called substitutional atonement. This began in the Old Testament. God’s people would offer animal sacrifices to God as a covering of their sins. One of these examples is the Passover is Exodus 12. The Israelites slaughter lambs and use the blood to mark their homes. This sacrifice spared them from God’s wrath and retribution that night in Egypt. However, these sacrifices were only ever temporary until Jesus’ sacrifice.
One of the prophecies fulfilled in Matthew 27 comes from Isaiah 53.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
Like a lamb to the slaughter. Jesus, sent by the Father, presents himself as the perfect, spotless lamb to offer himself up for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Jesus could have given a single word to be freed from the situation. He was wrongly accused, accused for no crime. But he demonstrated self-control and restraint. Restraint from the temptations so that He could be crucified. Isn’t that just unfathomable. Most of us struggle to show self-control at dessert, Jesus demonstrated self-control so that He could die.
*pause*
He paid the price we could not pay. God introduced the means of protecting us from an eternity of separation in a state of shame, provided a means to account and cover a sin and gave His own Son to be the fulfilment of that means.
Jesus died for you. But he also died because of you.
Jesus died because of you
Jesus died because of you
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
No fear of God; that’s rebellion! When you don’t fear someone, you don’t fear the consequences they might try to bring. Sometimes, you may call that brave or courageous; but when you’re dealing with the One True Living God Eternal, the Holy One, the Everlasting King, Lord of Hosts, Orchestrator of Life- no fear of Him? That’s pretty stupid. That’s foolishness! And it’s our foolishness!
This is our sin, that we turned away from God and considered ourselves like Him. Just as Eve and Adam did in the garden. As a result we consider ourselves more highly than others. This is why our human nature dictates our lying, deceit, anger, hatred, selfishness, greed, our lust, acts of betrayal, immorality, gossip and slander, passivity, stealing, gluttony, unforgiveness and lack of compassion, we are a wicked people by nature, look even to our current cultural climate and the going-ons in our society today, even our post-modern christianity and political policies of kindness are eroding to give way to the one, hard, simple fact. We are at our nature, evil.
No one of us is exempt from Paul’s assessment in Romans 3. None do good, you can argue that even our good intentions are loaded with selfish ambitions and aspirations. If ever there was a sense of selflessness it would be with our own kids, we make many sacrifices for them, but often we make them so as to be proud and feel successful in our parenting, and of course we want to- they’re our kids! We so easily point to the success of our children as a reflection of our inate value. The point is, we are so crooked that even when we do good, we do it for for self gain! Never, without Christ, do we genuinely sacrifice and love in a way that is utterly costly and for someone else. This is because He is the only one to have ever done so.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was pierced for our trasngressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The LORD has laid on Him, the iniquity of us all. This is written by one of the LORD’s own prophets and even he isn’t spared. All fall short of the glory of God, none to good, no not one and therefore on Him the iniquity of us all is laid. Jesus died because of you.
*pause*
*communion helpers*
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Jesus was crucified alongside criminals, this was to fulfill another of Isaiah’s prophecies
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Matthew calls them robbers, however, they were likely not just common thieves or pickpockets. The greek word used for robbers often refers to political insurgents, possibly associated with the violent Zealots of Jesus day. In fact, it is the word John used to describe Barabbas in His account. So, they were less likely common thieves as much as they were political rebels. Isn’t that something?
Jesus, the Son of God, identified and crucified amongst rebels that He might save those whom rebelled against His Heavenly Father. He makes intercession for the transgressors.
*close your eyes*
Picture yourself upon the hill at Golgotha, Jesus is bound by rope to the wooden cross as it lay on the ground. A Roman centurion approaches you with an iron hammer and nails. You’re a soldier. Your duty is to finish the last details before the cross is hoist into the air.
He was pierced for your transgressions. He was crushed for your iniquities. Every sin you’ve ever committed is like a hammer blow driving the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet. Your pride. Your anger. Your unforgiveness. Your idolatry. Your lust. Your laziness. Your gossip. Your slander. Your gredd. Your envy. Your lies, misdirect and mistruths. Your foolishness. Your rebellion. Jesus died because of you.
But He also died for you. He died to pay for the weight of your sin that you could not. He died to conquer death. He died to save anywho believe in Him and trust in Him.
And so, before He died. Jesus instituted the meal of communion as a way of remembering His sacrifice and what He did for us. His death secured payment for our sins and offered us a way and path to freedom. The bread, symbolises His body given for you life and life in abundance. The juice, symolises His blood, poured out for you sake, for the forgiveness of your sins. Take the bread.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Drink the cup with me as a sign of unity.
Jesus, our Saviour died, and, for a moment, all powers against God celebrated. However, earlier I teased the very first prophecy of this moment.
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
For but a moment, our saviour’s heel is struck. But the heel struck, is positioned to crush.
Pray.
Jesus crucified with robbers/bandits. Political insurgents. Rebels. Tie back to him being identified with rebels to save rebels.
