Nailed to the Cross

Language Barriers

Good evening Grace Students! I am not Lukas as you can tell. I was going to try and trick you by dressing just like him, sweatshirt, camo cargos, backwards UK or Bulls hat, but then I realized his entire body is the size of one of my legs and I couldn’t pull it off.

For those that don’t know my name is Brandon McLaren, I work here at Grace with Lukas and he asked me to fill in for him tonight. I don’t know if you noticed but I’m a lot older than he is, significantly older (for those thinking it I will just beat you to it).

You may recognize the name, yes I am Madelines Dad, also some know her older brothers Chandler and Xavier. What you may not know, is my oldest son is actually older than Lukas, and I also happen to be a grandpa. I have a granddaughter named Charlotte.

Don’t worry I’m not going to make you look at grandchild photos on the screens….I did think about it though! I mean doesn’t everyone want to see my granddaughter?

What I’m trying to emphasize here, is there is a pretty big age gap between me, and you. Between me and my kids. Sometimes when you have these gaps you just don’t understand each other. Like some of the words you use today…I don’t get them. Some things I say you might not get.

There’s this language barrier that feels unique. I try and keep up but its really just on the surface. I know as a guy my age when I hear people talk about “skibity this’ and skibity that” I’m like, I’m sorry Skibiwhat? You literally just made that up right…Or if something is Sus, or if you have Riz, or get Rizzed up!

I tell my wife not to Riz me up, especially when I’m mewing? Don’t crash out on me I actually don’t really know what I’m even saying. Sometimes it feels like its just you or just your generation. I want to tell you thats not the case at all, it happens every generation. I did some digging and came up with some really compressed sentences of specific words for 5 generations.

These are terrible BTW. If you grew up in these times these would be new specific words.

60’s “Hey man, lay it on me—what’s the far out news? And if it’s a bummer, just hang loose, give me some skin, and we’ll dig it together!”

70’s “This party is groovy and everything’s copacetic, so boogie on and keep on steppin’! If you can you dig it, do me a solid and bring those radical tunes!”

80’s “So, this party is rad and the vibes are, like, totally bodacious. But that outfit? Gag me with a spoon, it’s, like, not even awesome sauce!”

90’s “Sup, boo? That pop quiz was da bomb, no duh, but Homie was wiggin’ out like a total butthead—as if!” “Oh snap, you go girl! Booyah!”

2000’s “Yo, this noob tried to camp the whole match—meh, get good, bro stop acting so emo. My peeps were getting salty, but I told ’em to chillax and take a chill pill, ’cause my headshot streak was sick!”

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 “9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”

You’e like nah’ were pretty much just making up words and giving them a meaning so they are new. He’s talking bigger than that. Every generation, has words that the last generation, doesn’t understand or get.

There’s this tension, and you can sometimes think it’s just you.

Since the beginning of time there are things teens don’t get about their parents generation, and parents look at teens and scratch their heads and say I just don’t understand you. Thats not new!!

I started thinking about this. If each generation is so different from the next, when you think about The Bible and Christianity, how has it persevered for over 2000’s years? It’s had ups and downs through history but it keeps on going.

GK Chesterton said this “Christendom has had a series of revolutions and in each one of them Christianity has died. Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.”

Its a very fitting thing for us to talk about, as we are just coming off the heels of Easter, Resurrection Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. He knows the way out of the grave!

I think its this, when we step away from this world, and all of its influences, and come into church, or a small group, or really anywhere that we are looking at the bible, and seeking God. We begin to speak the same language.

What i’m saying is, we have the same Spirit living in us. The Holy Spirit lives in me, and He lives in you if you are a believer, you are a disciple of Jesus, or christ follower. When we open the word and study it by our self, or together like tonight, the Holy Spirit speaks to us in a language. That language is God revealing Himself to us, its a language of Love, and its a language, that constantly points to the Cross.

I want to look at two things tonight that are vitally critical for us as we walk with Jesus in our life. We know the Easter story but let give just a quick recap. You could really do this from any of the Gospels, but we will recap quickly through Matthew.

So Jesus is a first century Rabbi, or teacher that had amassed a following. He had disciples or students, more than just the 12 but they were the closest to Him, he traveled all over the region preaching the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 4:17 “17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””

Luke 17:20–21 “20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”” - Its already here.

Matthew 13 has numerous parables of Jesus teaching what the Kingdom of Heaven should be compared to.

2. While He is teaching this, which by the way is language that is absolutely crazy to these people. They struggled hard to get what He was saying, and much of what He said was counter cultural. While he was teaching He was performing all kinds of miracles. Healing people, commanding nature, Raising the Dead.

All while fulfilling prophecy about a coming messiah. All this while living a perfect sinless life.

3. By the time we get to ch. 26

Matthew 26:3 “3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him”

The religious hierarchy are plotting to kill Jesus. These are not just the religious figures but also political, and had much weight and pull in the government. So they push this thing through, and innocent man is going to be killed.

4. He goes before the Roman government official, Pontius Pilate for trial. In Matthew 27 Pilate tries to release Jesus. They had kind of a prisoner exchange. Pontius says I will give you a choice…Barabbas this really bad murderer, or Jesus this guy that is seemingly innocent.

You have a choice of a murderer or this perfect sinless person, you know the greatest Human being who has ever existed…tough choice!

But they cry to release Barabbas.

Matthew 27:22–23 “22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!””

5. So Jesus is lead away to be put to death. They start with scourging. No big deal, they just whip Him with a torture device made of leather straps, shards of bone, metal, and rocks. They would whip them and wrap the whip around the body so the objects would get lodged into flesh, then they would rip the whip back tearing as much flesh as possible. Many did not survive this stage.

6. After this He was forced to carry a heavy cross about 4 football fields. They beat Him to the edge of human limits before dying, and then hey you got to carry this now. The Romans were experts at death and torture. When you look at crucifixion in particular you will find Roman citizens could not be killed this way. It was too painful, and to humiliating.

Any Harry Potter fans out there? Remember one of the curses that was forbidden? Remember the guy with the crazy eyeball came in and started talking about it? What was it? Cruciatus Curse

Cruciatus is latin, and it means Crucified or tortured” Ever heard the word - Excruciating. In excruciating pain, it literally means out of the cross. The torture of the cross was so terrible they had to make up a new word to describe the pain.

There was a language born out of the cross that is so much more than a new word. It is a language of Love. When we step into relationship with Jesus He restores us, redeems us, and puts us into relationship with God and when that happens the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

There is a song by Selah, its called the Beautiful, Terrible Cross. Beautiful and terrible are two words that don’t really go together.

There is a beautiful terrible cross Where though You committed no sin Savior, You suffered the most wicked fate On the cruelest creation of men

We see the love that You showed us We see the life that You lost We bow in wonder and praise You For the beautiful terrible cross

The thing about Easter, is that we know the Cross didn’t win. Jesus resurrected, overcoming hell, the grave and sin. Giving us Hope of Heaven. The resurrection is what all Christianity hinges on. If he didn’t overcome we have not hope.

That was all introduction. 2 Points.

Your Sin, Not His

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

He capital H, Him capital H. God the Father, gave His Son, Jesus, to become Sin, to be sacrificed for us.

What Sin did he hang there for?

He hung on the Cross for our sin. Yes its a terrible thing to think about. He was bruised and beaten, and mocked, and scourged, and sent through the worst cruelty imaginable. But he did it for loves sake. He did it because He loves you.

He did it because the cross is a language of love. You see it was my sin that nailed him there, it was my penalty He was taking that was meant for me. He stood in my place, and He stands in the place of each and everyone of you.

Every sin that you would ever commit was dealt with at the cross. In the OT they had to constantly sacrifice to stay in good standing, when Jesus was the sacrifice he took care of it all, for all eternity.

Why did he become sin?

so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. When we put our trust and faith in Jesus, we put on His righteousness.

Nailed it to the Cross

The final thing I want you to know.

Colossians 2:14–15 “14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

The handwriting is like a document of the charges, and a sentence of guilty. You rob a bank, go to court, there is paperwork, your name is on it. You are sentenced, you are guilty.

This is saying Jesus took your guilty sentence, your punishment for the crime you commited and He nailed it to the cross. Not only did he pay your debt, he took everything against you out of your way, and nailed it to the cross.

Wrap Up

We already celebrated Easter, why are we talking about it again? Because I think that sometimes we withhold our best because we feel guilty, or ashamed. We all have our struggles, we all have sin, and will have sin in our lives. We are to be becoming more like Jesus each day but we will mess up.

We hide like Adam and Eve in the Garden. God shows up hey guys were you at? You know what i’m talking about. You messup, you hide. Your walk with God that was so strong is suddenly non existent.

The enemy wants you to feel that way. He wants you to move away from God not toward Him. He manipulates you to make you feel bad, and to hide.

That’s not what the cross is about. Yes absolutely it is your sin and mine that put Jesus on the cross. But that is why He did it. Because He loves you!

Here’s what I want to do. Think about this. What is one sin that Jesus died for that you can leave at the cross? Take a moment. Think about it. Leaders are going to pass around sticky notes. Write something down, fold it in half, you don’t have to air it out for all to see. And we are going to nail it to the cross.

1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If you can’t think of something ask God and He will bring something to mind I’m sure. I will go first. I will tell you mine.

I have been too busy. Easter is a busy time around the church and there is tons to do, and I found myself struggling to spend meaningful time with Jesus. I was preferring the work, to the one I was working for.

Let me pray, and you take time to add yours to the cross.