Crucified

That’s what happens to Peter and John. Peter and John go to the temple to pray. As they were about to enter the temple, a lame man asked Peter and John for money. Here is Peter’s response.

You can imagine that this miracle cause quite a scene. Peter and John use it as opportunity to share Christ as the crowd gathers. This did not set well with the religious leaders. They had Peter and John arrested and put on a trial. Peter and John got in trouble for doing good. While in court, Peter and John made it very clear that the lame man had been healed in the name of Jesus. Peter also used the trial as a platform to preach Jesus, to share the Good News of salvation.

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What we are going to see this morning as we study from that Jesus is the one and only way to salvation.

1. The death of Jesus made salvation possible.

Look at v. 10. Do you see the word “crucified?”

Crucifixion was most the horrendous, despicable, painful, agonizing form of death. The Jewish historian Josephus called crucifixion the most wretched of deaths. In speaking of the crucifixion, the Roman historian Cicero declared that Roman citizens should no think about the cross, should not speak about the cross because it was too horrifying for decent Roman citizens to even contemplate or utter.

The Persians invented crucifixion but it was the Romans who perfected it. The Romans reserved it for lowers classes, slaves, foreigners. A death by crucifixion was slow, agonizing, horrifying death. Crucifixion was not done in obscurity but in public places for all to see. It would be equivalent today to placing a blood soaked man on a cross at the entrance of city hall, a town mall, or the local Walmart.

For the Jews, the idea of the Messiah being crucified was offensive.

Illustration: Something that offends you

For the Jews, the idea of Messiah being crucified was offensive.

(NKJV) But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness…

(NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”)

That is a quote from .

John Phillips: Saul of Tarsus was familiar with both this particular Old Testament curse and the various examples of its application. So although he might have been prepared to concede certain things about Jesus of Nazareth, it was this method of His death that, to him at any rate, made the claims of Christ false and blasphemous. He had been hanged on a tree! He had been crucified on a Roman cross. According to the Old Testament Law, therefore, He had died under the direct curse of God. Saul of Tarsus might have been willing to concede the death of Israel’s Messiah. But on a tree? Never! It was the most impossible thing about Christianity.

The idea of the Messiah being crucified was offensive to the Jews. The disciples and early followers of Jesus did not shy away from the cross. They did not back down from the message of the cross even though the Jews found it offensive. The early church did not water down the message of Jesus’ death on the cross just because the Jews found it offensive.

The early church preached Christ crucified faithfully. The early church preached Christ crucified without apology. The early church understood the significance of Christ crucified. The early church understand that Jesus’ death on the cross made salvation possible.

Go back to . The early church understand that Jesus took on our curse of sin when He died on the cross.

(NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Luther call this the Great Exchange. Jesus died in our place. Jesus took on our sins.

(NIV) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

This who fiasco of Peter and John being arrested and put on trial began with the healing of the lame man. The healing of the lame man becomes an illustration for a greater healing, a greater salvation.

The lame man had a physical defect. We have a spiritual defect: sin. The physical defect of the lame man left him a tough spot. He had to be carried to the temple. He had to beg for money. Our spiritual defect of sin leaves us in a bad spot. Sin leaves us broken and beat down. Sin leaves us separated from God. Sin can lead to our destruction. Sin can lead to eternal death in Hell.

Just as the lame man was healed, we can have spiritual healing through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Jesus’ death on the cross made salvation possible.

2. Salvation only comes through Jesus.

Salvation means to rescue from danger.

Illustration: Rescue from danger

We have been rescued from danger. We have been saved from danger. We have been saved from the danger of God’s wrath. We have been saved from the danger of eternal death. We have been saved from Hell. This salvation is only through Jesus.

v. 12

We are not saved in the name of Confucius. We are not saved in the name of Buddah. We are not saved in the name of the Allah. Only in the name of Jesus can salvation be found.

(NKJV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus is the one and only way to salvation. Few a minutes ago, we talked about how the Jews were offended by Christ Crucified. Today, people are offended when we say that Jesus is the one and only way to salvation. People today believe that all religions lead to the same God. People today believe that all religion leads to Heaven. When we start talking about Jesus being the one and only to Heaven, we are called narrow minded, intolerant.

But we can’t water down the message of Jesus and salvation just because people find it offensive. The Bible is very clear. Jesus is the one and only way to salvation.

v. 12

Conclusion

This morning, we have looked at Jesus’ death on the cross. We have talked about how Jesus’ death made salvation possible. We have talked about how salvation only comes through Jesus.

v. 12 — Name of of Jesus.

In verse 10, we also find a reference to the name of Jesus. In verse 10, the name of Jesus has to do with His authority to heal. In v. 12, the name of Jesus has to do with professing his name in faith to be saved.

Verse 11 speaks of the people rejecting Jesus. Verse 12 speaks of the response to faith that we must make in Jesus to be saved.

(NIV) That 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.

Matter of Heart, average distance between the human head and human heart is 6 inches.

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