1 Jesus + 2 Options = 3 Crosses

Background

Past Weeks

We left with Jesus at the supper with His friends, anointed for burial

Being dressed for your casket

Judas betrayed Jesus: sold Jesus to the Pharisees

Accessory to First Degree Murder- death penalty/life in prison, no parole

Context

Crucifixion: Worst

Being cooked alive, eaten by maggots alive, being burned alive

They considered crucifixion the worst- sometimes days long, slow and painful in every way

They came and took him

Rigged the courts

Beat him

Whipped him

Spit, slapped, kicked him

Then they nailed him onto the cross

1 nail in each of his palms

1 nail through his feet

Hoisted him up to drown in his own blood

A sign for the King: The King of the Jews

A crown for the king: thorns

Read Luke 23:32-43

Setting

Notes

Characters: who is there?

Who Killed Jesus? The crowd, the pharisees, the politicians, the soldiers

Judas

People watching

leaders scoffing

Soldiers actually crucifying and gambling over clothes

Repentant Robber

Jesus

What Happened?

Everyone killed and mocked him- insults, chanting, jeering, watching from afar

sour wine---- - They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

- They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Sign: a true title but a horrendous sight

— The parable of the vineyard workers who killed the messengers, then the King sent His son, and they killed him too

leaders scoffing

Jesus and 2 Options

There are only two options when it comes to Jesus: is he your King or not?

Two options; two other crosses

Condemned Criminal: mocking/insulting Jesus: “Save yourself and us!”

“Save yourself and us!”—

assumes Jesus isn’t in control

assumes Jesus isn’t in control

assumes Jesus can’t/won’t save us

assumes the Messiah will do things your way

People choose this option when they

1. Many people want to be SAVED THEIR way

Repentant Robber

Answer to your problem: fear of God.

See how you deserve to die and see how he deserves none of this!?

Do you see how we are guilty before a holy God?

Why don’t you fear the angry judge? your guilt? hell?

Heaven = Paradise

Today

“Jesus, how about you save me the way I want? Are you really going to make me suffer like this? Are you really going to let that horrible thing happen?”

We look at horrible events and we ask “How could you let this happen, God?” but here is the worst, most unjust event in history— people don’t ask that question when they benefit from it????????

“save yourself and us!” — Isn’t it crazy that Jesus WAS saving people?

“How could God have an innocent man go to the cross?—

2. PEOPLE STILL say “save yourself and us!” — Isn’t it crazy that Jesus WAS saving people?

People see Jesus and don’t believe.

People still say it today:

They look something painful in their life and say: if God loved me this wouldn’t have happened.

What if God knew everything? What if he knew that those hard circumstances, that pain is what would bring you closest to seeing your own guilt and his own perfection?

Simeon v26- We learn that this man was a Jew (common Jewish man) and was arriving for the passover, finds this crowd, follows it, gets randomly grabbed to carry the cross. Why do we care about this specific guy?

It might be unusual to have him so identified since he is a rather randomly selected solitary stranger, except for the fact that he is important for us to know because he becomes a believer. How do we know that? Mark introduces him as Simon of Cyrene, the father of Rufus and Alexander. Mark is writing in Rome to the Roman church and by doing that he identifies this Simon and there were many Simons, it would be like the name Joseph, a very common name, and there were many Simons. The church at Rome needs to know this is the Simon from Cyrene who is the father of Rufus and Alexander. That is to say, a familiar family to you. Romans 16:13 refers to Rufus as a choice man in the Lord in the church at Rome.

So, when you put the story together, a stranger plucked out of the crowd by the Roman soldiers follows Jesus carrying His cross, goes to the cross, watches the event of the crucifixion of Christ. Comes to faith in Christ through that rather humanly speaking random event, ends up going back to Cyrene, is used by God to start the church there. The church in Cyrene flourishes so much that the book of Acts says they sent out preachers, Acts 11, to preach the gospel of Christ. One of their preachers ends up in the church at Antioch and commissions Paul and Barnabas to go on a missionary journey.

Because when went back home to North Africa he helped plant a church. Mark Identifies him further in his Gospel, because people would know him as the father of Rufus. People that Marks audiance would know.

This church he plants grew and sent preachers out, actually it commissioned apostles. All because of a hard, “random circumstance” that God ordained to take place.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014). John MacArthur Sermon Archive. Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.- We learn that this man was a Jew (common Jewish man) and was arriving for the passoverwent back home to North Africa, planted a church, sent preachers out, this church commissioned apostles. All because of a hard, “random circumstance” that God ordained to take place.

The Repentant Robber- He could have been caught and executed any other day- but God allowed his dying moments to be next to the only person that has ever existed that could save him

When he got the news that he was going to die: heart sank- worst news ever.

The worst death was his way to life

But through that he arrived at a conclusion:

“Jesus, I deserve every bit of pain and punishment that comes into my life. But you only deserve glory and honor. You are God. Jesus, remember me as one of your children. Remember that I know that you are God, Man, Servant, and King”

3. God uses DEATH to show us LIFE

The Condemned Criminal- this man got to speak to Jesus. He got to see, with his own eyes, how sin treats God. He was able to witness Jesus dying to secure a way for forgiveness to all that believe- what does he say to God?

“You are one heck of a Messiah. “Jesus, how about you save me the way I want? Are you really going to make me suffer like this? Are you really going to let that horrible thing happen?”

The sign above his head tells the truth: He is the King- of the Jews, of the gentiles, of the whole universe.

Jesus is King and Messiah- no matter what your are going through- This still true

Jesus did die on the cross. And you have to choose a cross to bear.

1. Mocking Him and spitting insults- you don’t think you need to be saved or your don’t think he can save you

And there are two sides to take on it:

No purpose in suffering. No hope in life.

2. You call him King and give your life to him- because he gave his life for you

4. In Jesus your life has PURPOSE, HOPE, and JOY

App

Gospel: You might have not ever done this: you might not have realized that Jesus paid the price, and you need to trust in him, believe in him, rest from trying to earn it because he bought it .

You can’t earn it; you can just ask him to remember you as a child of God, to remember you as one who calls him King.

You can have amazing joy knowing that God will welcome you into paradise!

Sanctification: That story might be familiar to you. You know Jesus paid your debt. You know you are a child. You rest in the promise that you will see him in paradise. But, the days go on and trouble comes with them. You can use this history lesson to remember 2 things:

YOu

You didn’t earn your salvation and you wont ever earn it. It is by grace and it is given to you as a gift.

- For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift

Eps 2:8- For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift

If you know that he saved you by grace, not because you deserve it— why are you doing what you are doing?

Take a moment to reflect on your actions: what is the intention? is it out of gratitude and a new life? or guilt and shame?

If God knows how to teach you, you can trust him to teach you. You can rest that nothing will happen that will surprise God. Nothing will ruin his plan. The struggles that happen, the pain that comes, the people that you wrestle with— these are all places that you can see God working in your own heart

I know that can sound cheesy, but it is true.

- We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

The worst death imaginable might be your way to life.

5. TRUST God in everything, even in the HARD things

Trusting him as your Savior everyday!

Live.It.Out.

Purpose, hope, joy.

Suffering, pain, difficulty.

You and God both know. So, talk with Him about it.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Simon is a common Jewish name indicating that he is a Jew. Cyrene is an area in north Africa which today would be Libya in the area of Tripoli. Josephus tells us, the Jewish historian, that there was a large Jewish community living in Cyrene. And here is one of the Jews from Cyrene who along with a lot of other Jews from Cyrene and a whole lot of other places in the world had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. We also know in and verse 10 that there was a synagogue for Cyrenian Jews in the city of Jerusalem which means there was a significant number of them who came for Passover. This is one of them. He’s not a part of the trial up to now. This may be the first time he ever met Jesus because he’s just coming in from the country, arriving on Passover day to celebrate Passover. He walks in, finds this entourage leading these three criminals to death, and he is by the Roman soldiers seized and given the responsibility of carrying Jesus’ cross.

It might be unusual to have him so identified since he is a rather randomly selected solitary stranger, except for the fact that he is important for us to know because he becomes a believer. How do we know that? Mark introduces him as Simon of Cyrene, the father of Rufus and Alexander. Mark is writing in Rome to the Roman church and by doing that he identifies this Simon and there were many Simons, it would be like the name Joseph, a very common name, and there were many Simons. The church at Rome needs to know this is the Simon from Cyrene who is the father of Rufus and Alexander. That is to say, a familiar family to you. refers to Rufus as a choice man in the Lord in the church at Rome.

So, when you put the story together, a stranger plucked out of the crowd by the Roman soldiers follows Jesus carrying His cross, goes to the cross, watches the event of the crucifixion of Christ. Comes to faith in Christ through that rather humanly speaking random event, ends up going back to Cyrene, is used by God to start the church there. The church in Cyrene flourishes so much that the book of Acts says they sent out preachers, , to preach the gospel of Christ. One of their preachers ends up in the church at Antioch and commissions Paul and Barnabas to go on a missionary journey.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014). John MacArthur Sermon Archive. Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.