Jesus Died to Save Us

Jeremiah 23:1–6 NASB95

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord. “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. “I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’

Reign of Christ Sunday

Jeremiah 23:1–6 NRSV

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Colossians 1:11–20 NASB95

strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 1:10–20 NIV

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:10–20 NRSV

so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Colossians

Colossians 1:9–20 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Jesus Died to Save Us

Actions of Christ

He came from splendor to be born in poverty. He left the presence of angels, for the company of me. He laid down a scepter in heaven to be laid in a manger, and exchanged the worship of Arch-angels, for the praise of lowly shepherds.

He walked into the world with all the power of Almighty God at his bidding, but he was carried out a mutilated body lowered from a cross.

He rebuked the pious, but he comforted the sinner. He refused earthly Kingship, although he was still a King. He loved his mother yet gave her away at the Cross. He healed the broken-hearted, yet he himself, died with a broken heart.

He loved the fellowship of friends, yet was cast out by his kinsmen. He rebuked both sage and seer, then blessed the little children. He held an executive meeting on the Mount of Transfiguration, then wept alone in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He could walk on water, but could not walk away from the tears in the eyes of the Widow from Nain. He could command the stars in their orbits, but he refused to change the circumstances of his own execution. His mission was a commitment to free all men, yet he was imprisoned on the testimony of one man.

He delivered many from pain, but he was delivered to suffer agonizing pain. He dried the eyes of multitudes, but no one dried his eyes in Gethsemane. He carried the burdens of the world, but only one was brought forth to help him bear his Cross to Calvary.

His execution was thought to be insignificant, but became the controversy of the ages. His life was extinguished in a brief second of time, but then ignited to lighten the world. His short span of thirty-three years on Earth should have passed unnoticed were it possible, but no one life has ever had such impact on the minds of men.

His three and one-half years in the public’s eye was brief indeed, but his achievements are the greatest ever recorded.

He has inspired more men, conquered more hearts, delivered more prisoners, consoled more mourners, than any figure in the history of man. He spoke of love, but was murdered with hate. He shared all that he had, then on the Cross...he shared paradise with a thief. He gave the World light, only to be driven into the cavern of Death. He gave mankind guidance, only to be guided to Golgotha. He pointed men to the Tree of Life, they nailed him to a tree on a hill called the Skull. He laid down a scepter in heaven, to be laid in a borrowed tomb.

He walked out of heaven, pure, perfect, and beautiful. He returned beaten, mutilated, and nail scarred. he fulfilled all that was written of him, and yet man did not believe Him. His coming changed the course of nations, his return will be to judge the nations. His title was simple as stated on the Cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” but to those who have ever known him, He is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

Source unknown

This Sunday is known on the Christian calendar as the Reign of Christ Sunday. It is a time when we are to rejoice in who Jesus is and what he has done. How appropriate for it to fall on the true Thanksgiving Sunday. For the greatest thanks we should say, is “Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and saving my soul.”

On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we will complete our sermon series from Luke as we remember the greatest gift that has ever been given us. Stand as we read from our text this morning.

Luke 23:32–43 NIV

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:32-

Pray

I. Jesus did not allow anything to sway Him from His purpose to die for our salvation.

I. Jesus did not allow anything to sway Him from His purpose to die for our salvation.

His life on earth was not an easy one. The average Jew in the time of Rome did not have it easy. The tributes that Joseph and Mary gave at the temple showed them to be average people of no incredible wealth. I suspect if they lived today they would be average middle income folks like us.

At Jesus age, men would be living their dream of working and providing a living for their families. However, Jesus was not going to live long enough to do any of those things. Instead of the comfort and stability that comes from working, home and family, Jesus had to do much traveling. Sleeping on the hard ground. Eating what was available in the moment; loaves and fish, heads of grain, etc...

Wherever he traveled he was an oddity. Some people revered him, others hated him, and others just didn’t know what to make of him. People like Pilot who saw nothing wrong in him and could not figure out why the Jewish leaders hated him so.

It is difficult to know at what point in his life, this God-man became aware that his destiny was to die on a cross. Perhaps it was in the desert at the beginning of his ministry. Maybe before that or sometime after that. There is no way to know. However, whenever that time was, he never showed any hesitation except for one short prayer in a garden near the end. In that moment, his true humanity was in evidence, yet it did not stop him from going through with it.

Jesus did not take the easy way out. Before he was even nailed to the cross he was offered wine with myrrh and gall. These were narcotics that would ease some of the suffering. Yet he refused this drink. Whether it was because he was concerned they would impair his ability to think rationally, or because he fully embraced the lot that was his is also unknown. It does not change the fact that he experienced it all and not because it benefited him, but because it provided salvation for us.

Jesus remained true to that task to the bitter end. Not only that, but in one moment in the midst of all of that, we see fully the importance of his actions as even in that dreadful moment he extends salvation to another beside him.

I want us to take a step into that moment and look around at the various reactions of those around him. It is important we do so as the reactions are the same today. The first group is the largest group. It is the multitude standing around watching and we see...

A. The multitude silenced by the sight of Him

The multitude was the crowd watching as the events unfold. Some were very close to Jesus, such as Jesus’ mother and John. Their hearts were breaking, but they had no power to do anything. All they could do was watch. I do not know if we could ever understand the horror they must have felt. Only someone who has had to stand by and watch a loved one die in some horrible way can begin to understand how they felt. Someone like my dad who had to watch from a mountain path as his father fell down a mountain. Or some of the people we have read about who under persecution have witnessed a loved one beaten and slain by an enemy.

Others were there that did not fully understand. They had heard of the miracles Jesus had performed. They had rejoiced with the crowd when he entered Jerusalem for Passover. They are dumbfounded trying to understand what has happened. They have awakened to news that he is to be crucified. They have no power to change things, nor understanding of how this has occurred. They stand back shocked and silent looking on with horror wondering what happened to bring this about.

There may have been others there for other reasons. Perhaps they do not know or understand what all the hoopla is over this one man. Why is he different? Why are so many people focused on his crucifixion?

I suspect the crowd was larger that day than normal. This man called Jesus drew crowds every where he had gone and now in this moment, there is a multitude to witness his passing.

There are many in our world today who are unaware of what took place this day so long ago, yet when they do see it, they look on with shocked silence. The Jesus film is responsible for many coming to know Jesus as their personal savior. The horrific sight of a man, sinless, yet condemned and understanding that his condemnation is ours. The fact that he is a stand in for our sins, breaks hearts even today.

We need to continue to tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection. The fact that Jesus did die for our sins, but then he arose from death, conquering death and providing a means for us to do the same.

His mission was to come and die and rise again so all can be saved. Our mission is to make sure that everyone around us hears and understands what he did and why he did it. Are we being diligent in our mission?

A multitude stood around in silence that day while Jesus died. Are we standing around silent while others around us die today?

However, though the crowd was silent in that moment of the cross, there were other voices that were not so silent.

B. The Jewish leaders sneered at Him

They had planned and connived and were glad to be finally getting rid of him. Once again they demanded a sign from him. Jesus had already performed so many signs. He has healed the sick. Restored sight to the blind. He has even raised a man from the dead who had been dead for three days! Yet they demanded more. As he hangs on the cross they cry out in disdain,

Luke 23:35 NASB95

And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”

Luke 23:

They didn’t just dislike Jesus, they hated Jesus. You can ignore someone you dislike, but hate has a way of pushing you to extremes. It was not enough to ignore him, they wanted him destroyed.

Pilot wasn’t fooled. He did not fully understand what was going on, but he knew that it was hate that drove these men. Pilot got in his own truth in this moment. As criminals were lead to crucifixion, they were labeled. They often had signs hung around their necks that identified the crime they were being punished for. The sign was then placed on the cross above their head. The sign Pilot sent Jesus out with said, “This is the King of the Jews.” It was a malicious stab not at Jesus, but at the Jewish leaders demanding an innocent man hang.

In that moment, God recorded His own truth by inspiring Pilot with the idea.

Even today there are those who are trying to destroy Jesus, which is ironic. How do you destroy a dead man? Why would you need to destroy a dead man? The very fact that they want to try to wipe out his story from history tells you there has to be something incredibly powerful in it to want to destroy it.

The power of the story is that Jesus died on a cross, but Jesus is not dead! There are people who want to wipe his story from history. Others try to use science to disprove the case of Christ, but only find themselves convinced of its truth.

How did Jesus react to such hate? He responded to them with truth. He stood firm when confronted. He revealed their hypocrisy.

Many today sneer at us for being believers. Jesus told us it would be so.

Matthew 10:22 NASB95

“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Matthew 10:

So how do we deal with it? Jesus is our guide. Like Jesus, we take time to go into the desert alone to pray and seek God’s wisdom and strength. We must be faithful to be about the work we are called to do even in the worst of times. We stand firm in adversity. When confronted, we give answers of truth based on the teachings of Jesus given us in the Bible. We cannot allow their hate to silence us.

And Maybe, just maybe, there will be occasions when one of them turns from their hate and believes. We should never give up on these people. Many have turned from their hate and come to love God because of people who have stood firmly in the will of God and shared the truth.

Now back to the cross. While the Jewish leaders stood around sneering at Jesus we find...

C. The soldiers mocked Him

The soldiers didn’t hate Jesus. They didn’t really know much about him. They would have understood some of the same facts that Pilot did. However, they were just doing their job. The whole thing was a joke to them. It was with derision for the Jews as a whole that they mocked Jesus. He was no different to them than any other person they were crucifying.

There were four soldiers put in charge of each person being crucified. Once the criminal was hung on the cross, it was common practice to divide up the criminals belongings among themselves, so it was not just Jesus that they did this with. There were usually four pieces of clothing, so they cast lots to decide who got which piece.

We are told that they offered Jesus wine vinegar. Wine vinegar was a poorer quality of common wine that the soldiers most frequently drank. Their mocking was not from hate. They were just making fun as they probably did in most cases. The idea of “King of the Jews” just gave a good way to do so. They were just “good old boys” making fun.

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Here we see the incredible spirit of Jesus. Even in this moment of physical pain and callous verbal abuse, He responds...

Luke 23:34 NASB95

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

Luke 23:

Our world is full of good ole boys having fun. They mock Christians with no real knowledge of what it is all about. They are often just jumping on son other persons band wagon.

Ephesians 4:14 NASB95

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

As Christians, we are not to allow other people to drive our beliefs. Our truth is found in scripture and in the life of Jesus Christ. When others are mocking us, we need to understand that they often mock what they do not know. Our response is to be the same as Christ’s. Instead of hating them, we intercede on their behalf that they will one day understand for themselves and be saved.

And then we come to the final two people in this story. First we find...

D. A criminal insults Him

Jesus is crucified between two criminals. We are told of the first one.

Luke 23:39 NASB95

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

Luke 23:39

There are several different translations of this account. This criminals response was to hurl, deride, rail, etc… at Jesus. The meaning is an ongoing verbal abuse. He just keeps up and keeps up. It is difficult to know why he seems to have such hate. Maybe it is just evil. He is a bitter, evil man. He has come to the end of his sinful life and he just is hateful.

Unfortunately, there will always be some like this also. Even facing their own mortality, they seemed steeped in hate and bitter anger.

Somewhere, I heard a man tell a story about a plane crash he survived. He said in that moment when the plane was falling and a crash was inevitable, he was shocked to hear the people swearing terrible obscenities to God. They were cursing God even in this moment when they would probably facing Him face-to-face real soon. This man was a Christian and all he could do was pray for those around him as he was anticipating his own death. He lived and shared this story. He said it broke his heart that in a moment like that, that instead of crying out for God’s help, all they could do was curse God. It was their last chance to ever make things right with God.

The things we do each and every day influence people around us and their impression of God. We need to be so careful how we live or lives and understand that the impression of God we leave on others can one day save their life or destroy it.

But there were two criminals and the other one had a different response. In his case we find...

E. A sinner believes in Him

You never know how a person will respond. The first criminal responds in bitter anger and hate, yet this man rebukes the first.

Luke 23:40–41 NASB95

But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Luke 23:41

Who knows how much this man knew about Jesus before this moment in time. However, he has obviously seen enough in Jesus throughout this ordeal to believe. As he accepts who Jesus is, he acknowledges who he is by confessing that he has done wrong deeds and is getting fair treatment for them. Then he does a remarkable thing.

Luke 23:42 NASB95

And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

He verbally acknowledges who Jesus is. He is hanging in pain on a cross, he is in the center of men sneering, mocking, and railing, and he risks it turning on him also by acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God.

For all we know, this man never knew much about Jesus before this day. Yet in this stressful moment, he reaches out to Him. And what is Jesus response?

Luke 23:43 NASB95

And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Despite Jesus agony. Despite all the mocking going on around him, he turns to this man and assures him of his salvation. Even in the midst of the most agonizing moment of His life, Jesus is still about saving people.

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

I do not what you believe this day or who you put your trust in. But this is the God I believe in. This is the one I am glad to say is my God. He suffered it all so that He could offer me salvation and eternal life. He offers it to anyone who will receive it. It is not dependent on how you have lived your life to this point. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how wealthy you are. It doesn’t matter if you are influential or not. It even doesn’t matter if you previously hated Him.

All we have to do is acknowledge our need and reach and ask. He will do the rest.

Jesus died on that cross. The evidence is there. His side was pierced and the water and blood that ran out is scientific proof that He was dead. Men placed Him in a tomb and did a preliminary prep of His body. Then the tomb was sealed. However, the story does not end there. Three days later the tomb was found empty. Various people saw Jesus that day and talked to Him. Over the next 40 days, many people saw Jesus, spoke with Jesus, ate with Jesus, all giving testimony to the fact that He lives.

What does that mean to you today?

I once heard about a teacher who, while cleaning out her attic, came upon a cross she purchased years earlier. It was a crucifix— a wooden cross with a silver image of Jesus hanging on it. She put the cross on her home office desk and left it there for several days. However, she needed some space to work, so she laid the cross on top of her checkbook and her bills. It made her think about how her faith should impact her finances. If her money were really under the cross of Jesus, what would she buy? What would she not buy? How much would she give away? How much would she keep?

A few days later, more papers accumulated on her desk, so she put the crucifix on top of some papers she was grading for her students. It made her think about how her faith should impact her work. If her job were really under the cross of Jesus, how would she treat her students? How would she treat her colleagues? How would she prepare for her classes?

A few days later the cross ended up on top of some recent photographs of her family and friends. It made her think about how her faith should impact her relationships. If her relationships were really under the cross of Jesus, what kind of wife would she be? What kind of mother? What kind of grandmother? What kind of friend?

For several weeks that cross lay on her desk, and it seemed to ask her, on a daily basis: “What difference does my faith make in my life? What impact does my religion have on my finances, my job, and my relationships?” In short it asked, “What would it mean for me to truly make Christ the King of my life?”

That is a good question for all of us.

“What would it mean for me to truly make Christ the King of my life?”

On this “Reign of Christ” Sunday, let me ask you. Who is reigning in your life?

Pray and dismiss

What would it mean for me to