Seven Cross Words from the Pulpit of God's Love

That Seven Cross-Words from the Pulpit of God’s Love:

The early church faced a huge PR problem – thought they were cannibals – body and blood.

Equally today the church faces a huge PR problem – horror and brutality of Cross, seems impossibly illogical that God would not just permit, but desire to have His Son die on the Cross.

Many have asked the question in our day – Christianity teaches divine child-abuse. And shying away from the teaching of the Cross – that through death of Jesus as a perfect and final sacrifice for our sins, as the absorbing of all the punishment of wrath of God, against world in rebellion – many today are content to have Christianity without the Cross – Jesus merely as good teacher. The Cross – what place does it play in your faith? Who is Jesus to you? Do you really believe Son of God was dying on the Cross for you?

Is it, as historic Christianity has always understood it, the pulpit of God’s love? How could we decide?

How would you find that out? The 7 words from the Cross give us the purpose and heart of Christ.

- a revelation of heavenly realities, a window into the very heart of God’s love for us!

1. -35Jesus was led out to be crucified – outside the camp. Like a sacrifice. they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his life.

Pilate found nothing wrong – sinless innocent – last person deserves this; yet in most public way with notorious – Why – not for himself – but a substitute.

First Word of the Cross: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

You may think well, I’d do that too – time of need to pray – instinctively – but like no prayer ever lifted up!

And there is something we must learn from Jesus example. Father. Cry of trust in darkest hour!

But more; something completely unique here! This like no prayer any of us could lift up...

J.C. Ryle puts it powerfully, as soon as the blood started to flow... what is Christ asking?

Forgive them actually two main words in Greek – common one – Jesus forgives our sins on Cross – full sense of justification – Kariozomai: Legal idea would be that justice has been met, punishment satisfied, sentence rendered once and for all – a person acquitted or condemned – No question that Jesus will do this role as Son of Man throne of heaven just said it to chief priest, to Pilate.

But this not what he’s praying for here! Uses the other Greek word: aphemi – can mean to temporary suspend sentence – the verdict of the court is postponed, don’t do any jail time , not punishment until court later decides! Father suspend the judgment of world murdering me, for a time; why ?

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. :34They don’t get it, who I am, what they’re really doing, murdering lord of Glory. How could they – suffering God-man, dying Messiah? None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ”

Can you see it from Jesus perspective – about to take the curse of the sin of the world – Day of Lord judgment infinite wrath of God on sin upon Himself. and they don’t realize His heroic mercy for them!

And Jesus is praying – Father God they’re killing the Messiah you sent them

But let me speak my heart – soon Word will come that explains it to them. I have come into world to save sinners – do good to them that do wrong – I’m going to the Cross for space for You to work in their lives – Withhold judgment from these ungrateful earthlings! Let your wrath fall completely on me for now.

See Jesus role as our brother, priest: Even as curse begins to Fall, Jesus is knocking on God’s door for us!

Geoerge Orwell tells powerful tale in scif-fi 1984 – Big bad gov called Big Brother – control everything, evetything belongs to state, even your thoughts and feeling, your family, your relationship – Hero of the story – wants to keep his personality, freedom – love for woman named Julia . Always out smart them. But in the end on a labratory talbe discern worst fear he could imagine, rats. And they don’t jsut watnt o make him suffer, want the one thing wouldn’t give up. Love of Julia. At the climax of the book: he says: Don’t do it to me, do it to Julia. They have him.

That’s what Jesus was doing on the Cross – but exactly opposite Don’t do it to them – the sinners I’ve come to save, do it to me, justice for their sins fall on me! That is my job.

His prayer is still offered up, today, but now with full forgiveness of all who turn to Him in faith:; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. ”

But now we see the results of His priestly work on the Cross for us!

482:1-3 MAN OF SORROWS

II. Word of Paradise - all have this sense... work out alright...

imagine is as Christ is at the centre of world’s history on the Cross, these crooks are in their greatest hour of need, terrors of death knocking at their door, God Himself speak words of rock solid assurance, of paradise! Not just justice or forgiveness; but “things are going to be alright!” What a message to this one thief in Christ’ second cross-word. It summarizes His work on the Cross!

God shows up when we’re at lowest point, deepest agony, when we’re at our worst He promises Paradise!

Who does he speak it too? Thief, an Israelite – scorned... willingly id’s himself with lowest!

– says I’ll identify myself with these convicted Israelites! I’ve prayed to protect them too!

Awfully tempting for Jesus to say – I don’t belong among the rabble of society! King of Jews

Could have shown military glory, 10,000 angels, but that is not the glory of God this hour!

Could’ve arranged to die a more glorious death, but the glory is in God in our shame & pain!

Remember the irony of Palm Sunday: not so triumphant entry because victory by defeat! King humble.

Oh see it here! Jesus identifies with the scum of the earth, next time see a wino on the street , drug dealer pushing his trade, person at work, on street can’t stand. Can it be? Jesus dying with them for them! Jesus had explained it before the cross: It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. L22:37 Had neighbour, teenage friend, middle of night cops got him, threw him in jail.

Imagine what it takes for Dad to show up – yup that my son!

That’s what Jesus doing – yes I’m one with these people – before Father – Yes, I’m down here with them, for them Father. But we must come like this thief!

Rather when we come to God we must come knowing that we deserve justice rather than mercy!

= What do you deserve from God? See yourself as criminal, robbed Lord of perfect world, abused those he put you beside, Failed to live His ways for his purposes! !

Like one commentator – Church of holy Sepulchre – not one but three crosses, 2 or 3 knelt praying... but felt better to take my place in front of the cross by penitent theif...

Story isn’t about getting saved in the Knick of time, but getting saved at all.

No possibility of salvation if think there is a shred righteousness in ourselves that could satisfy the demands of holy God, only when admit this are we in the position to receive divine mercy!

Prayer like Nicholas Copernicus when that famous scientist considered this story from the gospel he humbly prayed: “I do not ask for the grace that you gave St. Paul; nor can I dare to ask tfor the grace that you gave St. Peter; but the mercy which you did show to the dying robber, that mercy, show to me!”

Look what this guy is asking, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

That’s the most comforting part of this whole interchange Thief become only one recorded in all Scripture to call Son of God, Christ, by his personal name – Jesus you are my companion – in life and in death – may I walk with you! I don’t know why you would wake with me, but you do!

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” ”

- not distant judgment day hundreds of years, a day of resurrection – today with Me

III. John Fulfilling whole duty of the law – validating – love to family, love to best friend -

- On the Cross who is Jesus thinking of – not merely the world in general –

but look at the prophesy: when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring, … v.11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied… making many to be accounted righteous… All that the Father has given to me will come to me, none can snatch them out of my hand!

217 JESUS REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM

IV. The Cry of Abandonment: Has God Accepted You?

What we have to remember is that to breathe out, let alone to speak was torture when nailed to Cross. Death was not actually by bleeding from nails, but suffocation – push self up to breathe! So every word was precious, and every word Christ speaks, nothing wasted all spoken deliberately for us! This is especially important to understand the words spoken at the end of the 3 hours of supernatural darkness: My God, My God why have you forsaken me! Jesus was not just in extreme anguish calling out his feelings –Oh God I’m hurting! Where are you! Many have tried to sanitize the Cross that way – Jesus only feels like God has forsaken Him, going through dark time like you and I do from time to time. God didn’t really cast him away!

Of course it’s true something to learn about how to bear Crosses here, how to wrestle with God,

even how with faith to ask the big: Why question; why suffering, evil, why allow innocent suffer?

But to start there & leave it there would be to tidy up & blunt & empty the power of the Cross!

Why did God abandon His Son to the Cross, why did the Son willingly suffer hell for us?

And the way we get there is to ask the flip side of this question from the Cross:

Jesus asks Father why forsaken me. We must ask: My God, My God why have you accepted me?

Darkness started three hours earlier, as Christ praying forgiveness, saying Don’t do it to them, do it to me! And Father and Son in working out salvation in complete agreement, begin work of sacrifice!

NOT physical pain or betrayal by humanity that hurt ...

In those 3 hours Christ the Son of God facing something new. Even for Him as Son of God it is deadly and dreadful! What is this unending racking pain – feel the horror and bitterness of whole world’s sin loaded on Jesus Christ, the God-man the Sin bearer – and now the moement has come that the fellowship, the closeness, the support that Jesus has always relied on – every single blessing of common grace – completely withdrawn – sure He is still God, - but Christ, become curse of sin! Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” ” In His human soul he can hardly... But that is not the worst of it. He not only suffers the curse for our sin on that cross, God abandoning him as it were. But we read: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ” This is like a nuclear bomb gone off in Barrie, and if a rescuer wants to rescue – must expose Himself to the poison, radiation = hell! Imagine completely innocent sensitive pure person, forced to witness most heinous crime – turn away = a faint reflection of what in an extreme degree came over the soul of Jesus at this moment on the cross what Christ is yelling from hell; all that evil, sin not personally his, but he bears it for us

Do you know what hell is? It’s not physical pain, suffering, social? Anything in this life pale refl Two deaths in both OT and NT. i. is symbolized by the worm – disintegration of the body – but the second death – ii. symbolize by fire that never dies – eternal death at judgment day!

– something works inside out – active wrath of God that utterly removes evil and evil doers!

Christ bears all this for three hours. But struggling in his humanness not to be lost while he suffers, he turns to Scripture to find His way! Cries out , but whole first part of the Psalm – V.2 I cry by night but you do not answer ....Experiences infinite wrath – 2nd death – not 3 hours, but like someone unconscious – seems like outside of time for them!

May not believe me – but read whole of – every detail predicted and acted out as happening 1000 years later on the Cross. Limbs out of joint, hands and feet pierced, taunts of those around him, garments stirrped gambled for! All pred v10-14 Makes sense of the utter hell, forsakenness Jesus suffering – but more importantly tell us why, what will the result be. That`s how rabbi`s often quoted Psalm`s back then; v.1 stand for whole. This Psalm ends with God`s holy one going to congregation, going to rich and poor, going to despairing – proclaiming salvation righteousness, going to even those who`ve died in the faith - resurrection! God never more fully in Christ working salvation than that moment – Read in heart/tp of : For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. ” See there is the victory in Christ`s words, He is still in hell, suffering of us, yet in faith He is calling out from the utter darkness of the hell we deserve! God is silent now, but the God-man is still knocking on the door of heaven for us says: I`ve suffered hell with you, but now follow me out! Jesus Reaching out from our hell, and He lays his hand on the Throne of Heaven and when the sacrifice for our sins is done, the Father pulls us out Him! 267:1-2 AND CAN IT BE

V. Light breaks – HUMAN NEED –

exhausted, calls out He thirsts... thinks of His need, bring it to Father, - MEETS US IN LOWEST PLACE

- are you thirsty – to who are you turning – humbling – enemy maybe...vulnerable...

VI. Is It Finished? The Word of Victory

Some report the dying words of Queen Eliz I: All my possessions for a moment of time.

Whether historic fact – we know what she’s saying. If this year last on earth

Even if done it all, none without regrets – none can say I accomplished it all..

i.e master painter, add nothing, take nothing away

But that is how it ought to be you know. Think of God’s great work of creation in the beginning – Thus the heavens and the earth were finished...He finished His owrk of creation – 6 days rest.. Think of Book of Revelation, whole world history end on same note – evil, death, sin, devil won’t win, won’t even exist any more – read these words – angel comes. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ”

And that’s the paradise into which Jesus invited that thief who “got Him”

Indeed we all hope it will end this way – But in between beginning and end is all this sin, crap, suffering , evil – longing for the happy ending. It’s why we love fairy tales & Hollywood movies. It’s why we shoot for this with each other and say– oh don’t worry it’s all good!

But let me tell you how you can get it, this happy ending, its’ all good for the entirety of your life!

Better yet, since you can’t work it let me how you can receive it – end of your life

It’s the whole purpose of the gospel of Jesus, whole life, mission, whole perfect death wrapped up into one word in Greek , tetelestai, It is finished!

All they see is Christ being finished off. Maybe you think that too, that Christ was saying I am finished. I’m done. It ain’t over till the fat lady sings, but now I’ve faced the music, world did it’s worst to me, death’s grip is all over me, it’s pulling me down – I’m finished! Maybe you think that Jesus dream, the kingdom of God, is finished in this brutal world – Jesus must have been mistaken – as much evil in his church as out of it, there’s as many earthquakes disasters, oppression in this world as in days of Rome.

Jesus’ your dream is done! You didn’t finish anything in my life or in my world!

But Jesus cries out a word that means “It is Completed. It is brought to copmletetion.”

As John records it years later, choice to make – in Gk two past tenses.

One means “Simply work is done. Over”. I went to Florida, but now back into routines. X died, but just an event in history!

But John here uses the perfect tense: special occasion when a past event, not just happened, but that past event, the consequences, the after-effects are still at work today, present significance of the past event!

I married... Jesus you see is announcing that What I finished, I brought to perfection – my life, my work as Messiah of world, my sacrificial death – that is a masterpiece now completely finished, nothing added to it, nothing subtracted from it – it’s done, = ransom paid, freedom won

But here’s the mystery the ongoing effects of Christ’s work are now, offered as free gift of salvation that you and I can live in today! How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! ”

So Jesus doesn’t just say it, Matt says gets that drink and Christ cries out in a great voice:

This is no whimper that finishes off his life – shout of victory!

Satan hears it – conquest – titulus of our sin, disarmed power of sin =

But look what the Scriptures say happened at the Cross: having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Understand this each of us has a titulus written against us, what our conscience tells us our sins our crimes, only Christ can take it way and nail it to his Cross. But having done that listen: And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Then Father here’s it – Cov Redemption done – just has to be applied now; do you hear it?

Oh Christ – It is Finished. Old is gone, but now I find a new Self in You!

482:4-5 MAN OF SORROWS – WHAT A NAME

VII. Committal – heaven already – but also final journey strongly steps into... passing milestone...

The words are actually from Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. ” ,

Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep & if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take!

Maybe you say just nice comforting prayer. Jesus setting an example of dying well.

But, why do you have and I have difficulty praying such a prayer? Be honest…

We wonder if God really bend down into our troubled world, our troubled lives, to care, don’t we! As children that trust maybe comes a little easier. But the trials, the silence of God makes us doubt, so we don’t offer those night time prayers or think about God taking us home, or Call God Daddy!

I don’t know what ugliness in your life, bitter experience, makes you wonder if God is loving – but I do know from own life, that if doubt God here, soon I’m start living on my own steam, for my own purposes. There’s no intimacy with God. Road block to relationship with God!

But look at this prayer – He adds one Word that no one ever dared to use in prayer – Daddy!

Only really three options here – First two are quite related – keep life in your own hands – become a rock and an island. Or if ultimate trust in other people weight not meant to carry - not even your parents can be God to you, can’t save you! Cursed in the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

Jeremiah said Placing ourselves, searching for peace in the hands of man, instead of God is not a good place to be. Jesus put himself in hands of betrayer of Satan, so we too could be in hands of God!

Way to do it is to put your life in the hand of Jesus to be in Christ, he goes you go – crucified, dead, raised to life!

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” ”

489:1-3 WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER