5 views from the Cross

Welcome

Thank you all for tuning in on this rainy Easter Morning

It seems like every Easter it rains and then the Son begins to shine

It is today we celebrate the Son shining forth as He walked out of that grave

Everyone please grab a Bible

Get comfortable

Put this video on TV is you know how to do that

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And most of all praise God for the Cross

This is “Resurrection Sunday”

Jesus died on the cross on Friday

He rose from the grave today

My focus this morning is going to be on the cross and what Jesus saw as He looked down on all those around Him

It is fascinating to me that Jesus says very few words from the crucifixion

But Luke records what everyone else is saying and doing around Jesus

The title of this message is “5 views from the Cross”

I believe Everyone fits into one of these categories

From those who want nothing to do with Jesus

To those who worship Jesus

Prayer

Luke 23:33

#1 group “Pilates”: Jesus was just a ordinary man

Pilate is clearly in charge of the crucifixion

It was Pilate that had the power

It was Pilate who had to make the decision

And it was Pilate who had him crucified between two thieves

Maybe this was to vindicate Pilates decision

Maybe it was to make him feel better about caving under pressure

So Pilate numbered Him as to be crucified as an ordinary man

BUT THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY!

Yes Jesus was fully man

But Jesus was numbered as a man to redeem man

Isaiah 53:12 NASB95

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

700 years ago, Isaiah wrote this prophecy about the Messiah

Jesus was numbered as a man because only a man could bear the sins of the world

It is not a coincidence

It is not because of the power of Pilate

IT IS BECAUSE GOD ORDAINED IT IN TIME

Thousands were crucified by the Romans

But only ONE fulfilled the Scriptures

Only ONE fit the mold

Only ONE can take away the sins of the world

Yes believe Jesus was only a man, but was more than a man

He was the God-man

God in human flesh

Philippians 2:7–8 NASB95

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus became a man because it was the only way to save us

Luke 23:34

Group #2: “soldiers” Those who do not recognize their greatest need

We are not sure who “they” are

But I believe it is the Roman guards who are carrying out this task

They were just doing what was ordered

Jesus was not a big deal to them

In fact they found more care in the gambling of His clothes then they did in the significance of the cross

The Romans needed Jesus just as much as the Pharisees, or Pilate

But the last thing they were worried about was life after death

Just imagine being Jesus

Knowing the greatest act in history was taking place

The salvation of all men

Salvation is real

Heaven is real

And Hell is real

And what Jesus was doing was to save men from going to hell and when he looked down they were gambling with the clothes he had on his body

It was a big joke to them!

Who cares if this is Jesus, “King of the Jews”

How many today are gambling with their lives everyday thinking there is always tomorrow

There will always be time to get right with God

I told myself that year after year

Living life like nothing could hurt me, but ONE DAY GOD WOKE ME UP

Thank God He loved me enough

Thank God I saw the light

Thank God I relized my greatest need was Jesus Christ

This group says, There is always tomorrow!

But tomorrow isn’t promised

James 4:14 NASB95

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Jesus must have thought why do they not understand I AM WHAT THEY NEED

There is nothing need in this world than Jesus Christ!

All men needed to be saved

The answer to every problem is Jesus!

The answer to the corona virus is Jesus!

“Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added to you!”

What is our greatest need: TO BE FORGIVEN OF OUR SIN

Jesus prayed for their greatest need: “Father, forgive them”

What we need is not a better life

We need a life in Jesus Christ

Those wonderful words led me to the cross

Those wonderful words led my wife to the cross

Those wonderful words have led many in my family to salvation, “Father, forgive me”

Verse 35

Group # 3: “Pharisees” Those who are blinded by the god of this world

These are those who have a form of religion, but no salvation

They know all the right things, but have nothing in their heart

They know the Scriptures, but do not live them

They have made a covenant with God, but try to fulfill it with works rather than faith

Notice what they say, “He saved others, let Him save Himself”

What they saw in Jesus’ life was supernatural

The blind were given their sight

The paralyzed were healed

The leper was cleansed

The dead was raised

But they still denied who He was

In fact they said what Jesus was doing was the work of Satan not God

They saw Jesus as a threat, rather than a gift from God

What would cause someone to see God’s supernatural work, and not accept it

Because the god of this world had blinded them

2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB95

in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan offers a form of religion, and offers security without results

He offers salvation without power

He offers ritual without relationship

He blinds people so they believe the lie and never truly worship Jesus

It is at the cross where the mind is transformed and the eyes are opened

Only when we come to Christ to truly worship Him can we see Him for who He is

1 Corinthians 2:16 NASB95

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Group #4: “unrepentant thief” These are the doubters or unbelievers

One criminal on each side of Jesus

The first questions Jesus status: “If you are the Christ”

In other words, Jesus if you are really God I am going to need to see some proof

Show me your credentials

Then come and assist me

The problem with a doubter is he rejects the supernatural

Anything that cannot be explained through science is a myth

And the more intelligent we become, the more faithless we seem to grow

Science will never disprove faith

The finite will never disprove the infinite

Jesus said this: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?”

In other words as time marches on there is going to be an decrease in faith in general

Our church records show it

Our government leaders show it

And the morality of our country shows it

THE ANSWER TO DOUBT IS IN THE WORD OF GOD JUST LIKE WE ARE READING TODAY

The Scriptures prove Jesus is the Messiah

No man would write a book that said he is hopeless without God

We write books to elevate ourselves

We write books to prove our intelligence

BUT NO ONE WRITES A BOOK THAT SAYS WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST WE ARE DOOMED

Not all religions are the same and Christianity is the only religion that proves itself in Scriptures

There is verse after verse that record the exact words in this story 700 years earlier

No other book has the unity like the 66 books of the Bible

No other book written by over 40 authors all come to the same conclusion: THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”

Faith is found in the God’s Word

Verses 40-43

Group #5 are the Believers

The thief on the other side of Jesus makes three important claims that save his soul.

He confessed to his sin “for we receive the due reward of our deeds”

The thief was well aware the judgement on the cross was justly served

And the Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”

Therefore we are all deserving of the cross

This thief declared Jesus as righteous

Jesus truly was the only man to ever walk the earth who was righteous

The cross is so important because on that cross the sins of the world were laid upon the righteous Man

He bore our sins, so that we can obtain His righteousness in faith

He declared him “Lord”

For Jesus to be our Savior, He must be our Lord

Another word for Lord is “Ruler”

At that moment in time, Jesus became His ruler, His authority, His hope

And Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in paradise”

Salvation is not a process

It is not something that takes place over time

It happens the instant sin is confessed, and faith is placed in the work of Jesus on the cross

You don’t have to be saved in a church

You don’t have to be at an alter

If you are unsure of your salvation, would you make it right today?

The thief was dying on a cross, and Jesus saved him

Pray with me today:

Lord, I believe the cross is my only hope

Lord if I died today I am not sure where I would go

But I want to be with you in Paradise

Please forgive me of my sin

And help me to live for you

Amen

Closing Remarks:

If your saved thank God for the price he paid for our sin

Though we are apart, make this day about Jesus

Love you all

See you soon