R843 - The Glory of the Cross
Notes
Transcript
R843 Rumination for 21 March 2021 by K.C. Ung
The Theme: glory…in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 6:14b berita-bethel-ung.com
The Text: Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Jn. 12:23
The Thots:
Intro.: The Christian world is in the midst of Lent. Lent is mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist,
Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, and also by Roman Catholics. Lent is from 17th Feb. to 3rd April,
2021. To the world, the Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross was the lowest ebb in the Mission of the Lord.
It was a Failure and a Disappointment to the Disillusioned Jews who were looking for a King to establish a
kingdom for them. Let us see what the Crucifixion of Christ meant to various People and Parties.
A. To the Jews, Jesus on the Cross Marked a Failure.
1. The Jews were Expecting a Messiah to be their Crowned King: Mk. 15:12-14
Pilate…said…unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
2. But Jesus fell short of their Expectations and they wanted Him Crucified. 15:13, 14
And they cried out again, Crucify Him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done?
And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him.
3. Just see what His other Enemies did to Him before they took Him to the Cross! Mt. 27:29
When they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand:
and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him,
and led Him out to crucify Him. Mk. 15:20
v How could He be the Promised King when He could be so humiliated! See #C
B. To one Malefactor on the Cross, Jesus Crucified was a Failure. Lk. 23:39
One of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.
1. Jesus Could not Save Himself because He needed to give His life in order to save others!
He Said: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. Jn. 10:11
2. The other Criminal recognised His Condition and Jesus’ Credentials and he Cried out… Lk. 23:40-42
Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly;
for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.
3. Thus, Jesus’ Promise of Paradise to him that very day: Lk. 23:43
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.
v Hence, today we still Preach the Cross, the Power of God to Save Sinners – I Cor. 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. But why the Cross?
C. To Jesus, His Mission ending on the Cross was a Finished work.
1. The Purpose of Christ in Coming to Earth:
a. To Manifest God’s Love to the World. Rom. 5:8
God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
b. As a Man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:7-8
c. His Mission to the very end was the Cross and beyond the Cross! Matt. 16:21
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem,
and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests…and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
2. The Prayer of Christ as He faced the End was the Exaltation of God and Himself at the Cross. Jn. 17:1-5
a. Jesus…lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come;
glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee:
b. As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent.
c. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.
d. Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
v Christ death on the Cross was a Victorious and Glorious Event – it was a Glorious Victory all the Way!
3. His Proclaimed Victory as His Spirit Exited His Body when on the cross, He Cried out: Jn. 19:30, NKJV
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!"…bowing His head, He gave up His spirit
4. The Preaching of the Cross is not a Failure nor Foolishness; it is the Power and Wisdom of God! I Cor. 1:23f
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
The cross, it standeth fast— Hallelujah, hallelujah! Defying every blast— Hallelujah, hallelujah!
The winds of hell have blown, The world its hate hath shown, Yet it is not overthrown— Hallelujah for the cross!
Hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah for the cross; Hallelujah, hallelujah, It shall never suffer loss!
Horatius Bonar
REFLECTIONS FOR THE WEEK R. 843
1. To illustrate the need for dying sinners to Look up to the Lord Jesus in order to Live, Apostle John referred to the incident when Moses challenged the fiery-serpent bitten Israelites who were dying to look up to the brazen serpent he had Lifted on to a pole. [Num. 21:7-9]. He wrote: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (Jn. 3:14)
It is noteworthy that the word lifted up in Greek is the word hypsoō, (from hupsos which
literally means to elevate and is translated “lifted up” (6 times) and “exalt” (14 times) in the New Testament. [Strong].
Among the latter references, here are two instances:
Matt. 11:23 – And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Matt. 23:12 – And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Thus Jesus, lifted up on the pole, was in a way “elevated and exalted” on high, so that all who look up to Him or whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn. 3:14).
Jesus lifted up on the cross was not indicative of Failure in His Ministry, but the Finished Mission of what He came to do. It was there that He was Elevated or Exalted or Glorified even as He had prayed to His Father earlier in John 17:1-5 –
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Jesus Dying on the Cross was a victorious Declaration of His victory in His then accomplished mission, and later, over Death and the Grave to rise again to give eternal life to all will believe in Him even as He returns to Heaven in victory and glory.
No wonder Paul declares: (Gal. 6:14) – God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Can you join Paul and say together with Him this day: (Gal. 2:20) – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me?
This is the Glory of the Cross!
Lifted up was He to die; “It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high. Hallelujah! What a Saviour! —Philip P. Bliss REFLECT.
2. Today many women (and men included) make the cross into an ornament of beauty and perhaps of glory too, to enhance their personal attraction.
The more religious ones would decorate their church buildings and their homes with crosses to indicate their so-called “christian” association.
Still others would “ornament” themselves and their possessions to provide themselves with symbols of safety and protection, like hanging a cross above the dashboard of a car, wearing it around the neck as a necklace, carrying it in a purse, etc. etc. believing it to be a form or talisman of protection from evil or danger.
Is this what the cross means?
What did Christ mean when He said, “Whosoever doth not bear his cross,
and come after Me, cannot be My disciple”? (Lk, 14:27) REFLECT
Points To Ponder:
Is the Cross for me to wear around my neckLine, or for me to bear in Life?